Read Online First Taste of Darkness by Cynthia Eden - Free Book Online Page B

body. “Ready?”
    His gaze darted around the suite. “Yes. Ready. Where are your bags? The plane will be leaving in just over two hours.  That doesn’t give us a lot of time, not with the check-in processes these days.” 
    “My bags?” Jess gave a hard shake of her head. She seemed to be missing something. “Uh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen them since that—that man took me yesterday.” 
Hayden.
Carson had told her and Blake that the man’s name was Hayden. 
    Carson brushed past her and headed up the stairs. She quickly followed him, flushing when they stepped into the bedroom.  No way could he miss the wrecked bed.
    But he just glanced to the left, and pointed to the small bags near the wall. “I brought them in earlier, when Blake was leaving.”
    She caught his hand. “Leaving?”  Dammit, she couldn’t just keep repeating him. Jess cleared her throat. “Where did he go?”
    “Down to the police station. The cops needed to interview him again.” His lips twisted. “A little matter of death will push them to ask all kinds of uncomfortable questions.” 
    He pulled from her. Headed toward the bags. He brought them to her. “Get dressed, then let’s get going.”
    “But Blake—”
    His sigh cut through her words. “You lasted two nights, ma’am. Usually it’s just one. Consider yourself lucky.”
    The burn left her cheeks. Ice seemed to freeze her.
    “Blake arranged for the ticket home for you, and that means that he wants you
gone,
Ms. Delaney. Gone before he gets back.”
    She was just standing there. Wearing his robe.  Her heart was beating too fast. Threatening to burst out of her chest. 
    “I always have to be the clean-up man,” Carson muttered, sounding disgusted. His hand dove into her bag and, a few moments later, he tossed her some clothes—and underwear. “Blake isn’t big on the good-bye scenes, okay?  Get dressed and let’s go.”
    Her fingers fisted around the clothes.  Woodenly, she moved into the bathroom and shut the door.  Jess looked up into the mirror and gazed at the ghost there. The woman who had eyes that looked too big. Skin that looked too pale.
    You’re the one who wanted a one night stand.
The bitter reminder burned through her mind.
    Only…the one night stand had become something more, at least for her. 
    She’d started to fall for him.
    Blake and his darkness. 
    She’d never had a chance.
    The robe dropped to the floor. She left it there and dressed as quickly as she could.  When she jerked open the door a few minutes later, Carson was waiting with an impatient expression on his face.
    He still held her bags.
    She pulled the bags from him.
    Frowning, he told her, “I can take those down for you.”
    “I’ve got them.” She marched for the door, but then she stopped. Jess glanced at Carson. “Give your boss a message for me.”
    Carson grimaced. “Not another one of those. Look, it’s just the way he is, okay? Nothing personal. You can’t blame the snake when he strikes—”
    “
What?”
    “He’s a player, and Ms. Delaney, he played with you.” Brutal words. Cold. “Now he’s done, and you need to get back to your life. Your nice, safe life.”
    Safe.
    He glanced down at the bags. “Now we really should hurry…”
    “Give him a message,” Jess repeated, determined on this.   
    A long sigh broke from Carson. “At this rate, you’ll be able to deliver it yourself.”
    “Tell him that it
could
have been right between us.” Jess drew herself up, standing proudly. There’d be no walk of shame for her.  Screw that. She would leave on her terms. “It could’ve been right, if
he
hadn’t been the one who was afraid.” 
    Carson’s eyes widened in surprise.
    But there was nothing else for her to say. Jess spun on her heel, and, taking one determined step at a time, she left that place. 
    She didn’t look back. What would have been the point? Blake was gone. 
    And it felt like he’d taken her heart with him.