Read Online The Lady Vanishes by Nicole Camden - Free Book Online

grinned. “She didn’t know who she’d messed with.”
    Regina felt her own lips quirk. She remembered how she’d been back then, fearless and spoiled, certain of her own power in the world. That girl seemed like a stranger.
    “You should just have a little fun, and Milton Shaw looks like he’d be a lot of fun.”
    Regina didn’t disagree, but she also didn’t think they had much in common, or that dating him was worth the risk of getting dragged into the public eye again. But he definitely seemed like fun, and fun had been missing from her life for a long time.
    “I’ll think about it,” she muttered.
    Celeste grinned. “Good. And if you decide you aren’t interested, let him know that I’m available.”
    “Ugh.” Regina shoved her sister. “You are as crazy as a house rat.”
    Celeste tilted her head to the side with an arrogant pout. “As long as the house is a mansion, I don’t care.”

THERE WERE SKETCHES of her strewn across Milton’s desk, most of them of her face, or just her lips, but there were some with her tied, arms over her head, against a post. She was wearing something like a bathing suit, only it was sparkly and had a garter belt. He often sketched designs for his tricks. He preferred black and white and had a faintly anime style that he’d learned from comic books.
    Tapping his pencil against the drawing of her lips, he pushed away from his desk and traded his pencil for a stress ball. He tossed it in the air, but made it seem like it disappeared before he could catch it. The ball appeared again in his other hand.
    He had her number, but she hadn’t given it to him. He hadn’t called her, because he wanted her to get the flowers before he did that. He hadn’t been able to concentrate on the project for Roland, not when all he could think about was her mouth.
    With a flick of his wrist, Milton made a flower—just like the one he’d pinned to Regina Burke’s chest—appear in his hand. He set it next to a framed photograph of his family and stepped back to his desk to pick up his phone. He held it for a moment and then called Shane.
    “Yes, boss.”
    “Shane. Can you pull the car around?”
    “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
    “Thanks.” Milton snapped his phone shut. He wasn’t going to call her and give her the chance to tell him no. He wanted to see her. Now he just had to get out of the office without Roland jumping on his case.
    Nick appeared in his door holding a rope tied in an intricate knot. “I think I figured out how to . . .” He paused. “What’s up?”
    Milton grabbed his jacket and scarf from the back of his chair. “I’ll be back a little later, okay?”
    Nick looked doubtful. “Roland’s going to be pissed.”
    “He’ll get over it.”
    Nick shrugged. “Probably. Is it that female doc from Friday?”
    Milton paused in the act of shrugging on his jacket. Had he been that obvious at the hospital? “Yeah,” he said with a grin.
    A small smile curled the corner of Nick’s mouth. “Good luck, man.”
    “Thanks.” Milton grabbed his messenger bag and dashed past Nick. He took the stairs instead of the elevator, heading down quickly to keep Roland from trying to stop him.
    The icy air hit Milton with a slap as he left the building, but he ignored it, dashing toward the limo, which was pulled up to the curb and idling. He threw open the door and ducked inside quickly.
    “Whew. Thanks, Shane.”
    “Where are we going?”
    Milton rattled off Regina Burke’s address.
    “Let me know when we’re a couple minutes away.”
    “Sure, boss. Whatever you want.”

    Around two o’clock in the afternoon, Regina left her loft and headed to the corner grocery, a small organic market and food store run by a local family. The prices were high, but Regina didn’t have to walk or bike far in the snow, so she considered it well worth the expense.
    She picked up some items for the week: salad, chicken, flour, chocolate, milk, and coffee. She’d had a