The Emerald Key Read Online Free PDF Page A

shrugged. Any weapon was better than none.
    He moved into a large, old-fashioned living room decorated for comfort rather than style. A cream knit afghan draped over a large, navy blue sofa between two end tables stacked high with books and magazines. A matching armchair and a wooden rocking chair sat in opposite corners, next to the two long windows. A low coffee table centered in front of the sofa sat atop a bright braided rug covering the wide-plank wood floor. No nooks or alcoves where someone could hide. Good.
    Along one wall stood a conglomeration of assemble-it-yourself shelves and a TV cabinet filled with a small television, stereo, DVD player and more books. Several large leafy plants sat in front of the windows. The homey decor fit her.
    The room invited you to kick off your shoes, grab a drink, and relax. He thought all she needed would be a cat to make the place complete. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a large gray-striped tabby sauntered in, stopping when it spied him. They held a short stare-down contest, then the cat rubbed against his legs and purred when he reached down to rub its ears.
    “I’m impressed. Wunjo usually doesn’t care for men.” Cass joined him, a second umbrella in her hand.
    “I told you to wait.”
    “This is my home. I’m not going to sit back and let someone intimidate me.”
    Nic frowned, but, other than tying her down, what could he do? He admired her nerve. After seeing that file, most people would be scared. She’d shaken off her fear and armed herself.
    With her at his back, he crept down the hall and searched the two small bedrooms, kitchen, and bathroom. He went through, opening doors, looking under beds and other furniture, anywhere someone might hide. Stacks of books lay everywhere but other than that, the rooms looked neat and well kept.
    He didn’t see anything out of place. He spent time checking her windows and doors and making sure of the security. The street below flowed with heavy late afternoon traffic and people strolling the sidewalks. The town invited walking, exploring the quaint shops and enjoying the general ambience. Everything he’d seen so far told him this would be a good place to settle.
    When he turned from the living room windows, he saw four pictures hanging on the wall. One showed a sizeable cabin in the middle of a clearing surrounded by towering hemlocks. A second looked like more of the forest but with a barn—possibly behind the cabin? A third pictured the store downstairs and a building he didn’t recognize. The last, again wooded, but with a narrow waterfall tumbling from a high cliff. He could swear he almost saw smoke rising from the cabin chimney and water flowing. As he turned from the pictures, he thought he caught a flash of movement in the trees. Nic shook his head. “Next thing you know, I’ll be looking for Harry Potter.”
    Cass had stayed in the one bedroom that looked lived-in, so he returned there. She’d turned off the overhead light, leaving just a small bedside lamp burning. “There’s nobody here.”
    Her allure captured him. Without thinking, he crossed the short distance and drew her into an embrace. His mouth claimed hers, not in a kiss of greeting, but of a couple who knew each other so well, they knew how to entice the other. Her mouth opened willingly to him, her tongue teasing his as her hands grasped his neck, then pulled back from him as if burned, moving to put the bed between them. He had to admit, he felt a little singed himself.
    *
    Cass stared at him. One part of her couldn’t believe her actions. She didn’t even know this man. And she had a boyfriend—sort of.
    Steve. She had to think of Steve. This couldn’t happen.
    She’d followed Nic initially to see what he’d do, already aware he’d find her apartment empty and safe. Wunjo wouldn’t let anyone in without letting her or Minerva know. She hadn’t expected this…need to touch him. To hold him. To be with him.
    “What just