Read Online Dawson's Fall (Welcome to Covendale #5) by Morgan Blaze - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Morgan Blaze
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heard that Gage was taken, hoping to hook up with his brother for a few hours. He considered ignoring it, but the television was still on. Whoever it was probably wouldn’t go away until he told them to.
He stood and walked to the door, muttering under his breath. When he opened it, a silent scream filled his head—and he couldn’t spit out a word.
“Hi, Mark.” Aubrey looked incredible, and he hated himself for noticing. “I’m sorry to just show up like this, but I was hoping we could talk.”
His senses returned slowly, and he let the rage win. “I don’t know how you found this address, but you damned well better lose it,” he said. “You’re not welcome here. At all.”
Before she could say anything, or he could change his mind, he stepped back and slammed the door.
The doorbell rang again. “At least let me give you this,” she said, her voice muffled through the wood.
Damn it, this girl was almost as stubborn as him.
He yanked the door open, knowing instinctively that she wouldn’t leave until she’d played every card she could. He’d just have to keep calling her bluff. “Give me what?” he snapped.
She held up a slim brown paper bag, obviously with a liquor bottle in it. “It’s a peace offering.”
“Fine.” He made himself take it gently. “You gave it to me. Now go.”
“Aren’t you going to see what it is?”
A dozen scathing replies rose to his tongue. Somehow, he managed to hold them back. Not only was she refusing to quit the job, she was at his house. He was starting to see that he couldn’t shout her away. Time to try something different—though he had no idea what that might be.
With a sigh, he pulled the bottle out until he could read the label. His eyes widened. “Highland Park,” he said. “How did you know…”
“You like it?” she said, a little breathlessly. “I wasn’t sure, but I know that’s good Scotch.”
The suspicion that she’d overheard him and Jonah talking earlier faded a bit. If she had, she probably wouldn’t be here right now. Jonah had made his feelings very clear, and everyone was afraid of his older brother. Maybe it was just a lucky guess. “I do like it,” he finally said. “Well…thanks, I guess.”
She smiled briefly. “You’re welcome.”
“Er.” Why wasn’t she leaving? “So I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
“Yes, but I was still hoping we could talk.” She clasped her hands together. “Like tonight. If you’re not busy, I mean.”
It was harder to keep from shouting. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Because this isn’t working.”
“What isn’t?”
“Us. The job.” She gestured at the bottle. “Bribing you.”
“Oh, you noticed.”
She heaved a breath. “Mark, please,” she said. “I really want this to work. There has to be some sort of compromise we can make to get through this. If you’ll just talk to me like a normal person for five minutes, I’m sure we can figure it out.”
Everything in him protested the idea of prolonging this, even for another five seconds. Especially since it would involve letting her inside. He wasn’t sure he could stand being alone with her in his house, for any reason. But just maybe, if they sat down and had a rational discussion without any shouting or sarcasm, he could convince her of what she should already know—why continuing to work together was a recipe for Armageddon.
“All right,” he said, stepping back reluctantly to hold the door open. “You’ve got five minutes.”
And he was going to regret every one of them.
Chapter 7
Aubrey wasn’t sure she could trust this slightly subdued version of Mark. In fact, she expected him to start foaming at the mouth any second. She only hoped she could get through to him, just a little bit, before the shouting started.
She walked into the house and looked around, unable to stop herself from admiring the design. It was open and inviting, tidy but not sterile. This was a house for
He stood and walked to the door, muttering under his breath. When he opened it, a silent scream filled his head—and he couldn’t spit out a word.
“Hi, Mark.” Aubrey looked incredible, and he hated himself for noticing. “I’m sorry to just show up like this, but I was hoping we could talk.”
His senses returned slowly, and he let the rage win. “I don’t know how you found this address, but you damned well better lose it,” he said. “You’re not welcome here. At all.”
Before she could say anything, or he could change his mind, he stepped back and slammed the door.
The doorbell rang again. “At least let me give you this,” she said, her voice muffled through the wood.
Damn it, this girl was almost as stubborn as him.
He yanked the door open, knowing instinctively that she wouldn’t leave until she’d played every card she could. He’d just have to keep calling her bluff. “Give me what?” he snapped.
She held up a slim brown paper bag, obviously with a liquor bottle in it. “It’s a peace offering.”
“Fine.” He made himself take it gently. “You gave it to me. Now go.”
“Aren’t you going to see what it is?”
A dozen scathing replies rose to his tongue. Somehow, he managed to hold them back. Not only was she refusing to quit the job, she was at his house. He was starting to see that he couldn’t shout her away. Time to try something different—though he had no idea what that might be.
With a sigh, he pulled the bottle out until he could read the label. His eyes widened. “Highland Park,” he said. “How did you know…”
“You like it?” she said, a little breathlessly. “I wasn’t sure, but I know that’s good Scotch.”
The suspicion that she’d overheard him and Jonah talking earlier faded a bit. If she had, she probably wouldn’t be here right now. Jonah had made his feelings very clear, and everyone was afraid of his older brother. Maybe it was just a lucky guess. “I do like it,” he finally said. “Well…thanks, I guess.”
She smiled briefly. “You’re welcome.”
“Er.” Why wasn’t she leaving? “So I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
“Yes, but I was still hoping we could talk.” She clasped her hands together. “Like tonight. If you’re not busy, I mean.”
It was harder to keep from shouting. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Because this isn’t working.”
“What isn’t?”
“Us. The job.” She gestured at the bottle. “Bribing you.”
“Oh, you noticed.”
She heaved a breath. “Mark, please,” she said. “I really want this to work. There has to be some sort of compromise we can make to get through this. If you’ll just talk to me like a normal person for five minutes, I’m sure we can figure it out.”
Everything in him protested the idea of prolonging this, even for another five seconds. Especially since it would involve letting her inside. He wasn’t sure he could stand being alone with her in his house, for any reason. But just maybe, if they sat down and had a rational discussion without any shouting or sarcasm, he could convince her of what she should already know—why continuing to work together was a recipe for Armageddon.
“All right,” he said, stepping back reluctantly to hold the door open. “You’ve got five minutes.”
And he was going to regret every one of them.
Chapter 7
Aubrey wasn’t sure she could trust this slightly subdued version of Mark. In fact, she expected him to start foaming at the mouth any second. She only hoped she could get through to him, just a little bit, before the shouting started.
She walked into the house and looked around, unable to stop herself from admiring the design. It was open and inviting, tidy but not sterile. This was a house for
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