Read Online Diner Knock Out (A Rose Strickland Mystery Book 4) by Terri L. Austin - Free Book Online
Authors: Terri L. Austin
Tags: Women Sleuths, Contemporary Women, amateur sleuth, cozy mystery, Women's Fiction, Murder mysteries, british cozy mysteries, mystery books, detective novels, murder mystery series, english mysteries, female protagonist, female sleuths, murder mystery books
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including addiction. I was convinced Rob wouldn’t leave these drugs behind. If his intention was to get sober, surely he’d have told Sofia.
And speaking of his ex-fiancée, she had to know about Rob’s doping. He couldn’t gain that kind of bulk without help. I added her to my list of people to question. This time without Olivia crying or Franco snarling in the background. I’d call and see if she could meet with me one on one tomorrow.
Before getting ready for bed, I checked my phone. No messages—not from Roxy or Sullivan. I grabbed my pillow from the closet and got comfortable on the futon. But I wasn’t tired. My mind whirled around Rob Huggins. I had a lot of questions and very few answers.
I turned off the table lamp. Eventually my mind shut down, and I drifted off. I didn’t know how long I was out, but when something tickled my cheek, I awoke with a surprised gasp.
Sullivan crouched next to the futon and continued to stroke my face with his finger. “Hey.” His deep, smooth voice struck a chord inside me. He always smelled of citrus and sandalwood. A faint glow from the streetlights slipped through the blinds, giving just enough light to make out his silhouette. I was tempted to flip on the lamp, so that I could take in the whole Thomas Sullivan experience—gold eyes, a hard body, and that beautiful, masculine face. But I refrained. It was sort of hot, having him wake me up this way. When he was with me, any doubts I had about our relationship fell away. There was only here, only now.
“What are you doing?” Sleep had made my voice husky. “Did we have plans?”
He ran his finger over the seam of my lips. “No, but I didn’t want to go another day without seeing you.” My heart fluttered at his words.
I rolled over and faced him as he stood and began removing his suit. Then towering over me, he stared down in the darkness. “I missed you, Rose.”
“Me too.” It had only been three days, but it felt like weeks. I held back the blanket and he joined me on the futon, crawling beneath the covers and pressing his warm body against mine.
I ran a hand through his long hair. “So you decided to sneak in here and ravish me? Good call. Top ten on my fantasy list.”
He softly kissed me. “Hardly sneaking,” he said against my lips. “You gave me a key.” Rolling on top of me, he wedged his knee between my legs. We didn’t talk much after that.
Chapter 5
When my phone alarm buzzed at a quarter to five, Sullivan was gone. If he hadn’t left a faint trace of cologne on my pillow, I would have thought I’d dreamed last night’s encounter. In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten to ask him about the underground fight club. My mind sort of shut down once he started with the nibbling.
I hopped out of bed, and while the coffee brewed, grabbed a quick shower. Fortunately, I wasn’t scheduled to work for Andre this weekend. Therefore, I could spend the day sleuthing my little heart out. After my shift at the diner, I planned on stopping by the dojo to ask Kai about Rob’s drug habit before cruising over to Buster Madison’s gym. I hoped to catch Sofia too. I had a lot of follow-up questions for her.
I threw on a pair of semi-clean jeans—I’d blown off laundry day last week—and a t-shirt, then zipped off to work. I entered the diner through the kitchen door to find Ma standing at the counter, getting all up in Ray’s business. She didn’t let the fact that he dwarfed her by a good two feet get in the way.
“You’ve got to work the butter into the biscuits, son. Here, let me show you.” She grabbed the tool out of his hand and elbowed his ribs until he stepped aside. Ray had been cooking the same way for thirty years, yet Ma always found something to bitch about.
“Good morning,” I said. “Did you make any headway with the Widower Metzer, Ma?”
She dropped the pastry cutter in the bowl and adjusted her glasses. “Not much. There were already four other ladies
And speaking of his ex-fiancée, she had to know about Rob’s doping. He couldn’t gain that kind of bulk without help. I added her to my list of people to question. This time without Olivia crying or Franco snarling in the background. I’d call and see if she could meet with me one on one tomorrow.
Before getting ready for bed, I checked my phone. No messages—not from Roxy or Sullivan. I grabbed my pillow from the closet and got comfortable on the futon. But I wasn’t tired. My mind whirled around Rob Huggins. I had a lot of questions and very few answers.
I turned off the table lamp. Eventually my mind shut down, and I drifted off. I didn’t know how long I was out, but when something tickled my cheek, I awoke with a surprised gasp.
Sullivan crouched next to the futon and continued to stroke my face with his finger. “Hey.” His deep, smooth voice struck a chord inside me. He always smelled of citrus and sandalwood. A faint glow from the streetlights slipped through the blinds, giving just enough light to make out his silhouette. I was tempted to flip on the lamp, so that I could take in the whole Thomas Sullivan experience—gold eyes, a hard body, and that beautiful, masculine face. But I refrained. It was sort of hot, having him wake me up this way. When he was with me, any doubts I had about our relationship fell away. There was only here, only now.
“What are you doing?” Sleep had made my voice husky. “Did we have plans?”
He ran his finger over the seam of my lips. “No, but I didn’t want to go another day without seeing you.” My heart fluttered at his words.
I rolled over and faced him as he stood and began removing his suit. Then towering over me, he stared down in the darkness. “I missed you, Rose.”
“Me too.” It had only been three days, but it felt like weeks. I held back the blanket and he joined me on the futon, crawling beneath the covers and pressing his warm body against mine.
I ran a hand through his long hair. “So you decided to sneak in here and ravish me? Good call. Top ten on my fantasy list.”
He softly kissed me. “Hardly sneaking,” he said against my lips. “You gave me a key.” Rolling on top of me, he wedged his knee between my legs. We didn’t talk much after that.
Chapter 5
When my phone alarm buzzed at a quarter to five, Sullivan was gone. If he hadn’t left a faint trace of cologne on my pillow, I would have thought I’d dreamed last night’s encounter. In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten to ask him about the underground fight club. My mind sort of shut down once he started with the nibbling.
I hopped out of bed, and while the coffee brewed, grabbed a quick shower. Fortunately, I wasn’t scheduled to work for Andre this weekend. Therefore, I could spend the day sleuthing my little heart out. After my shift at the diner, I planned on stopping by the dojo to ask Kai about Rob’s drug habit before cruising over to Buster Madison’s gym. I hoped to catch Sofia too. I had a lot of follow-up questions for her.
I threw on a pair of semi-clean jeans—I’d blown off laundry day last week—and a t-shirt, then zipped off to work. I entered the diner through the kitchen door to find Ma standing at the counter, getting all up in Ray’s business. She didn’t let the fact that he dwarfed her by a good two feet get in the way.
“You’ve got to work the butter into the biscuits, son. Here, let me show you.” She grabbed the tool out of his hand and elbowed his ribs until he stepped aside. Ray had been cooking the same way for thirty years, yet Ma always found something to bitch about.
“Good morning,” I said. “Did you make any headway with the Widower Metzer, Ma?”
She dropped the pastry cutter in the bowl and adjusted her glasses. “Not much. There were already four other ladies
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