Read Online Blood in the Marsh by Ciana Stone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ciana Stone
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knew he couldn’t have an overabundance of money. “Why don’t you let me pay for it? After all, you did all the work. It’s only fair.”
“No. Don’t worry about it. Besides, it wasn’t work.”
Lyra smiled and gathered up the pictures. “Thank you. I’ll treasure these.”
“I’m glad. Now, aren’t you going to take me sailing?”
“Just let me run these up to my room, okay?”
She ran into the house. A moment later Leopold walked out on the terrace. “Ah, the magician.”
“Yes.” Nick stood. “How are you?”
“Wonderful. So what brings you around, Mr. Austin?”
“None of your business,” Lyra said as she walked out. She brushed by Leo with a glare and picked up the basket and cooler. “Come on, let’s go.”
Nick said nothing as he followed Lyra to the garage. “What’s with you and the Count?”
“Nothing. I’ll just be glad when he leaves.”
“Did he make a move on you or something?”
She refused to look at him. He took her arm. “Lyra, look at me. Did he do something to you?”
She looked down and clenched her jaw. “It’s nothing. I can handle it.”
“No, it’s not nothing.” He turned her face up to his. “What did he do?”
“He was in my room when I got out of the shower.”
“And?”
“And nothing.”
“Come on, what happened?”
Lyra sighed and looked away. “Nothing. I told him to leave.”
“And that’s all?”
“Yes. That’s all.” She looked up at him with a pleading expression. “Look, let’s not think about Count Creep anymore. You want to take my car?”
“No, we can take the Jeep. If you don’t mind riding in it.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve always loved Jeeps, but Lexi pitches a fit every time I mention getting one.”
They drove to the beach and parked in the public access area. Lyra went to talk to the man who ran the storage area and a few minutes later he and two other men pushed the trailer bearing the catamaran to the beach.
She left her basket and cooler with them and showed Nick how to raise the mast and rig the sails. They pushed it off the trailer into the water. He hadn’t said he knew anything about boats so she assumed he had never sailed before and explained everything to him as they made their way out to deeper water.
“You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” he said with a smile.
She turned the boat and they caught the wind. Hooking up the harness, she stood, leaning out as one side of the boat lifted up out of the water. Instead of watching where they were headed, Nick watched her.
Her hair was blowing in the wind like a dark halo and her eyes sparkled. Her smile seemed as brilliant as the sun and he had a vision of a beautiful mermaid. Her beauty was an unexpected bonus. He contemplated allowing her to live once he obtained what he wanted.
She stayed in the harness for a few minutes then adjusted the sails to slow them down.
“Okay, your turn.”
He wasn’t sure he was ready to let her know he was not a novice when it came to boats. There were many things he didn’t like to divulge about himself. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
She laughed. “You don’t have to use the harness, but you can steer. Come on, it’s not hard.”
“And what if I turn us over?”
“Then we’ll get wet.”
Nick laughed and switched places with her. Within minutes he had the little boat flying along, his feet gripping the edge of the trampoline as he leaned out over the water in the harness. Lyra laughed delightedly, her emerald eyes flashing in the sun.
They sailed from the southern tip of the island around to the causeway that led to Brunswick then back again. Taking a break, they pulled the boat onto the sand and got the basket and cooler. Lyra spread towels on the sand and took off her T-shirt, spreading it on the rocks that lined the shore, to dry.
Nick could hardly take his eyes off her. Her long hair cascaded over one shoulder, brushing at the top of her legs as she sat down. Her breasts
“No. Don’t worry about it. Besides, it wasn’t work.”
Lyra smiled and gathered up the pictures. “Thank you. I’ll treasure these.”
“I’m glad. Now, aren’t you going to take me sailing?”
“Just let me run these up to my room, okay?”
She ran into the house. A moment later Leopold walked out on the terrace. “Ah, the magician.”
“Yes.” Nick stood. “How are you?”
“Wonderful. So what brings you around, Mr. Austin?”
“None of your business,” Lyra said as she walked out. She brushed by Leo with a glare and picked up the basket and cooler. “Come on, let’s go.”
Nick said nothing as he followed Lyra to the garage. “What’s with you and the Count?”
“Nothing. I’ll just be glad when he leaves.”
“Did he make a move on you or something?”
She refused to look at him. He took her arm. “Lyra, look at me. Did he do something to you?”
She looked down and clenched her jaw. “It’s nothing. I can handle it.”
“No, it’s not nothing.” He turned her face up to his. “What did he do?”
“He was in my room when I got out of the shower.”
“And?”
“And nothing.”
“Come on, what happened?”
Lyra sighed and looked away. “Nothing. I told him to leave.”
“And that’s all?”
“Yes. That’s all.” She looked up at him with a pleading expression. “Look, let’s not think about Count Creep anymore. You want to take my car?”
“No, we can take the Jeep. If you don’t mind riding in it.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve always loved Jeeps, but Lexi pitches a fit every time I mention getting one.”
They drove to the beach and parked in the public access area. Lyra went to talk to the man who ran the storage area and a few minutes later he and two other men pushed the trailer bearing the catamaran to the beach.
She left her basket and cooler with them and showed Nick how to raise the mast and rig the sails. They pushed it off the trailer into the water. He hadn’t said he knew anything about boats so she assumed he had never sailed before and explained everything to him as they made their way out to deeper water.
“You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” he said with a smile.
She turned the boat and they caught the wind. Hooking up the harness, she stood, leaning out as one side of the boat lifted up out of the water. Instead of watching where they were headed, Nick watched her.
Her hair was blowing in the wind like a dark halo and her eyes sparkled. Her smile seemed as brilliant as the sun and he had a vision of a beautiful mermaid. Her beauty was an unexpected bonus. He contemplated allowing her to live once he obtained what he wanted.
She stayed in the harness for a few minutes then adjusted the sails to slow them down.
“Okay, your turn.”
He wasn’t sure he was ready to let her know he was not a novice when it came to boats. There were many things he didn’t like to divulge about himself. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
She laughed. “You don’t have to use the harness, but you can steer. Come on, it’s not hard.”
“And what if I turn us over?”
“Then we’ll get wet.”
Nick laughed and switched places with her. Within minutes he had the little boat flying along, his feet gripping the edge of the trampoline as he leaned out over the water in the harness. Lyra laughed delightedly, her emerald eyes flashing in the sun.
They sailed from the southern tip of the island around to the causeway that led to Brunswick then back again. Taking a break, they pulled the boat onto the sand and got the basket and cooler. Lyra spread towels on the sand and took off her T-shirt, spreading it on the rocks that lined the shore, to dry.
Nick could hardly take his eyes off her. Her long hair cascaded over one shoulder, brushing at the top of her legs as she sat down. Her breasts
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