Viking Warrior Rebel Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’ve never used it before.”
    She shook her head. “I don’t have time for your games.” She leaned away from him.
    He immediately felt cold. “Let’s start over.” He kept his tone light and friendly. “What brings you to Denver?”
    Astrid went unnaturally still. She made a production of drinking the last of her wine and then pushed the glass away from her. “I’m here on business.”
    â€œAnd what is it you do? We didn’t have a chance to talk about our jobs during our date.” He willed her to look at him, but she kept her gaze straight ahead. From her profile, he couldn’t tell her mood. He leaned down and lowered his voice. “Actually, there wasn’t much talking at all.”
    She turned to face him, her eyes flashing. “That was most definitely not a date.” Before she had a chance to say anything more, the maître d’ approached. “Mademoiselle, your table is ready.” The slim man quirked an eyebrow. “Will monsieur be joining you?”
    â€œNo.” Astrid’s answer cracked the air like a whip. She gracefully uncrossed her legs and stood. “Monsieur has already had his dinner.” She plastered a fake smile on her lips. “Thank you ever so much for the wine though,” she said to Luke before following the maître d’ down the steps and into the main part of the restaurant.
    All Luke could do was watch her delectable backside as she walked away from him, gracefully navigating her way between the tables. She’d won a small victory, but the battle was far from over.
    He returned to his own table and sat down. If Astrid thought this brief interlude would cause him to back off, she was in for a surprise.
    Broden pushed a small black folder toward Luke. “Since you asked me out, it’s only fair that you pay.”
    Luke placed his credit card in the holder without looking at the check.
    â€œI take it the lady did not care for your company tonight?” Broden’s words dripped with sarcasm.
    â€œShe had other plans,” Luke said. “We need to hustle back to the hotel so we can search her room before she returns. I want to put a tracker on her car too.” The ones he’d placed on her car in Pine Rapids kept disappearing. She must have discovered and removed them.
    â€œDoes that mean I don’t get dessert?”
    Luke gave Broden a hard stare meant to shut him up, but the man had no sense of self-preservation. “Some date you turned out to be,” Broden whined. “You leave me alone for most of the night and then won’t buy me dessert. No wonder the lady doesn’t want you. Do I at least get a good-night kiss when you drop me off at my house?”
    Luke closed his eyes. “Shut the fuck up.”
    â€œThat bad, huh.” Broden’s voice was now laced with genuine laughter. “This girl really has you in knots. Remind me to buy some popcorn. This is going to be fun to watch.”
    Luke decided it was safer to remain quiet. If he didn’t, he may punctuate his next statement with a fist to Broden’s jaw.
    * * *
    Half an hour later, Luke was looking around Astrid’s hotel room. It was a mirror image of his own. Same thick, beige carpet offset by gold-and-rust draperies that also contrasted nicely with the white walls. The drapes matched the bedspread, although his bed wasn’t rumpled and smelling deliciously of that same combination of a flowery fragrance and Astrid’s unique scent that he’d inhaled earlier at the restaurant. He dragged his mind away from the erotic images the unmade bed and Astrid’s naked body inspired. She could be heading back to the hotel soon, so he had to hustle if he wanted to do a complete search. Broden had installed a tracker on her car and then headed home. This one was extra hidden.
    There wasn’t much of Astrid’s stuff to look through. A pair of jeans lay perfectly