Man with a past Read Online Free PDF

light, shifting patch of muted color against the darkness, and the pale skin of her legs provided an equally visible target.
    Cole knew, without bothering to think about it, that in his black pullover and slacks he was probably already invisible to her. He watched her turn to the left as she hit the beach and saw her stumble a little on the damp, packed sand. She glanced back again to see if he was following. Standing near the twisted trunk of a Monterey cypress, Cole smiled grimly to himself. She couldn’t see him at all now. That much was obvious. He saw her hesitate, trying to search the darkness. But fading into nearby cover was a skill that came so naturally to Cole he knew she couldn’t possibly detect his presence.
    Out on the beach, Kelsey tried desperately to assess the situation. It had been idiotic to allow him to frighten her into running outside. Running wasn’t even possible in the high heels she was wearing, she had discovered. There was no sign of him as she glanced back toward the house, but the chilly, drizzling rain had already begun to soak the red knit dress and dampen her hair. She felt ridiculous.
    To top it off, she’d let him chase her out of her own home, she thought furiously. Well, her parents’ home. Same difference. He belonged in that walled fortress up the beach, not in her mother’s beautiful, airy house. Kelsey wondered dismally how long he’d wait for her to come back.
    Kelsey stood, miserable and wet, her heels sunk into the sand, and stared longingly back at the warmly lit house.
    Inside was a fire on the hearth, a hot shower and a glass of brandy waiting.
    There was also Cole.
    He had shocked her with his violent reaction to her decision to end the relationship. It had been stunningly clear that he’d planned to take her to bed tonight, and he hadn’t liked her throwing his intentions off stride. She’d guessed he wouldn’t like the rejection, but she hadn’t been prepared for the fury it had elicited.
    There was no movement on the veranda and none in the shadows that filtered through the misty rain. Behind her the surf tossed noisily, making it impossible to hear any other minor sounds. Not that Cole would make so much as a whisper when he moved, Kelsey thought nervously. A tangled cypress tree loomed in front of her as she stepped uncertainly back toward the shelter of her mother’s home.
    She couldn’t continue to stand out here in the rain like a soggy terrier. Besides, she was very cold now. There was nothing to fear from Cole, not really, she told herself optimistically. After all, he was her parents’ neighbor and friend.
    Surely he wouldn’t risk incurring their wrath by assaulting her, she assured herself. It had been silly to allow him to intimidate her into running.
    It was just that she knew so little about Cole Stockton. She couldn’t really be sure of anything, including the notion that he might not resort to genuine violence.

    She took another step closer to the house, drawn toward it now as a means of escape from the steady discomfort of the rain. Her own anger and the feeling of having been made to act idiotically fed her increasingly positive view of the situation. So what if Cole was still waiting for her inside, she asked herself. She could handle him. She’d call his bluff and tell him exactly where he could go.
    Kelsey was bracing herself with that last thought when Cole’s hand settled tightly around her wrist. She opened her mouth instinctively to scream and promptly felt his palm across her lips as he materialized from the shadow of the cypress.
    „It’s not that I’m afraid anyone will actually hear you and come to your rescue,“ he rasped softly. „It’s just that I’d like to protect my own ears.“
    She panicked as she sensed the inescapable quality of his hold. All thoughts of being able to handle him faded.
    Frantically she tried to struggle, beating at Cole with her free hand until he somehow managed to lock it between their