Make Me Tremble Read Online Free PDF Page A

she shut the door behind him. “No, I meant how did you get past the gate?”
    “I came from the lake, not the road,” he said, glancing around her foyer and peering into her distant living room. He looked especially tall and striking in the familiar setting. And he smelled
good
.
    “This is nice,” he said.
    “Thanks. Do you want to look around a little?”
    He nodded and she led him into the great room, which was a large, airy space that included her kitchen, dining area, and living room. “It came fully furnished, so I don’t know how much it actually represents me yet.”
    “Yet? Does that mean you plan to redecorate? Plant roots in Tahoe Shores?”
    “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “This whole thing with me taking this job has been a sort of . . .”
    “An unexpected detour off the main road?” he finished for her when she trailed off.
    “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” She met his stare and found herself lost there for a moment. He had the longest lashes. The dark ring around the outside of his iris highlighted the complex, fascinating color of his eyes. His gaze had an almost hypnotic quality on her. No . . . it wasn’t that. It evoked the opposite of the hazy, dreamy quality of hypnosis. She knew that from experience. Instead, Latimer’s stare was almost alarmingly alert. It seemed to slice down to the heart of her.
    Also: His mouth was indecently sexy. When she looked at it, she couldn’t help but think of him doing
things
with it.
    “I’m not usually so impulsive,” she found herself saying. “Any detours I take are usually well thought out and planned.” His lips twitched slightly.
    “Then it’s not much of an adventure, is it?”
    She laughed and tore her gaze off his face. “I suppose that’s what you think I should consider you as well?” she asked, trying to make light of things. “An adventure?”
    “Would that help?” His low, mellow voice seemed to caress the side of her cheek and neck.
    “I’m not very good at adventures.”
    His hand enclosed hers. She glanced up at him in surprise.
    “That’s okay. I am.” His eyebrows arched. He gave her that small, heart-knocking smile that always struck her as sweet and mind-bogglingly sexy at once. “I’ll keep you safe, Harper.”
    For a few seconds, she just stared at him, a sense of strong familiarity going through her again. She gave an anxious laugh.
    The confusing thing was, she had the strangest feeling that he hadn’t been teasing her at all. That in fact, he’d just uttered a solemn promise.
    * * *
    He really
had
arrived by water. He led her to her townhome association’s pier and a huge moored black and white boat. She recognized it as one of the two boats that had been tied to buoys last night at his home.
    “I hope you don’t mind dinner on the water,” he said, leaping gracefully onto the boat and turning to extend his hand to her.
    “No, that’d be great,” Harper assured, her feet landing on a polished wood deck. She looked around the boat while he unfastened the moorings with quick precision. He was obviously very comfortable on the water. She enjoyed boating, but had never been on a craft this large. Strangely, although it was enormous compared to a typical motorboat, its sleekness and aerodynamic design made her think of speed. “Is this a yacht?” she asked him when he approached her again.
    “A small one. But it’s unique because it’s deft and fast, as well. It was specially made for me by a man I know. I liked the design so much, I decided to go into business with him,” Jacob said, his tone making it seem like it was a common, everyday practice for him to start a new company.
    Which maybe it was, Harper mused.
    He reached for her hand. Harper liked not only that he did it, but that he made the gesture seem so natural. Not only on his part. On hers. It felt nice, feeling his hand enclosing hers. Comfortable, and yet thrilling at once.
    He led her up some stairs. Harper counted