Strangers in Paradise Read Online Free PDF Page A

fault is that?”
    He shrugged. Despite herself, Alexi tried to repin some of the hair that was falling in tangles from her once neat and elegant knot.
    He laughed. “I should have known from all the lipstick.”
    â€œGo home, Mr. Morrow, please. I’m looking for privacy, too.”
    His laughter faded. He studied her once again, and again, despite herself, she felt as if she was growing warm. As if there was something special about his eyes, about the way they fell over her and entered into her.
    â€œGo—” She broke off, startled, as a shrill sound erupted in the night. She was so surprised that she nearly screamed. Then she was heartily glad that she had not, for it was only the phone.
    â€œOh,” she murmured. Then she sighed with resignation, looking at him. “All right, where is it?”
    â€œParlor.”
    â€œLiving room?”
    â€œThat living room is called a parlor.”
    She stiffened her shoulders and started for the parlor. She caught the phone on the fifth ring. It was Gene. Her great-grandfather had turned ninety-five last Christmas and could have passed for sixty. Alexi was ridiculously proud of him, but then she felt that she had a right to be. He was lean, but as straight as an arrow and as determined and sly as an old fox. He seldom ailed, and Alexi thought that she knew his secret. He’d never—through a long life of trials and tribulations—taken the time to feel sorry for himself, he had never ceased to love life, and he had never apologized for an absolute fascination with people. Everything and everyone interested Gene.
    But he was too old, he had assured Alexi, to start the massive project of refurbishing his historical inheritance, the Brandywine house outside Fernandina Beach.
    He had known she needed a place. A place to hide, to nurse her wounds. She had never explained everything to him; the bitter truth had been too hurtful and humiliating to admit, even to Gene.
    Gene’s voice came to her gruffly. “Thank God you’re there. I tried the hotel in town, and the receptionist told me you had never checked in.”
    â€œGene! Yes, I—”
    â€œYoung woman, where is your sense?”
    At that moment, Alexi wanted to rap her beloved relative on the knuckles. His voice was so clear that she was sure Rex Morrow, who had followed her back into the parlor, was hearing every word.
    â€œGene, I really didn’t want to stay in town. I made it into the city by six—”
    â€œIt’s pitch-dark out there!”
    â€œWell, yes—”
    â€œAlexi, there are dangerous people in this world, even in a small place—maybe especially in a small place. You could have been attacked or assaulted or—”
    There are dangerous people out here, and I was assaulted! Alexi almost snapped. Rex Morrow was watching her, smiling. He could hear every word.
    He took the phone out of her hand.
    â€œWhat are you—”
    â€œShh,” he told her, sitting on the back of the Victorian sofa and casually dangling a leg. He smiled with a great deal of warmth when he spoke to Gene.
    â€œGene, Rex here.”
    â€œRex, thank God. I’m glad I asked you to watch the place!”
    â€œGene, there’s really not much going on out here, you know. No real danger, though Alexi might tell you differently. We had a bit of a run-in. Why didn’t you give her the key?”
    Alexi snatched the phone from him, reddening again. “He did give me the key.”
    â€œWhat? What?” They could both hear Gene’s voice. “Key? I did give Alexi the key.”
    Rex arched a brow. “Why didn’t you...use it?” he asked her slowly, once again as if he were speaking with a child who had proved to have little adult comprehension. “Or do you prefer breaking in the window over walking through the front door?”
    â€œYou broke a window?” Gene was shouting. For such an incredibly old man, he