Just One Spark Read Online Free PDF Page A

long slow drink of her tea to fight against the wafts of coffee invading her senses. If only it were warmer and she could sit outside.
    “Hannah, I’m not sure what you’ve heard.” Derek set his mug down. Definitely coffee, mocha by the looks of it.
    Hannah chuckled. She’d actually made the professor uncomfortable. Score one for her. Leaning in, she whispered, “I was just eavesdropping on a conversation. Never mind.”
    Relief washed over Derek’s features. She exchanged pleasantries with him, enjoying his discomfort. He made this far too easy for her to write him off. He’d shown up late, too opinionated and had probably been accused of being a stalker before.
    “I’ve been wondering about something,” Hannah said, schooling her face into an aloof expression. “Have you ever looked at adultery from the other side? Why married men are attracted to certain women? Is there a type they go for?” She absently rubbed the side of her mug, hoping she hadn’t given herself away too much. She wanted to know what kept bringing these jerks her way.
    “There are quite a few studies about women who prefer to be mistresses,” Derek said, leaning back in his velvet chair and checking his watch.
    Hannah shook her head. “No, I mean what kind of women these men choose to approach. Is there something similar about them?”
    Derek sucked in his bottom lip as his eyebrows knit together. After a brief moment, he said, “That’s a great idea. I’ll research it.” Derek snuck a quick look at the door.
    We have a winner. Not only had he been late, he couldn’t help her and obviously had somewhere else to be. “Don’t let me keep you.”
    “What?” Derek asked, picking up his mug.
    “You’re very interested in your watch, the door. You know what? I’m going to head off to work.” Hannah gathered her purse from her feet.
    “No!” Derek nearly jumped out of his seat. “I, uh…there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
    Just great. A psychologist who couldn’t read people. He wanted to ask her out again. Hannah took a deep breath and rounded up her best I’m-really-busy-at-work excuse. He was a friend of Troy’s after all, no need to be bitchy. Yet.
    “Remember that story you were telling me at the party?” Derek asked.
    Hannah nodded without bothering to hide her annoyance. Must she talk about this again?
    “It’s him,” Hannah heard the brunette from the writing group squeal. The inspiration for two novels must be more interesting than Derek. She turned towards the door and her heart froze.
    Him. It was him. In the flesh.
    Molding herself to the back of her chair, she tried to make the wheels turn in her brain. Adulterer. Stalker. Haunter of dreams.
    Great job, Hannah, you’ve gone from bad to worse .
    This had better be good. The very last place Mason wanted to find himself after completing his second twenty-four-hour shift of the week was the coffee shop he’d been thrown out of. If this were Derek’s idea of a joke, he’d be paying in blood.
    He quickly made his way past the counter, hoping the barista wouldn’t see him. Hearing her gasp as he walked by, he shook his head. This had better be damn good, and it had better be fast, because they were probably both about to get the boot.
    “It’s him,” a woman squealed. Mason turned to see the writing group that met at the shop all staring up at him. They’d all witnessed the embarrassing scene with the manager. Great, now he’d become a pariah in his own neighborhood.
    “Mason, over here.” He shifted his glance and spied Derek sitting in one of two purple chairs by the window.
    He made a beeline towards his brother. A week of mornings in the coffee shop had acquainted him with the writers group. He didn’t have the patience to get dragged in to a conversation with that chatty bunch.
    With her back to him, a woman rose from the chair facing Derek.
    Even before she turned around he knew. Her. It was her. Mason took a deep breath, pulling her