Read Online Down on Her Knees by Christine Bell - Free Book Online

and was about to ravage her every time she heard the radiator creak at night.
    Which reminded her, she was going to have to ask Cat to get her key back for her. If things had been awkward before, they’d be more so now that he’d stood her up. Besides, Cat owed her one.
    She adjusted her seat belt and toyed with the radio, turning back on her Rosetta Stone practice CD. It had been her lifelong dream to retire at fifty-five and travel the world, and she was hell-bent on speaking at least seven languages by that time. She’d already learned enough Spanish to eke by—especially if toilets or food were involved—and had just started on French. No way was she letting All Talk, No Action Rafe ruin her day or her retirement plans.
    After yet another hellish forty hours at work courtesy of her new supervisor, who clearly had decided that making her life miserable was priority number one, she needed a break from the shit that had been her week. It was a beautiful summer night and she was exactly three miles from Cat’s family cottage where she planned to spend a relaxing weekend by the lake. She’d been thrilled when Cat had made the offer. Courtney knew she was probably feeling a little guilty for her part in this mess. Who was she to snub the offer if it made her friend feel better?
    She rolled the window down and cranked up her French lesson, letting the warm breeze batter her hair into a wild mess, not giving a crap.
    “ La boulangerie ,” the disembodied voice blared from the speakers. “Bakery.”
    “ La boulangerie ,” she repeated, getting her Pepé Le Pew on, making sure to roll her tongue under to get that authentic sound working. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible.
    She’d just turned down the dark, winding road that also acted as the Thomas family’s driveway and was in the midst of learning how to order a coffee when a noise broke her concentration. An ambulance? Blue and red lights flashed in her rearview mirror, and she groaned. Cops.
    “Sacre bleu!”
    It was like she had the worst luck in the world in this town. First a flat and now this. She pulled to the side, glad that this time there was space to get entirely off the road. Then she turned off the radio and started digging in her glove compartment for her registration. Had she been speeding? Or maybe her blinker was on the fritz?
    A flashlight blinded her, and she covered her eyes, squinting.
    “Jeez, wow, that thing’s pretty powerful. What’s that use, nine volt there?” She tried for a smile but with her face scrunched up, she was pretty sure she’d missed the mark on looking innocent and affable and landed somewhere around weird and creepy.
    “I’m going to need you to step out of the car, miss.” His tone was sharp, and she winced.
    “Uhm, can you tell me what I did wrong, Officer?”
    The flashlight went dark and he leaned down to meet her at eye level. “I’m going to need you to step out of the car, miss. Now.”
    Her stomach flopped like a landed catfish as the voice registered this time. She still couldn’t see well with her pupils adjusting to the lack of light again, but there was no mistake.
    She raised a trembling hand to her hair and made a sad attempt to fix it as uncertainty swamped her. She’d been so bummed when he hadn’t contacted her and now he was here and she wasn’t sure she could go through with it. Talk about the grass being greener. “Look, Rafe, I’m not sure—”
    “This is your last warning. Step out of the car, or I will forcibly remove you from it.”
    The icy command jarred her into action, and she reached for the door handle. With a yank, she opened it and stepped onto the grass. How familiar this part felt. They were only a few miles from where they’d had their last encounter, and her body seemed to recognize that fact. Her nipples stiffened beneath her tank top under the warm breeze and her pulse skittered wildly.
    She could see him now. He was decked out in his dress blues, baton at