TouchofTopaz Read Online Free PDF

distance.
    “Where are we?” She rubbed her face, trying to fight off the
muzzy feeling that clung to her. Had they had to take some kind of detour?
    John ignored her and wrestled with the steering wheel,
moving them along the rutted path.
    Amusement pulled at her lips. Maybe he was lost and didn’t
want to admit it. Men were like that. But that didn’t make sense either. The
car was equipped with the latest in GPS technology.
    “John?”
    “We’re almost there.” He glanced at her and his stern
expression softened slightly. “How are you feeling?”
    She ran her fingers through her short hair and rolled her
shoulders. “Good. I didn’t mean to sleep for so long.” The sun was sinking in
the sky and night would soon be upon them.
    A small, rustic cabin came into view, the car headlights
reflecting off the weathered wood. A porch ran the length of the house and
there was a swing situated on the far end. It was quite charming, if you liked
that sort of thing. She was more of a city girl.
    Or she was now. She’d grown up with hippie parents on a
large rural estate. She and her sisters had run wild in the surrounding woods.
Plus, her parents had loved camping and, when they were kids, the family had
often done so.
    Shaking off the sense of nostalgia, she frowned when John
stopped in front of the cabin. “Where are we and why are we here?” What had
happened while she’d been sleeping?
    He turned off the ignition, pulled out the key and pocketed
it. “We’re in upstate New York and this place belongs to me.” He opened the
door and slid out, stretching after the long drive. He closed the door and came
around to the passenger side.
    Dusk was falling quickly and with the car lights off it was
getting harder to see. John pointed at her lock and she reluctantly opened her
door. “I don’t understand. Why are we stopping here? We should be on the road
home to the city.”
    He scowled and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “We’re not
going to the city.”
    Topaz pulled her wits around her, thankful for the brisk
breeze chilling her skin. It pushed the remnants of her long nap away and left
her more levelheaded. “Of course we are. I have to work in the morning.” She’d
been away for almost a week now and was eager to get back. Yes, she trusted
Susie, her assistant manager, to run the boutique. But she longed to get back
to what was familiar, what she knew.
    He clasped her hand with his, tugged her out of the car and
toward the cabin. “No, we’re not.”
    Topaz dug in her heels until he had no choice except to
stop. “What is going on? I want an answer and I want it now.” In her
experience, it was better to be firm when dealing with men. She shifted her
weight and one of her heels sank into the soft dirt. She stumbled slightly and
his arm came around her shoulders, catching her before she could fall.
    “Careful. I don’t know how you walk in those things in the
city, but those shoes definitely weren’t made for the country.”
    Before she realized his intent, he’d swept her off her feet
and into his arms. He strode toward the front porch of the cabin and up the two
steps to the door. He set her on her feet again, but kept one of her hands
gripped in his. She could feel the tension in his muscles, sense the underlying
unease surrounding him.
    Now she was starting to get worried. What in the name of God
was he doing?
    John pulled out his keys, fitted one of them in the lock and
opened the door. He pulled her inside and shut the door with a heavy thunk .
The air inside was fresh, not musty, as though someone had recently aired the
place out. The scent of pine-scented cleaner filled the room.
    He released her briefly to turn on a switch. At least there
was electricity. For that, she was extremely grateful. The room was large, a
combination living area, kitchen and dining room all in one. The furniture was
overstuffed and looked well-worn but comfortable. There were no knickknacks or
personal items to soften