Read Online In Death 26 - Strangers in Death by authors_sort - Free Book Online Page B

home.
     
    S peaking of a ridiculous number of rooms, she thought after driving through the big iron gates and winding up the drive. Nobody held a candle (whatever that meant) to Roarke. The house was a stunner, lording over sky and city, windows blazing hot, cold stars dripping overhead. A couple of years before, she never would have believed she could live in a place so…spectacular, much less live there comfortably.
    But she did. And pulling up in front of that vast stone beauty, leaving her cop’s ride out in front where Roarke’s majordomo, Summerset, would sneer at it, rated as one of the favorite parts of her day. Any day.
    She climbed out of the stuffy car, jogged through cold air, and into the light-and warmth-drenched house.
    He was there, of course. Lurking. The bony beanpole in a black suit who ran the house, and kept her mildly irritated like a sand-covered pebble in a shoe.
    “Lieutenant,” he said in a tone that scraped along the back of her neck like nails over a blackboard. “You’re late, as usual.”
    “You’re ugly, as usual. But I’ve learned to make allowances.”
    As she stripped off her coat, the fat cat Galahad gave Summerset’s skinny ankle a last body rub, then padded over to Eve. She tossed her coat over the newel post, bent to give the cat a quick scratch between the ears. Duties done, she headed upstairs, with Galahad at her heels.
    In the bedroom Roarke was stripped down to trousers and holding a black sweater. “Now there’s timing,” he said. “Maybe I shouldn’t bother with this.” He wagged the sweater. “And see how fast I can get you half naked instead.”
    Eyes narrowed, she pointed a finger at him. “How long have you been home?”
    “About ten minutes, I’d think.”
    “See that! See!” Now she pointed a finger of both hands. “Why am I late according to His Boniness, but you’re only minutes ahead of me and don’t get sneered at.”
    “How do you know I wasn’t sneered at?”
    “Because I know. Were you?”
    “I wasn’t, no. But then I did have a message sent home that I’d be a bit late.”
    She sniffed. “Suck-up.”
    He smiled. “Come over here and say that.”
    “I’m not bouncing on you now. I’ve got notes to organize.” She pulled off her weapon harness, draped it over the back of a chair. “Media shit’s hit the public fan over how Anders died. I need to try to plug some holes.”
    “I made a statement myself.”
    “You what? A statement? What? Why? Why didn’t you run it by me before—”
    “I knew the man, and his corporate headquarters is in my building. I know how to make a statement, Eve. I had some experience in the process before I met you.”
    “Right. Right.” She rubbed a spot between her eyebrows. “It’s just. The whole thing smells.”
    “Of?”
    “Overkill. I gotta…” She twirled a finger in the air. “Until something settles into place for me.”
    “You can”—he mimicked her gesture—“with me. I suppose you can bounce on me later, and for now we can have a meal at your desk.”
    “I could use the ear.” She studied him as he pulled on the sweater. It was kind of a shame he needed one. “Are we supposed to date?”
    “Date what?”
    “Each other.”
    He sent her a look that combined amusement, charm, and bafflement. She wondered how he managed it. “As in I take you out, there is some form of activity, then I drop you off at the door with a long, hopeful good-night kiss?”
    “No.” She frowned. “We never did that anyway.”
    “I knew I forgot something.” He skimmed a finger down the cleft in her chin. “Should I ask you out on a date, darling Eve?”
    “Look, I just wondered about it, that’s all. Peabody started this whole thing about could she take an hour’s personal to get polished up because she and McNab had this date-night deal going so they wouldn’t lose the juice.”
    “That’s very sweet. Are you wondering if we’re low on juice?” He took her hand, drew it to his