The Drifter Read Online Free PDF

Kenny pokedhis head inside. Eve snatched her hand away. “I’m done,” he said. “I locked the front doors.”
    “Thanks,” Eve said, glancing over her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
    He gave Charlie another look, then shrugged. “Night, boss.” Kenny strolled through the kitchen and out the back, the screen door slamming behind him.
    Charlie slid off the table. “Where’s that wine you needed?”
    “Through that door, down the stairs, second shelf from the top on the right. Castle Ridge Merlot. The ’96 Reserve. Bring up the rest of the case.”
    As he completed the task, Charlie wondered at her prickly attitude. Women usually warmed up right away when he turned on the charm. But then, he’d never gone back to one of his previous conquests. Though she had every right to be angry, she’d been the one to choose marriage over adventure, stability over spontaneity. Did she blame him for forcing her to make the wrong choice? He cursed softly. Or maybe she did assume he was only here for booty call.
    When he got upstairs, he set the case on the opposite side of the table, then leaned over it, bracing his arms on the rough wood edges. “So, is this any good?” he asked, pulling a bottle and holding it out to her.
    “Yes. It’s very good.”
    “Then I’d like to buy a bottle. Do you have a couple of glasses and a corkscrew?”
    “It’s seventy-five dollars a bottle.”
    “Then I guess it better be good,” Charlie replied.
    She set her work down and stared at him. He waited for her to speak, but she seemed to be carefully considering what she was about to say. “Why are you here? If you’ve come for sex, why don’t you just say so and stop wasting time with wine and pretty compliments.” She smoothed her hands over the stainless-steel table. “We could do it right here and get it over with.”
    “You think that’s what this is about? Have I even brought up sex?”
    “No, but…”
    “Odd that you’d mention it. Have you been thinking about it? I mean, sex with me?”
    “Yes,” she said. “No! Not in the way you think. I’ve just been wondering why you stopped by today.”
    “I think we better crack open this bottle of wine, because it’s a long story. And a large quantity of alcohol would help in the telling.”
    Eve took the bottle from his hand, then searched through a nearby drawer for a corkscrew. She held it out to him, then fetched a pair of wineglasses from a plastic rack near the dishwasher. Slowly, she slid them in front of him and after removing the cork, he filled the glasses halfway.
    “So what’s the story?” she asked before taking a sip.
    “First, a toast,” he said, holding his glass up. “To old friends.”
    Eve touched her wine goblet to his, then took a sip. “Old friends,” she repeated softly. “So what is the story?”
    “Have you ever had an epiphany?” he asked. “A moment of absolute clarity in your life? When you know exactly who you are and what you’re supposed to be doing?”
    “No,” she said.
    “Neither have I. But I should have. I was standing on top of Everest, cold and hungry and not sure I even wanted to go back down. And I was waiting to feel something and it didn’t come. Strangely, the only thing I could think about was you.”
    She blinked in surprise. “Me?”
    “Yeah, you.” Charlie shook his head. “I hadn’t seen you in five years. Hadn’t even really thought about you in five years. And then, there you were, clear as day, swimming around in my mind. And here I am.” He took a gulp of his wine. “I just want to figure it out.”
    “So that’s all you want with me?”
    “No.” Charlie grinned as he circled to her side of the table. “I’d really like to kiss you right now. But I’m doing my best to control my impulses.”
    A satisfied smile curled the corners of her mouth.“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I just assumed you were only interested in—” Her gaze met his. “It’s