[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

a short time.
His hands tightened.  Perhaps there is another man in the way? Miguel?
I vigorously shook my head, but he ignored me.
 And why would you say to your cousin that I am hotter than Miguel? You have a strange
way of talking, Señorita. I trusted you. But now& I don t know. Maybe you re a cop?
 No! I m not. I m not a cop. I m& well, I m coming out of a divorce with a man who came
on strong, Tino, and you turned me off the other night by being so forceful. His grip on my arms
loosened ever so slightly.  Look, tonight was nice, when we danced. But honestly, I m leaving
town in a few days. You should pursue a younger woman, one who s sticking around. One who
watches The Sopranos and worships that sort of raw danger.
His hands slid up from my arms to cup my face,  til there was nothing in my line of vision
but his face, his eyes.  Maybe you could be persuaded to stick around. The whisper fluttered past
my lips and left goosebumps.
Gut instinct told me I wouldn t like Tino s plan.
In fact, my goosebumps were being joined by hairs standing on end. Definitely time to finish
this conversation, if at all possible. My hands were free, so I employed my old standby and pinched
the underside of both his arms. Hard.
Tino yelped and swore in Spanish, but I d slipped past him by the time he reached for me.
I ran. As fast as my towering heels would let me, down the slippery wooden deck toward a
door. It crashed against the wall when I jerked it open. Tino was coming my way. Intent on joining
a crowd, any crowd, I hurried inside.
Only to have a hand clasp me by the arm again, this time yanking me through a partially
open door and into a dark room.
Autumn Piper 131
A deadbolt clicked softly into place. The room smelled of cedar and saltwater, and cologne.
Motors hummed below us and the person belonging to the hand panted while I refrained from
breathing. Outside in the hallway, hurried footsteps, more cursing en español, and someone trying
the doorknob. When the footsteps went on past, I let slip a relieved gasp. That was when The Hand
clamped over my mouth.
Chapter 24
Pure panic told me to kick and flail my arms around until my captor released me. Reason
told me to cooperate until I could remember where I knew that cologne from.
Panic won over. I gave one good kick to a shin and one knee to a groin before he released
me with an agonized moan.  God dammit, Randi!
 Mitch?
He brushed past me in the dark and shut the window, which appeared to be only a few feet
away from where Tino had cornered me.
 Jesus. If you re going to spy on me, the least you can do is rescue me when I m in distress.
Shit!
 Oh, I m sorry, he growled, still obviously in pain.  I thought you didn t want my
protection. This morning you were pissed off by my surveillance. How m I supposed to guess what
the hell you want?
 What I want? I tried to keep my voice down, in case Tino came back by the door.  You re
the one who s all hot then cold. One day you want me and the next, you won t touch me. My
voice cracked and I jabbed an angry finger in his direction, not that he d see it.  And then tonight
you re out there dry-humping Delicia on the dance floor! So what the hell do you want?
 For you to quit making this case more complicated. Why d you have to go and tease Tino?
Isn t there enough danger already, or did you want more?
Way to blame all the complications on me. He was the one who d followed me into the
ladies room when Tino found us.  Oh, now I m a tease? For your information, Tino has been
pursuing me since my first night at Conga!
 And I suppose your idea of eluding his capture is clinging to him for dear life while he
manhandles your ass on the dance floor?
No way was I letting him know I d been fantasizing it was him out there getting amorous
with me.  Look, I ve been trying for days to keep Tino from suspecting us. It s been a balancing
act, juggling his attention without rejecting him or leading him on too much.
He let out a big breath.  Sure seemed like you were out to prove something. Or punish me.
Pot calls the kettle black!  And wasn t that act with Delicia intended to punish me?
 Not you. Not directly, anyway. It was meant for Keen. Somehow when he said my father s
nickname, it sounded like a dirty word. This couldn t be good.  Every time I turn around, he s got
his hands on you.
 Oh, good God! He s my father, Mitch. Nothing inappropriate has happened or is going to.
What kind of goofy jealousy was this?
132
Autumn Piper 133
 I know he s your father and you know he s your father. But to him, you re just some distant
cousin and every time he gets the chance, he s rubbing in my face I swear he s touching you to
piss me off. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • moje-waterloo.xlx.pl

    •