Read Online Christmas Confidential by Marilyn Pappano; Linda Conrad - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marilyn Pappano; Linda Conrad
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driving.
Which meant he could think about Miri and how good she smelled and how close they’d been. He should have kissed her while he’d had the chance. It had been a long time since he’d kissed anyone besides his mother.
Fifteen or sixteen months.
Since his last date with Miri.
He forced his fingers to loosen their grip on the steering wheel as the realization settled in his gut. He’d gone out with a few women since her arrest, but he hadn’t kissed even one of them. Hadn’t thought about it. Sure as hell hadn’t thought about having sex with them.
Of course, he’d been busy. The embezzlement hadn’t been his only case, and after tying that up, it had been Christmas, then New Year’s and old cases, new cases, life in general. It hadn’t been any kind of obligation to Miri—or worse, commitment—that kept him celibate. Just some dates a man got lucky, some he didn’t and some he didn’t want to.
Deliberately he shifted to a safer course of thought. The dually that had almost hit them had been the same one he’d seen at the motel. Was it coincidence, or did it mean something?
The rational voice in his head said of course it meant something: that the vehicle had been traveling east on I-20 with them. That the men had stopped for the night at the motel, just like them. That they’d continued their trip in the same direction, just like him and Miri. It couldn’t mean anything else. He hadn’t told anyone he’d made contact with her or that he’d be traveling with her. His policy was to not bother clients with little details unless they insisted on it, and Mr. Smith didn’t. He trusted Dean to do his job well without guidance.
Still, coincidences bothered him, even though life was full of them.
“You said three sisters and two husbands. Did one of your sisters get divorced?”
Miri’s voice startled him. She was so good at being quiet that it took him a moment to grasp that she was actually initiating conversation. “Bette’s in the process. Her husband ran off last summer with the nanny, who was all of twenty. I offered to fly up and smash his face in, but she settled for hiring the best divorce lawyer in Chicago instead.”
“Good for her.” After a pause, she added, “Lucky for you.”
He scowled, but his heart wasn’t in it. “The guy sucker punched me. You know, I’ve won most of the fights I’ve been in.”
“You certainly won ours.”
“What we had wasn’t a fight, Miriam. It was a relationship.”
“Until you brought the police to arrest me.”
Something hot prickled along his neck. He wouldn’t feel guilty about doing his job, damn it. “You said you didn’t hold that against me.”
“I don’t. I just wish...”
After a moment’s silence, he coaxed, “What? Tell Santa’s helper and maybe, if you’ve been a good girl, he’ll make it come true.”
Her fingers worked the bear’s fur, in contrast to the wry smile she gave him. “I was good enough for the Department of Corrections to let me go.” Then she gave him a measuring look. “You’re kind of big to be an elf, aren’t you?”
“Not all of Santa’s helpers are elves.” His grin was as good-natured as he could make it. “I’ve never put on tights and curly-toed shoes, but my sisters bullied me into donning the red suit and beard a couple of times. Scared the hell out of my nieces and nephews. I swear, the baby girls recognized my scent or something because to this day, those two are wary around me.”
“Smart girls.”
“The other five girls and the two boys love me,” he protested, slowing to follow the line of cars ahead of them onto a northbound road. If he’d read the map correctly, this road would eventually turn east and lead them right back to the interstate. Or he could just follow the other drivers.
“Your family’s really heavy on the girl gene, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, but I’m planning on having at least a couple of boys. No matter how many girls it takes to get
Which meant he could think about Miri and how good she smelled and how close they’d been. He should have kissed her while he’d had the chance. It had been a long time since he’d kissed anyone besides his mother.
Fifteen or sixteen months.
Since his last date with Miri.
He forced his fingers to loosen their grip on the steering wheel as the realization settled in his gut. He’d gone out with a few women since her arrest, but he hadn’t kissed even one of them. Hadn’t thought about it. Sure as hell hadn’t thought about having sex with them.
Of course, he’d been busy. The embezzlement hadn’t been his only case, and after tying that up, it had been Christmas, then New Year’s and old cases, new cases, life in general. It hadn’t been any kind of obligation to Miri—or worse, commitment—that kept him celibate. Just some dates a man got lucky, some he didn’t and some he didn’t want to.
Deliberately he shifted to a safer course of thought. The dually that had almost hit them had been the same one he’d seen at the motel. Was it coincidence, or did it mean something?
The rational voice in his head said of course it meant something: that the vehicle had been traveling east on I-20 with them. That the men had stopped for the night at the motel, just like them. That they’d continued their trip in the same direction, just like him and Miri. It couldn’t mean anything else. He hadn’t told anyone he’d made contact with her or that he’d be traveling with her. His policy was to not bother clients with little details unless they insisted on it, and Mr. Smith didn’t. He trusted Dean to do his job well without guidance.
Still, coincidences bothered him, even though life was full of them.
“You said three sisters and two husbands. Did one of your sisters get divorced?”
Miri’s voice startled him. She was so good at being quiet that it took him a moment to grasp that she was actually initiating conversation. “Bette’s in the process. Her husband ran off last summer with the nanny, who was all of twenty. I offered to fly up and smash his face in, but she settled for hiring the best divorce lawyer in Chicago instead.”
“Good for her.” After a pause, she added, “Lucky for you.”
He scowled, but his heart wasn’t in it. “The guy sucker punched me. You know, I’ve won most of the fights I’ve been in.”
“You certainly won ours.”
“What we had wasn’t a fight, Miriam. It was a relationship.”
“Until you brought the police to arrest me.”
Something hot prickled along his neck. He wouldn’t feel guilty about doing his job, damn it. “You said you didn’t hold that against me.”
“I don’t. I just wish...”
After a moment’s silence, he coaxed, “What? Tell Santa’s helper and maybe, if you’ve been a good girl, he’ll make it come true.”
Her fingers worked the bear’s fur, in contrast to the wry smile she gave him. “I was good enough for the Department of Corrections to let me go.” Then she gave him a measuring look. “You’re kind of big to be an elf, aren’t you?”
“Not all of Santa’s helpers are elves.” His grin was as good-natured as he could make it. “I’ve never put on tights and curly-toed shoes, but my sisters bullied me into donning the red suit and beard a couple of times. Scared the hell out of my nieces and nephews. I swear, the baby girls recognized my scent or something because to this day, those two are wary around me.”
“Smart girls.”
“The other five girls and the two boys love me,” he protested, slowing to follow the line of cars ahead of them onto a northbound road. If he’d read the map correctly, this road would eventually turn east and lead them right back to the interstate. Or he could just follow the other drivers.
“Your family’s really heavy on the girl gene, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, but I’m planning on having at least a couple of boys. No matter how many girls it takes to get
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