Sculpting Grace: A Light Romance Novel (Art of Grace Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

innocent, I was instantly on my guard. "You can't tell me over the phone?"
    "I probably could, but frankly, the man's address is buried somewhere in my files, and I don't have the energy tonight to go and dig it out." Again, Onyx sounded like he was telling me the truth - but he might be trying to lure me over...
    I shook my head at myself. If Onyx wanted me to come over, he'd just directly tell me all the things that he wanted to do to my body. My ovaries would probably seize direct control of my limbs and walk me straight to his door, ready for him to drive me mindless.
    "I suppose that I can stop by tomorrow, after I check in with my new assistant at the gallery," I gave in. "But no funny business, okay? This is about work, not... the other thing."
    "And what other thing would that be?" Onyx fired back, the seductive honey-sweet whisper back in his voice.
    "You know exactly what it is." I shook my head. "See you tomorrow, Onyx."
    "Wait."
    About to lower the phone from my ear, I paused. "What?"
    "Aren't you going to ask what I'm wearing?"
    "Good night," I told him firmly, forcing my trembling fingers to lower the phone before I gave into the combined forces of both temptation, and my raging imagination, and asked that very question. Even as I lowered the phone from my ear, I could hear Onyx laughing, knowing that he'd scored a point in the strange, not fully understood game of seduction that the two of us were playing together.
    After ending the call, I looked over at Salem. "I think that went alright, all things considered," I told my cat.
    He blinked at me, stretched out his paws - and then twisted double, showing a range of flexibility that made me immediately envious. His little pink tongue flicked out as he began to industriously clean himself.
    "Right. I think I could use a cold shower, myself," I said, rising up from the couch.
    A cold shower, some warm pajamas, and then maybe a little bit of alone time in bed, my head filled with thoughts of Onyx wearing nothing but a smile...

Chapter Five
    *
    The next morning, when I arrived at the Halesford Gallery's back entrance, I slid my key into the door - and found it unlocked.
    My brain, still half-asleep even after several gulps from the steaming thermos of coffee in my hand, jumped into high alert. Why was the door unlocked? I knew that I'd locked it last night, as I did every night. Had someone burgled the place? Why? What art piece could possibly be worth risking time in prison to steal, when they could probably have bargained me down to a price that made it almost worth buying?
    I crept inside, trying to figure out what I could use as a makeshift weapon. I really ought to get a baseball bat and leave it lying near the back door, I considered to myself. Mental note: purchase baseball bat. I didn't know how much a bat might cost, so I added a second note to see if I could get Preston to reimburse me for the expense.
    Okay, Becca. Focus on figuring out whether someone's broken into the gallery. I found a pair of safety scissors on the desk in the back room; they weren't the sharpest of tools, but they felt good in my hand. Holding them with the point out, just how I'd been taught not to carry scissors in grade school, I advanced into the gallery space.
    All of the lights were turned on. That seemed a little strange to me; didn't burglars like to creep around in the dark? I tried to slink through the gallery, doing my best to stick close to the walls without accidentally knocking up against any of the paintings.
    The paintings which, by the way, seemed to all still be present. This burglary was getting stranger and stranger. I moved forward.
    Suddenly, I froze as I heard the sound of someone shifting around papers from ahead of me, at the front desk. Someone really was here! I tightened my grip on the scissors in my hand until my knuckles were white from exertion. Should I go charging around the corner, shouting out a war cry, or should I try and sneak up on the