Read Online Deal of a Lifetime by Rue Allyn - Free Book Online Page A

confided the fears that kept her from informing Con about Susa, so her aunt blamed him, despite Tam’s protests. Sarah had been angry at Con for years for hurting her chick. What would she think if Tam told her that Con was back in her life, even for a short time? “I’m just tired. This conference is taking a lot out of me, so I decided to turn in early tonight.”
    “Very wise. My niece is a smart woman.”
    Despite her aunt’s worries, Tam smiled. She wished she were wise enough to know what to do about Con and the dangerous mix of feelings he roused.
    “I’d better go,” Sarah continued. “Before those two pint-sized tornadoes cause a disaster in the kitchen. I love you and miss you. Hurry home.”
    “I love you too. I miss you very much. I want to be home more than anything.” She shut her cell phone. As she stood, she noticed the door into the sitting room closing. That was odd. After the other night with Con, she’d been certain to shut the door whenever she came in. Had it unlatched itself? Maybe she hadn’t closed the door properly. Striding forward she gave the door a push. It thudded shut, but as she reached to turn the lock the door bounced backward. Con strode through.
    Hand to her chest to keep her racing heart in place, she stepped back.
    Concern flooded Con as he reached for Tam. “What? What is it? Are you all right?”
    “No, I’m not all right.” Her voice shook.
    She drew back, but he grasped her shoulders, then began to search her for injuries. “What is it? Tell me. Where are you hurt?”
    She batted his hands away and took two steps back. “It’s you.”
    “Me?”
    “Yes, you. You scared the living daylights out of me.”
    “I frightened you? You’re just frightened? You’re not hurt?” He reached for her.
    She raised both arms to shoulder height, hands up, palms out, warding him off. “Yes, I’m fine, but I’m not just frightened, I’m furious. It pains me deeply that you would eavesdrop on a private conversation.”
    What could he say? As he’d walked into the sitting room, he’d seen the door to her room ajar and went to close it. He couldn’t avoid hearing her side of the emotion-clogged conversation’s end. She missed her lover and wanted to be home with him more than anything.
    “I did not eavesdrop,” he snarled. “I saw the open door and went to shut it. I was trying to give you the privacy you needed to talk to your lover.”
    As far as bare details were concerned, his statement was accurate. What Con didn’t say was that he’d seen red. He wanted to smash the unknown man’s face, then beat him to a bloody pulp. Getting angry wouldn’t help his cause with Tam, so Con, leaving the door untouched, had turned away. He intended to take a few moments to get a grip on his emotions, but he’d heard that thump against the inside of the door. Knowing how tired she’d been, he leapt to the worst possible conclusion and rushed inside. She stood there, her hand on her chest, eyes wide, and gasping for breath.
    Tam regained her breath along with a stiff-shouldered calm. “This is the second time you’ve intruded on a private conversation. I have doubts about your innocence. However, let me assure you that nothing is physically wrong with me.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I intend to take that hot bath and retire.”
    “Okay.” He stood there looking at her, feeling oddly awkward and uncertain. Tam was the only person in the world who kept him off kilter. Normally he loved the challenge of dueling with her, but tonight he just wanted to love her, hold her in his arms, melt into passion with her and keep the big bad world at bay.
    “Go away, Con. I need some privacy. I’ll be asleep in an hour or so. Come back then, but don’t you dare wake me up.”
    “Leave?” She wanted him to leave? How could he hold her, keep her with him? That was the problem. He couldn’t. “Right. I’m leaving.”
    He leaned over and placed a kiss on her