Read Online Against Her Rules by Victoria Barbour - Free Book Online

as a well-wound coil spring.
      He’d
spend his life never knowing what little thing he said might send her into a
spin. Although he’d also get to spend his life full of make-up sex. He hadn’t
had make-up sex in a very long time. But he remembered it could be very, very
good. With Elsie, he was sure it would be earth-shattering.
      Stop
the bus! Why was he thinking about a future with Elsie at all? He was leaving
because he didn’t want to lead her on, and here he was thinking about growing
old with her. His brain was a mess. He was going to eat, and then get the hell
out of here. Before his brain started messing with him any further.
      “Scott?
Is that you? Good God, what brings you to this desolate part of the universe?”
      As
if he needed any other reason to get as far from here as possible, fate had
just delivered it to him. Ted Corbin.
      “Corbin.
I could ask the same of you.” Not that he really cared.
      “Oh,
lady troubles, you know. I know the owner. I come here from time to time when I
need a pick-me-up. She’s a grand bird.”
      Elsie
was friends with Ted sodding Corbin? He refused to ever call him by his
ridiculous stage name. Asher. Who the hell named themselves Asher? Ted Corbin,
that’s who.
      “Yea,
I’ve met her.”
      “So,
still drawing cats and sheep and all that?”
      “Among
other things,” Cam replied. “I sketched a wonderful nude of Laura Taylor.
Remember her?”
      “Lucky
bastard,” Corbin said, slapping him on the arm. “Hope you did more than draw
her. Oh, she was a hot one, yes? Hottest in our class for sure. Little miss
hoity-toity. She wouldn’t look at either of us back then. Little did she know
how well we’d both turn out, yea?”
      What
he did after the sketch was none of Corbin’s business.
      “I’m
here working on a book of sketches, actually,” he answered instead. “Birds.”
      “Right
on. Well, it’s great to see you, old man. I’m on indefinitely. Good time to
catch up, hey?” He poured himself a cup of coffee.
      “Actually,
I’m planning on...”
      “Elsie,
luv. There you are. Where’ve you been hiding yourself?” Corbin called across
the dining room. The look on Elsie’s face as she took in the two of them
sitting together told Cam she’d sooner be anywhere but near him.
    ––––––––
      S he’d
managed to avoid Asher all night by sending him a bottle of rum and a note that
said she had business to take care of. Avoiding Cam was easier since he didn’t
budge from the cottage all night. She knew this because she spent too much of
her night looking out the window at the light shining down the hill. And now,
here they were. Together. Sharing breakfast. It wasn’t unusual for guests to
share a meal, but she couldn’t help but wish they’d both just stayed in their
rooms.
      Still,
the room was full of other diners so she had to put on the facade of friendly,
welcoming hostess.
      “Good
morning, Asher. Cam. I hope your meal is good?”
      “Sit
down, luv, and have a cup of coffee with us. You’ll not believe this, but Cam
here is an old school chum of mine.”
      Of
course he would be. Makes sense. They went to the school of swine together.
      “Really.
What a coincidence.”
      “Oh,
we were always getting up to mischief in those days. Part of me misses them. Of
course, not often. I mean, I’d much rather the life I have now. Most of the
time, anyhow. This place is a bit of a sanctuary for me, Scott. I suppose
you’ve heard the latest in the rags about me.”
      “Not
really, no,” Cam said in a tone that Elsie thought said, ‘I’m bored.’
      “Well,
I’m heartbroken,” he said. “All set to finally take the plunge, and she up and
left me. All because I did the right thing for a change in my life and was
honest with her. What is it with women? They profess they want honesty and then
when the answer isn’t the one they expected, you’re the culprit?”
      “Oh,
I know that