Read Online Every Breath She Takes by Norah Wilson - Free Book Online
Authors: Norah Wilson
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that, she knew that everything had changed. She’d touched his face, kissed his mouth, felt his sex stir…
“Aaargh!” Pure thoughts . Pulling the quilts over her head, she tried to channel Mother Teresa.
Lauren woke to the smell of bacon frying. Groaning, she fumbled for her watch and peered at it in the half-light. Six-o-five.
Too early to crawl out of her warm nest. She settled back again, but before sleep came, the scent of perking coffee reached her. Hunger she could have ignored, but the siren call of caffeine snared her. She donned her clothes and entered the adjoining room.
Both men sat at the table. She paused a moment in the doorway to watch them. Cal was dressed but rumpled. He’d probably slept in his clothes. Brady wore his shirt open, and his bare feet poked out from beneath faded jeans. Nice body . She could see why he’d caught Marlena’s eye.
Her gaze drifted back to Cal. No, Marlena was crazy. How could she have wanted anyone else when she’d had Cal?
Brady spotted her first. “Morning, Lauren. We wake you?”
“No.” She stepped into the kitchen. “It was the smell of coffee that woke me.”
“Sit.” Cal was already on his feet. “I’ll pour.”
“I can do it. Just show me where the mugs are.”
“You’re the guest , remember?”
That worked for her. She sat. “Black, no sugar. And I’ll have one egg over easy, one slice of toast, and some of that bacon I smell.”
“Coming up.” He handed her a steaming mug of coffee, then turned to Brady. “Why don’t you wake Marlena? Since Lauren’s up, we’ll get an early start.”
Brady blushed at the reminder that he’d shared a bed with Cal’s ex-wife, but manfully managed not to squirm. “Sure,” he said, then left the kitchen.
Cal’s gaze followed him. “Kid’s still worried I’m gonna come aboard him.”
“Any danger of that happening?” Lauren asked.
“Hell, no. Marlena’s a free agent. And Brady’s a paying customer.” His expression flat, he turned back to the gas range.
“Cal!”
The anguished shout came from Brady. Before Cal or Lauren could react, the young man came skidding into the room.
Cal put up a hand to stop him. “Whoa, man, what is it?”
“Marlena! She won’t wake up. I think she’s dead!”
CHAPTER FOUR
No , thought Lauren as she watched Cal roll Marlena’s sheet-tangled body over. Her blond hair spilled over the pillows like Barbie doll hair. Not like this. It’s not supposed to happen this way.
Then a moan issued from Marlena’s almost bloodless lips.
“Oh, thank God! She’s alive.” Brady looked like his grip on the bedpost was the only thing keeping him standing.
“Thank God is right,” Cal muttered. “That’d be just what I need.” Cal lifted one of Marlena’s eyelids, and she shrank away, groaning. He lifted his gaze to Brady. “Did she take anything last night?”
“Huh?”
“Drugs, Brady. Did she take any drugs?”
“Yeah, she did.” Brady’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Suddenly he looked less like a man and more like a scared kid. “She said it was nothing bad, nothing illegal.”
“What was it?”
“I don’t know. Some pills.”
“She took them to get high, I presume?”
Brady blushed furiously. “She said it would make it better for her. She offered me some, but I didn’t take any. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to…you know, to…”
“Okay, okay, we get the picture.” Cal sighed. “Bring me her backpack.”
Brady complied, his gaze downcast, shoulders slumped.
“Upend it,” Cal instructed as he removed the pillow from under Marlena’s head and rolled her onto her side.
Again the younger man did as he was told.
“There! That cosmetic bag—dump it on the bed.”
Brady hesitated at the invasion of Marlena’s privacy.
“Go on, for God’s sake, just dump it. We’ll make our apologies after we make sure she’s gonna live.”
He dumped it. Lauren gasped.
“Damned walking pharmacy.” Cal scooped up a handful of
“Aaargh!” Pure thoughts . Pulling the quilts over her head, she tried to channel Mother Teresa.
Lauren woke to the smell of bacon frying. Groaning, she fumbled for her watch and peered at it in the half-light. Six-o-five.
Too early to crawl out of her warm nest. She settled back again, but before sleep came, the scent of perking coffee reached her. Hunger she could have ignored, but the siren call of caffeine snared her. She donned her clothes and entered the adjoining room.
Both men sat at the table. She paused a moment in the doorway to watch them. Cal was dressed but rumpled. He’d probably slept in his clothes. Brady wore his shirt open, and his bare feet poked out from beneath faded jeans. Nice body . She could see why he’d caught Marlena’s eye.
Her gaze drifted back to Cal. No, Marlena was crazy. How could she have wanted anyone else when she’d had Cal?
Brady spotted her first. “Morning, Lauren. We wake you?”
“No.” She stepped into the kitchen. “It was the smell of coffee that woke me.”
“Sit.” Cal was already on his feet. “I’ll pour.”
“I can do it. Just show me where the mugs are.”
“You’re the guest , remember?”
That worked for her. She sat. “Black, no sugar. And I’ll have one egg over easy, one slice of toast, and some of that bacon I smell.”
“Coming up.” He handed her a steaming mug of coffee, then turned to Brady. “Why don’t you wake Marlena? Since Lauren’s up, we’ll get an early start.”
Brady blushed at the reminder that he’d shared a bed with Cal’s ex-wife, but manfully managed not to squirm. “Sure,” he said, then left the kitchen.
Cal’s gaze followed him. “Kid’s still worried I’m gonna come aboard him.”
“Any danger of that happening?” Lauren asked.
“Hell, no. Marlena’s a free agent. And Brady’s a paying customer.” His expression flat, he turned back to the gas range.
“Cal!”
The anguished shout came from Brady. Before Cal or Lauren could react, the young man came skidding into the room.
Cal put up a hand to stop him. “Whoa, man, what is it?”
“Marlena! She won’t wake up. I think she’s dead!”
CHAPTER FOUR
No , thought Lauren as she watched Cal roll Marlena’s sheet-tangled body over. Her blond hair spilled over the pillows like Barbie doll hair. Not like this. It’s not supposed to happen this way.
Then a moan issued from Marlena’s almost bloodless lips.
“Oh, thank God! She’s alive.” Brady looked like his grip on the bedpost was the only thing keeping him standing.
“Thank God is right,” Cal muttered. “That’d be just what I need.” Cal lifted one of Marlena’s eyelids, and she shrank away, groaning. He lifted his gaze to Brady. “Did she take anything last night?”
“Huh?”
“Drugs, Brady. Did she take any drugs?”
“Yeah, she did.” Brady’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Suddenly he looked less like a man and more like a scared kid. “She said it was nothing bad, nothing illegal.”
“What was it?”
“I don’t know. Some pills.”
“She took them to get high, I presume?”
Brady blushed furiously. “She said it would make it better for her. She offered me some, but I didn’t take any. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to…you know, to…”
“Okay, okay, we get the picture.” Cal sighed. “Bring me her backpack.”
Brady complied, his gaze downcast, shoulders slumped.
“Upend it,” Cal instructed as he removed the pillow from under Marlena’s head and rolled her onto her side.
Again the younger man did as he was told.
“There! That cosmetic bag—dump it on the bed.”
Brady hesitated at the invasion of Marlena’s privacy.
“Go on, for God’s sake, just dump it. We’ll make our apologies after we make sure she’s gonna live.”
He dumped it. Lauren gasped.
“Damned walking pharmacy.” Cal scooped up a handful of
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