Read Online Convince Me (Holton Series #1) by B. L. Blair - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: B. L. Blair
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crazy.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Nick said in
his dry voice. “I have always thought she knows exactly what she is
doing.”
Steven found that remark a little
odd. Nick really didn’t know Victoria all that well. When he and
Julie married, Victoria had already been living in California for years but
Nick often defended her and Steven never knew why.
“She does,” Julie said confirming
Nick’s remark, “that’s why everything is so much fun.”
“She sounds wonderful,” Anna said
quietly.
Steven turned to smile at
her. “She is wonderful. You will like her and I know she will like
you.”
He watched as her face
flushed. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her but it had been a long time
since he had made a woman blush. He enjoyed the feeling that his
compliment could do that to her.
Soon after that, Steven decided it
was time to leave. Anna was looking tired. He could tell she hadn’t
been sleeping well. There were dark circles under her eyes and some of
her usual energy was missing. He wanted to know if the fear he had seen
earlier had anything to do with her sleepless nights. It was time to find
out.
They drove silently through the
deserted streets. Even on a Saturday, Holton shut down early. There
would be some high school kids over by the one movie theater in town or at the
all night diner near the highway but most of the other inhabitants were already
safe at home.
When they arrived at Anna’s
apartment, she turned to thank him for the ride but Steven forestalled
her. He quickly opened his door and rounded the car. She gave him a
silent look but allowed him to escort her to the door.
“Thanks for the ride, Steven, it
was very nice of you,” she said politely, not opening her door.
Steven struggled to control his
grin. She was so obvious but he wasn’t letting her off the hook so
easily. He hadn’t imagined the look she had given him at Julie’s.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in for a cup of coffee?”
“You had coffee at Julie’s,” she
reminded him.
“You promised me you would show me
your apartment.”
She gave him a slow measured look
but to his relief she nodded once and then unlocked her door. Steven
followed her in and looked around. It was a nice apartment but rather
small. The living room contained a couch, one chair and a television
stand. In one corner, Anna had a large plant stand that was full of an
assortment of plants. From where he was standing, Steven could see the
kitchen and a small dining table. There was another door to his right
which he assumed lead to the bedroom.
His body reacted to the thought of
Anna lying in bed just a few feet from where he stood. He imagined her
lying naked on top of the covers waiting for him. Her face flushed and
eyes sparkling. Steven suddenly shifted and turned away from Anna so she
wouldn’t see his obvious need for her. In an attempt to get his mind away
from the bedroom, Steven continued looking around.
Dominating the room were two large
prints hanging over the couch. The first was a picture of a woman with a
small child in her arms and another standing by her side. In the
background, there was a rundown building and a withered field. They stared
out from the canvas with sad, haunted eyes. The second print contained a
group of women gathered around a kitchen talking and laughing. One woman
was at the sink, another by the stove and the rest gathered around a
table. There was laughter and joy in the picture. Steven was struck
by the contrast between the two prints. He walked closer and saw that
both were by the same artist.
The artist was a little known but
rising star. Steven had seen some of her work at a private exhibit in
Dallas. Experts believed that it would not be long before her work would
be known worldwide. The paintings of African American daily life were
well done and starting to be in high demand.
“I love Keshia Jackson,”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Nick said in
his dry voice. “I have always thought she knows exactly what she is
doing.”
Steven found that remark a little
odd. Nick really didn’t know Victoria all that well. When he and
Julie married, Victoria had already been living in California for years but
Nick often defended her and Steven never knew why.
“She does,” Julie said confirming
Nick’s remark, “that’s why everything is so much fun.”
“She sounds wonderful,” Anna said
quietly.
Steven turned to smile at
her. “She is wonderful. You will like her and I know she will like
you.”
He watched as her face
flushed. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her but it had been a long time
since he had made a woman blush. He enjoyed the feeling that his
compliment could do that to her.
Soon after that, Steven decided it
was time to leave. Anna was looking tired. He could tell she hadn’t
been sleeping well. There were dark circles under her eyes and some of
her usual energy was missing. He wanted to know if the fear he had seen
earlier had anything to do with her sleepless nights. It was time to find
out.
They drove silently through the
deserted streets. Even on a Saturday, Holton shut down early. There
would be some high school kids over by the one movie theater in town or at the
all night diner near the highway but most of the other inhabitants were already
safe at home.
When they arrived at Anna’s
apartment, she turned to thank him for the ride but Steven forestalled
her. He quickly opened his door and rounded the car. She gave him a
silent look but allowed him to escort her to the door.
“Thanks for the ride, Steven, it
was very nice of you,” she said politely, not opening her door.
Steven struggled to control his
grin. She was so obvious but he wasn’t letting her off the hook so
easily. He hadn’t imagined the look she had given him at Julie’s.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in for a cup of coffee?”
“You had coffee at Julie’s,” she
reminded him.
“You promised me you would show me
your apartment.”
She gave him a slow measured look
but to his relief she nodded once and then unlocked her door. Steven
followed her in and looked around. It was a nice apartment but rather
small. The living room contained a couch, one chair and a television
stand. In one corner, Anna had a large plant stand that was full of an
assortment of plants. From where he was standing, Steven could see the
kitchen and a small dining table. There was another door to his right
which he assumed lead to the bedroom.
His body reacted to the thought of
Anna lying in bed just a few feet from where he stood. He imagined her
lying naked on top of the covers waiting for him. Her face flushed and
eyes sparkling. Steven suddenly shifted and turned away from Anna so she
wouldn’t see his obvious need for her. In an attempt to get his mind away
from the bedroom, Steven continued looking around.
Dominating the room were two large
prints hanging over the couch. The first was a picture of a woman with a
small child in her arms and another standing by her side. In the
background, there was a rundown building and a withered field. They stared
out from the canvas with sad, haunted eyes. The second print contained a
group of women gathered around a kitchen talking and laughing. One woman
was at the sink, another by the stove and the rest gathered around a
table. There was laughter and joy in the picture. Steven was struck
by the contrast between the two prints. He walked closer and saw that
both were by the same artist.
The artist was a little known but
rising star. Steven had seen some of her work at a private exhibit in
Dallas. Experts believed that it would not be long before her work would
be known worldwide. The paintings of African American daily life were
well done and starting to be in high demand.
“I love Keshia Jackson,”
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