Read Online Beautiful Stranger by Ruth Wind - Free Book Online Page A

up as if to grab some intelligent word from the air. “I’ll let you go on with whatever you were doing.”
    He grinned, showing those straight white teeth, and kicked the screen door wider, propping it with one foot. A bare foot. His naked toes gave her a jolt. “Wow,” he said conversationally, folding his arms casually over his chest. “Think the teacher’s a little flustered.” His eyelids fell just the slightest bit, lending him a suggestive, seductive aspect, and he wet his bottom lip with his tongue. “Scared of me, white girl?”
    The answer was yes. He looked like a hot summer night. Like a motorcycle ride. Like two o’clock in the morning. She took a breath, blew it out, regained a little dignity. “I didn’t think I liked long hair,” she said.
    He laughed. With exaggerated vanity, he tossed his head and sent the mass swirling over arms, chest, back. With an arched brow he said, “Want to brush it?”
    She smiled. “Pass.”
    â€œSo,” he said, lifting his chin, “what d’you have there?”
    â€œOh.” Still a bad impulse, but what could she do about it now? “I found these, and thought they might work for Crystal. I bought them at a garage sale, but they still have their tags—I know a lot of people don’t like used stuff—and they were so pretty and it’s going to get warm enough that she’s not going to be able to stand that coat, and they just looked like her somehow.”
    He waited through the long spill of words. “That was a nice thing to do.” One long brown hand touched the fabric. “I don’t know if she’ll like them—you know teenagers—but it’s worth a try.”
    She relaxed. “Oh, well.” She waved a hand. “They were only a dollar apiece, so I took the chance.”
    â€œCome on in.” He cocked his head, pushed the door wider, led the way into a bright, clean, sweet-smelling room. “Crystal,” he called. “You have a visitor.”
    â€œI do?” She came around the corner, perplexed, and halted dead. She wore a pair of jeans and a simple, oversize white shirt. The hair that usually hid her face was swept back. Marissa was struck by the very painful thinness of her body, except for her breasts and belly, and by the sweetness of the makeup-less features.
    To Marissa’s relief, she didn’t look upset. “Hi, Ms. Pierce. What are you doing here?”
    She almost started stuttering and explaining too much, but a single glance at Robert’s amused face put her straight. In the same spirit with which she picked up the dresses in the first place, she held them out. “These made me think of you.”
    Instant wariness in the dark eyes. “Really?”
    â€œIf you don’t like them, it won’t hurt my feelings. I know I’m a boring adult and don’t get the fashion thing,but I was at a yard sale and they were cheap, and brand-new. Couldn’t stand to leave them there.”
    Crystal came forward slowly, put a hand on the skirt, just as Robert had. “I could try ’em.”
    Marissa let her take them, pleased when Crystal said, “Can you wait, tell me if they look good?”
    â€œOf course.”
    She slid away, holding the dresses up to her body. She almost skipped. Marissa let go of her tension and smiled at Robert. “You never know, do you?”
    He lifted his eyebrows, a funny expression in his eyes. “I guess maybe I haven’t thought too much about the clothes angle. Got her a few little things when she first got here.” A rueful grin. “I forget about that girly stuff, you know?”
    â€œYou’re allowed.”
    â€œCan I get you something? Crystal makes really great limeade. She learned to make it in home ec.”
    â€œI’d love some, thank you. I’ve been checking out garage sales this morning.”
    He gestured for her to