The Alibi Read Online Free PDF

bottleneck in the crowd. He'd offered
    her his hand when they stepped into and out of
    the Ferris wheel car. They'd been elbow to elbow and
    hip to hip for the duration of the ride. But other than
    those few exceptions, he had curbed every temptation
    to touch her, not wanting to scare her off, or come
    across as a creep, or insult her.
    Now he pulled her forward gently, but firmly, until
    they were standing toe to toe. Then he curved his arm
    around her waist and drew her close. Closer than before.
    Against him. She went hesitantly, but she didn't
    try to angle away. She raised her arm to his shoulder.
    He felt the imprint of her hand at the base of his neck.
    The band had called it a night. Music was now
    being provided by a DJ who had been playing a variety
    ranging from Creedence Clearwater to Streisand.
    Because it was growing late and the mood of the
    dancers had turned more mellow, he was playing
    slower songs.
     
    Hammond recognized the tune, but couldn't name
    the singer or the song currently coming from the
    pavilion. It didn't matter. The ballad was slow and
    sweet and romantic. At first he tried to get his feet to
    execute the sequence of steps that he had learned as a
    youth reluctantly attending cotillions his mother
    roped him into. But the longer he held her, the more
    impossible it became to concentrate on anything except
    her.
    One song segued into another, but they never
    missed a beat, despite her agreeing to only one dance.
    In fact, neither noticed when the music changed.
    Their eyes and minds were locked on each other.
    He brought their clasped hands up to his chest and
    pressed hers palm down, then covered it with his. She
    tipped her head forward and down until her forehead
    was resting on his collarbone. He rubbed his cheek
    against her hair. He felt rather than actually heard the
    small sound of want that vibrated in her throat. His
    own desire echoed it.
    Their feet shuffled to a decreasing tempo until
    eventually they stopped moving altogether. They
    were still except for the strands of her hair that the
    breeze brushed against his face. The heat emanating
    from every point of contact seemed to forge them together.
    Hammond dipped his head for the kiss that he
    believed was inevitable.
    "I must go." She broke away and turned abruptly
    toward the bench where she'd left her handbag and
    cardigan.
    For several seconds he was too stunned to react.
    After taking up her things, she made to move past
    him with a rushed, "Thanks for everything. It was
    lovely. Truly."
    "Wait a minute."
    She eluded his touch and quickly went up the
    steps, tripping once in her haste. "I have to go."
    "Why now?"
    "I can't. . . can't do this."
     
    She tossed the words over her shoulder as she hurriedly
    made her way toward the parking area. She
    followed the string of pennants, avoiding the midway,
    the pavilion, and the waning activity in the
    booths. Some of the attractions already had closed.
    Exhibitioners were tearing down their booths and
    packing up their arts and crafts. Families loaded
    down with souvenirs and prizes trudged toward their
    vans. The noises weren't so joyful or so loud as earlier.
    The music in the pavilion now sounded more forlorn
    than romantic.
    Hammond stayed even with her. "I don't understand."
    "What's not to understand? I've told you I must
    go. That's all there is to it."
    "I don't believe that." Desperate to detain her, he
    reached for her arm. She stopped, took several deep
    breaths, and turned to face him, although she didn't
    look at him directly.
    "I had a lovely time." She spoke in a flat voice
    with little inflection, as though these were lines she
    had memorized. "But now the evening is over and I
    have to leave."
    "But--"
    "I don't owe you an explanation. I don't owe you
    anything." Her eyes made brief contact with his before
    skittering away again. "Now please, don't try
    and stop me again."
    Hammond released her arm and stepped back,
    raising his hands as though in