Read Online Emily Kimelman - Sydney Rye 05 - The Devil's Breath by Emily Kimelman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Emily Kimelman
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was to think about his offer and instead I’d run from it as fast and as far as I could. I owed him an answer. I owed myself an answer.
Staring into my own eyes I thought of Mulberry’s question: If I didn’t want to work with an organization like FGI then what did I want to do?
Blue came and sat next to me, he leaned against my leg and pushed at my stomach with his muzzle, asking for pets. Looking down at him, I smiled and rubbed under his chin. “What do you think?” I asked. His ears perked. “What should we do?”
He didn’t have an answer for me.
#
I decided to wear the dress. Why not let Robert Maxim keep his ideas of me? This evening was about me getting inside his head, not the other way around. Besides, I hadn’t actually gotten any shopping done.
I found my garter knife sheath in my duffel and pulled it over my foot and up my leg, positioning it inside my thigh within easy reach from the front or back. I pushed the small knife into the holster feeling calmer with its hilt pressing against my flesh.
The phone rang, and when I answered, it a polite female voice announced Dan was downstairs. I gave my permission for him to come up and then, still barefoot, checked my reflection again, running my fingers through my hair. I opened the door and looked down the hall. Empty. Blue pushed his head into my hand and sat next to me, leaning against my thigh and turning his head to follow my gaze to the elevators.
A ding announced the lift’s arrival and Dan stepped out. He looked away from me first and I licked my lips, biting down on the bottom one, taking the moment to watch him. He wore loose jeans with a striped linen shirt I remembered buying with him in Mumbai months ago. It was always a favorite of mine, the subtle green stripes bringing out the shades in his eyes.
Blue’s ears perked, and as Dan turned toward us, I looked down at him and nodded. He took off down the hall, tail wagging, letting out a bark of excitement. Dan’s face broke into a grin. “Hey boy,” he said as Blue reached him, skidding to a stop. He lowered his head and lifted his tail, hopping from side to side with excitement. Dan patted his thigh and Blue quickly took position next to him pushing his nose against Dan’s hip. Dan pet him, rubbing his muzzle and ear as they walked toward me.
“Hey,” he said to me and wrapped his free arm around my waist pulling me into a hug. I fell against him, reaching up both arms and encircling his neck. He was warm and smelled like himself. It took all my strength not to run my nose against the exposed skin of his neck, breathing him in. “I like the new hair,” he said. “Very Miami.”
I pulled away and he looked down at my dress and cocked his head. “I have dinner plans,” I said. His jaw clenched. “I need to leave in about a half hour,” I added. He nodded, not looking me in the eye. “Please come in,” I said, pushing the door wider.
He passed me, stepping into the room and crossing to the windows. “Nice view,” he said.
“Thanks.” I looked past him to the ocean and sky, colored in the soft tones of dusk. “How’s Anita?” I asked. The last time I’d seen Dan he was headed to the airport with Anita, who’d been brutally beaten and just committed her first murder, in self defense, of course.
“Good,” he said, not turning around. “She’s got a new project she’s working on. I think it’s really helping her.”
“Project?” I asked. Anita was a reporter, a damn good one. She owed me enough that I figured she would keep her promise never to write about me but…
“Who’s dinner with?” Dan asked, still facing the ocean.
“Robert Maxim.”
His shoulders tensed and he snorted a laugh.
“What?” I asked.
“You don’t want me to answer that,” he said, keeping his back turned.
“No, really, what?” I said.
“As I recall when we first met, he was your enemy and Mulberry was suspect. Now you’ve fallen into bed with one and are dining with
Staring into my own eyes I thought of Mulberry’s question: If I didn’t want to work with an organization like FGI then what did I want to do?
Blue came and sat next to me, he leaned against my leg and pushed at my stomach with his muzzle, asking for pets. Looking down at him, I smiled and rubbed under his chin. “What do you think?” I asked. His ears perked. “What should we do?”
He didn’t have an answer for me.
#
I decided to wear the dress. Why not let Robert Maxim keep his ideas of me? This evening was about me getting inside his head, not the other way around. Besides, I hadn’t actually gotten any shopping done.
I found my garter knife sheath in my duffel and pulled it over my foot and up my leg, positioning it inside my thigh within easy reach from the front or back. I pushed the small knife into the holster feeling calmer with its hilt pressing against my flesh.
The phone rang, and when I answered, it a polite female voice announced Dan was downstairs. I gave my permission for him to come up and then, still barefoot, checked my reflection again, running my fingers through my hair. I opened the door and looked down the hall. Empty. Blue pushed his head into my hand and sat next to me, leaning against my thigh and turning his head to follow my gaze to the elevators.
A ding announced the lift’s arrival and Dan stepped out. He looked away from me first and I licked my lips, biting down on the bottom one, taking the moment to watch him. He wore loose jeans with a striped linen shirt I remembered buying with him in Mumbai months ago. It was always a favorite of mine, the subtle green stripes bringing out the shades in his eyes.
Blue’s ears perked, and as Dan turned toward us, I looked down at him and nodded. He took off down the hall, tail wagging, letting out a bark of excitement. Dan’s face broke into a grin. “Hey boy,” he said as Blue reached him, skidding to a stop. He lowered his head and lifted his tail, hopping from side to side with excitement. Dan patted his thigh and Blue quickly took position next to him pushing his nose against Dan’s hip. Dan pet him, rubbing his muzzle and ear as they walked toward me.
“Hey,” he said to me and wrapped his free arm around my waist pulling me into a hug. I fell against him, reaching up both arms and encircling his neck. He was warm and smelled like himself. It took all my strength not to run my nose against the exposed skin of his neck, breathing him in. “I like the new hair,” he said. “Very Miami.”
I pulled away and he looked down at my dress and cocked his head. “I have dinner plans,” I said. His jaw clenched. “I need to leave in about a half hour,” I added. He nodded, not looking me in the eye. “Please come in,” I said, pushing the door wider.
He passed me, stepping into the room and crossing to the windows. “Nice view,” he said.
“Thanks.” I looked past him to the ocean and sky, colored in the soft tones of dusk. “How’s Anita?” I asked. The last time I’d seen Dan he was headed to the airport with Anita, who’d been brutally beaten and just committed her first murder, in self defense, of course.
“Good,” he said, not turning around. “She’s got a new project she’s working on. I think it’s really helping her.”
“Project?” I asked. Anita was a reporter, a damn good one. She owed me enough that I figured she would keep her promise never to write about me but…
“Who’s dinner with?” Dan asked, still facing the ocean.
“Robert Maxim.”
His shoulders tensed and he snorted a laugh.
“What?” I asked.
“You don’t want me to answer that,” he said, keeping his back turned.
“No, really, what?” I said.
“As I recall when we first met, he was your enemy and Mulberry was suspect. Now you’ve fallen into bed with one and are dining with
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