Read Online Scene of the Crime: Return to Bachelor Moon by Carla Cassidy - Free Book Online Page A

stairs to his bedroom.
    Shutting his door, he slumped down on the bed and shook his head to dispel all thoughts of Marlena. But the action didn’t work. She’d been wearing a pastel-pink nightgown, and the fragrant scent of her had filled the air. Her features had been soft and dreamy in sleep.
    Why was he thinking of her as a princess and he the prince who would kiss her? He sure as hell wasn’t a prince. He knew what he was—a cold man who expected no kindness, a dysfunctional man who had no desire to attempt to love anyone.
    He was an FBI agent on a job and Marlena was nothing to him but a bit of fluffy distraction. If she wasn’t part of this case, he’d take her to bed, satisfy the lust that ate at him and then be rid of her.
    He had a family to find, a mystery to solve, and no matter the depth of his physical attraction to Marlena, he had no intention of following through on it. He just had to keep his distance from her. If he needed more information from her about the family or anything else, he’d let Jackson take over the interviewing process.
    Gabriel couldn’t afford to delude himself into thinking he was anyone’s hero, anyone’s prince. He knew the truth about himself: he had no heart and very little soul, and he’d do well to remember that.

Chapter Five
    Marlena sat on the front porch, nursing a glass of iced tea and watching John and Cory work in the distance in the yard. She had spent part of the day making beds and dusting. Pamela would be in the next day to change the bedding and dust and vacuum the entire house.
    Marlena hadn’t made dinner tonight. She’d gotten a call from Gabriel earlier telling her the men wouldn’t be home until late this evening and would eat out.
    She hoped to talk to him about Thomas Brady when Gabriel returned, even though there was no possible way she could believe the affable carpenter could have anything to do with whatever had happened to the Connellys.
    She’d wanted to talk to Gabriel yesterday, but he’d made himself scarce after dinner and had stayed in his room for the remainder of the night.
    She took a sip of her tea and thought about the woman who would be here in the morning to clean. Pamela was usually cool and unfriendly, speaking to Marlena only when necessary and barely hiding her resentment. Marlena had learned to basically ignore the dark-haired woman and her nasty attitude.
    She knew that Pamela and Daniella had been close, especially before Marlena had arrived back in town. She also knew that Pamela saw her as an interloper who had stepped into the position of manager that Pamela had assumed would eventually be hers.
    Marlena had tried to be amiable with Pamela in the first couple months after Marlena had arrived here, but when her friendly overtures had been met with disdain, she’d given up.
    She now waved to Cory as he looked toward the porch, and he waved back. Her heart swelled with love for her brother. Oh, there were days she wanted to knock him in the head, but he was basically a good kid at heart.
    Where was little Macy with her diva attitude and silly antics? Where were Sam and Daniella? Marlena’s heart ached with their absence with an all-encompassing fear for them.
    Sunset had just begun to splash gorgeous colors across the sky when Gabriel pulled up and parked. She could tell by the body language of all three men that it had been a frustrating day for them.
    Jackson and Andrew nodded to her and went inside, but as Gabriel followed she halted him by calling his name. “Could I talk to you for a minute?” she asked and gestured to the wicker chair close to hers.
    He frowned as if he found her request unpleasant, but sank into the chair with a weary sigh. “What’s going on?” he asked.
    “I thought of somebody else you might want to check out,” she said.
    He sat up straighter in the chair, the tired lines on his face seeming to magically disappear. “Who?”
    Marlena hesitated a moment, wondering if she was creating