Morelli's Mistress (Harlequin Presents) Read Online Free PDF Page B

rain. ‘It’s an awful night.’
    ‘It just got a whole lot better,’ said Luke with a grin. ‘How did you know I was here?’
    ‘Oh, you know...’ Abby waved an airy hand. ‘I was just looking out of the window, and I thought I recognised your car.’
    ‘And you thought you’d come down and apologise for not ringing me,’ suggested Luke drily. ‘Do you have any idea how difficult it’s been to find you?’
    Abby’s lips parted. ‘You’ve been looking for me?’ She hoped the alarm wasn’t evident in her voice.
    ‘Well, I’ve been trawling through the university webpages,’ he admitted. ‘But as I didn’t know your surname or what the hell subject you were researching, I was just wasting my time.’
    ‘Oh.’ Abby’s relief was almost palpable.
    ‘So Ray, the guy I was with at the wine bar, suggested checking out your apartment.’ He looked up at the apartment building. ‘This is a classy place, isn’t it?’ His eyes darkened. ‘I don’t know whether I can afford you.’
    ‘Oh—don’t be silly. I—I share the apartment with—with a friend,’ she stammered, not wanting him to think her job was anything special. ‘Um—she’s expecting me back. We were just going to have supper.’ She reached for the door handle. ‘I’m afraid I’ve got to go.’
    Luke hesitated. ‘You don’t feel like going out for a meal instead?’
    ‘I can’t.’ Abby knew she was tempting fate, even sitting here in Luke’s car. ‘I’m sorry. Some—some other time, perhaps.’
    Now why had she said that?
    ‘Okay.’ Luke seized on the compromise. ‘How about tomorrow night? I could pick you up here about eight. We could have dinner and then maybe a movie. What do you say?’
    Abby hesitated. She knew she should refuse. For God’s sake, if Harry even suspected she was considering going out with another man, she didn’t like to think what he might do.
    And some people might say that she’d deserve it, whatever it was. But heaven knew, she was desperate to spend an evening with someone who treated her with a little respect.
    ‘I don’t think so,’ she said now, twisting her hands together in her lap. ‘I—well, I don’t know you.’
    ‘That can be arranged.’
    ‘Can it?’ God forgive her, she was actually considering it.
    ‘So you do want to see me again?’
    Abby hesitated once more. And this time, before she could even think of denying it, Luke looped a hand behind her head and brought her mouth to his.
    ‘Let me persuade you,’ he said huskily, and his tongue slipped silkily into her mouth.
    Abby thought it was just as well she was sitting down at that moment. The hungry urgency of his kiss was robbing her of her sanity. Heat surrounded her, enveloping her in its sensual embrace. She found herself clutching the lapels of his leather jacket and arching towards him.
    His mouth hardened, the kiss lengthening into a drugging seduction that showed no sign of ending. It was just as well the console was between them or she was fairly sure Luke would have hauled her onto his lap, and continued his sensual exploration below her waist.
    As it was, he was cupping her breasts through the fine fabric of her velvet suit and she could feel her nipples peaking against his hands.
    ‘Annabel, come with me,’ he said roughly, lifting the hem of her top to find the warm flesh of her midriff. And Abby was sorely tempted to give in.
    And then another car accelerated into the lot and Abby’s blood ran cold. She’d recognised that car over Luke’s shoulder, and it was as she had anticipated upstairs: Harry had come home earlier than he’d said.
    Dragging her mouth away from Luke’s, she reached again for the handle of the door. ‘I—I can’t. I’ve got to go. H-Harriet’s waiting for me.’
    ‘Wait!’ Before she could get the door open, Luke had grabbed her arm. ‘At least agree to go out with me tomorrow evening,’ he said. ‘What’s your name? I don’t even know your surname. Let me give you a