Read Online In a Dark Embrace by Simone Bern - Free Book Online Page B

amount of time on her days off by herself, soothing inner senses that had been battered by the intense contact that came with her chosen profession. Jeremy had preempted that healing time. In addition, his emotions tore into her like a personal tornado. She should have said no, told him that they couldn’t get together tonight. But his disappointment had been palpable and she just hadn’t been able to do it.
    She really wanted to be with him as well, Lee admitted to herself. The man was addictive. They might not be able to see each other all week—between his wacko work schedule and the distance between his place and hers. She could feel the loss of his company, his touch, his smell already. Damn, but she had it bad. It had been a long time since she’d craved a man like this. Her rational mind still held reservations but her body was ready to swim through fire to be with him. It was pure infatuation. The madness of falling in love. Lee chased that last thought away. In lust, maybe. Not in love.
    She didn’t call. By six fifteen she was steering her bike out of the parking garage and onto the streets. Traffic was heavy but moving reasonably fast. At least there was no bottleneck going over the bridge. She hit the long open stretch of Highway 99 and embraced the thrill of speed. The exit for White Rock came up fast and she released the throttle to gear down and take the turn at something approaching a safe speed.
    Her bike rumbled down the busy road that ran along the waterfront. She’d made good time and might only be a few minutes late…if she could find a parking spot. Everyone and their dog seemed to be down here tonight. It was a sunny Saturday in June, she should have known it would be a zoo. Finally she waited while a family loaded their three kids into a minivan. She parked, locked her helmet onto the bike and slung the leather jacket over her arm.
    Charlie Don’t Surf was on the strip of commercial operations that faced the water. The sidewalk thronged with people which she dodged with growing impatience. As she approached the restaurant Jeremy waved to her from the patio.
    “Sorry,” she said when she finally made it to his table. “Parking was a bitch.”
    He nodded and stood up to give her a quick kiss. “I saw you go by so I knew you weren’t standing me up.”
    She threw him a sharp glance. He was joking but there was a tension in him that said he had considered the possibility. She sat down and ordered a beer. One drink was all she allowed herself when she was riding. She might be a thrill junkie but she wasn’t stupid.
    “So what did you do this lovely sunny afternoon?”
    He shrugged. “Yardwork. Laundry. Read the paper.”
    “Sounds terribly domestic.”
    “Homeowner and responsible citizen, that’s me.”
    “Yeah.” She gave him a faint smile. “Sometimes it feels like you’re two people, doesn’t it? A nice, normal one and…the other.”
    “I have it on good authority that you’re not nice.”
    “Whose authority?”
    “The tall blonde who lives next door. She was out on her balcony this morning. By the way, she suggests loud music.”
    “Alicia said I’m not nice? Geez, so much for friends these days.”
    “Oh, she likes you. Just wanted to make sure I knew that if I didn’t treat you right you’d make me sorry for it.” He paused and looked at her thoughtfully then asked, “So what did you do to the last guy?”
    He didn’t sound worried, just curious. Lee thought about shrugging him off but decided he might as well learn about this side of her. “He’s in therapy for a sudden onset of severe claustrophobia. Can’t even get into an elevator anymore. Makes living on the sixteenth floor a real problem.”
    Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. “Sort of a more complicated version of what you did to me?”
    “Much more complicated.” It had taken her weeks to prepare that spell.
    “Interesting. Anything else I should know?”
    “Probably. But I’m not going to talk about it