Read Online Lover Beware by Christine Feehan, Eileen Wilks - Free Book Online
Authors: Christine Feehan, Eileen Wilks
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Thrillers, romantic suspense, Mystery & Suspense
Ads: Link
subtle change in her posture told Rule some ten-sion or worry had eased. "I won't hold you up, then. I believe your father is on the terrace with Grandmother."
Rule wasn't ready to abandon the conversation that quickly. Between Julia Yu's courtesy and her curiosity about a man her daughter might be interested in, he was able to hold her in conversation for several minutes. By the time he and Lily moved away, he'd had the satisfaction of coaxing a smile of genuine pleasure from her.
"You flirted with my mother," Lily said.
He wasn't sure if she was upset or amused. "I said nothing that wasn't true."
"You also flirted with two of my cousins, my sister, my great-aunt, and the wife of one of my brother's business partners. With every woman you've met tonight, I think. Is this a lupus thing, or is it just you?"
"It would be rude not to acknowledge a woman's beauty."
Her eyes were puzzled. "I expected you to say it didn't mean anything."
"That wouldn't be true. I..." He struggled to explain what was too basic to be fitted comfortably into words. "When I compliment a woman, it always means something. Not that I
intend to take her to bed, but that I appreciate her. That I know she's a woman, and lovely."
"You meant everything you said, didn't you? You told Mrs. Masters—who must be seventy—that her pearls made her skin glow. You looked at her as if you enjoyed looking at her, and you meant it."
"Of course."
She didn't say anything more, but she took his hand. He felt absurdly pleased, as if he'd been awarded a great honor.
The rear of the restaurant overlooked the beach. The sun was slipping down the western sky when they stepped onto the terrace, an incandescent ball flipping its light scattershot across the waves it would kiss in another thirty minutes. He couldn't see the moon, but felt it hovering near the horizon to the east, a silvery song in his blood. The air was twenty degrees warmer than inside, and smelled wonderful. He breathed deeply of salt, sand, and ocean.
Rule was suddenly reluctant to proceed to the people knotted up at the other end of the terrace. "I wish we could walk on the beach together." Or run. He yearned to feel the sand beneath the pads of his paws while air screamed through his lungs as his muscles flexed and flung him along.
"Another time," she said softly, and when he looked at her he thought he glimpsed a shadow of his own longing... which, of course, was ridiculous. She had only the one form. "We may as well get this over with," she added more dryly, and nodded at the crowd at the end of the terrace.
They were halfway there when Rule stopped.
"What is it?"
Frankincense. His nostrils pinched in a useless effort to close out the toxin. Already he could feel his sense of smell closing down. "Do you truly not know?" he snapped.
"I wouldn't have asked if I did."
The smoky stench came from the knot of people directly in front of them. He shook his head, wanting to leave. "Never mind. As you said, let's get this over with."
He might as well. The damage had been done.
Chapter 7
LILY TAPPED ONE man on the shoulder and some of the others moved aside, revealing a tall chair with a carved wooden back. A velvet throw was draped across the seat and arms of the chair. A very small woman sat on that throw. She wore a long gown in Chinese red buttoned to the base of her skinny throat. A padded stool supported feet no larger than a child's, and a small brazier rested beside the footstool. It reeked of frankincense.
The woman taking up so little space in the thronelike chair didn't look eighty. Her black hair was liberally streaked with white and pulled into an unforgiving knot on top of her head. Her skin was very pale, her eyes very dark.
Had Rule been in wolf form, his hackles would have lifted.
Power. It radiated from that tiny, erect figure. Rule couldn't smell the magic on her, but he sure as hell sensed it.
"Grandmother." Lily dropped his hand to move forward. She bent to brush a
Rule wasn't ready to abandon the conversation that quickly. Between Julia Yu's courtesy and her curiosity about a man her daughter might be interested in, he was able to hold her in conversation for several minutes. By the time he and Lily moved away, he'd had the satisfaction of coaxing a smile of genuine pleasure from her.
"You flirted with my mother," Lily said.
He wasn't sure if she was upset or amused. "I said nothing that wasn't true."
"You also flirted with two of my cousins, my sister, my great-aunt, and the wife of one of my brother's business partners. With every woman you've met tonight, I think. Is this a lupus thing, or is it just you?"
"It would be rude not to acknowledge a woman's beauty."
Her eyes were puzzled. "I expected you to say it didn't mean anything."
"That wouldn't be true. I..." He struggled to explain what was too basic to be fitted comfortably into words. "When I compliment a woman, it always means something. Not that I
intend to take her to bed, but that I appreciate her. That I know she's a woman, and lovely."
"You meant everything you said, didn't you? You told Mrs. Masters—who must be seventy—that her pearls made her skin glow. You looked at her as if you enjoyed looking at her, and you meant it."
"Of course."
She didn't say anything more, but she took his hand. He felt absurdly pleased, as if he'd been awarded a great honor.
The rear of the restaurant overlooked the beach. The sun was slipping down the western sky when they stepped onto the terrace, an incandescent ball flipping its light scattershot across the waves it would kiss in another thirty minutes. He couldn't see the moon, but felt it hovering near the horizon to the east, a silvery song in his blood. The air was twenty degrees warmer than inside, and smelled wonderful. He breathed deeply of salt, sand, and ocean.
Rule was suddenly reluctant to proceed to the people knotted up at the other end of the terrace. "I wish we could walk on the beach together." Or run. He yearned to feel the sand beneath the pads of his paws while air screamed through his lungs as his muscles flexed and flung him along.
"Another time," she said softly, and when he looked at her he thought he glimpsed a shadow of his own longing... which, of course, was ridiculous. She had only the one form. "We may as well get this over with," she added more dryly, and nodded at the crowd at the end of the terrace.
They were halfway there when Rule stopped.
"What is it?"
Frankincense. His nostrils pinched in a useless effort to close out the toxin. Already he could feel his sense of smell closing down. "Do you truly not know?" he snapped.
"I wouldn't have asked if I did."
The smoky stench came from the knot of people directly in front of them. He shook his head, wanting to leave. "Never mind. As you said, let's get this over with."
He might as well. The damage had been done.
Chapter 7
LILY TAPPED ONE man on the shoulder and some of the others moved aside, revealing a tall chair with a carved wooden back. A velvet throw was draped across the seat and arms of the chair. A very small woman sat on that throw. She wore a long gown in Chinese red buttoned to the base of her skinny throat. A padded stool supported feet no larger than a child's, and a small brazier rested beside the footstool. It reeked of frankincense.
The woman taking up so little space in the thronelike chair didn't look eighty. Her black hair was liberally streaked with white and pulled into an unforgiving knot on top of her head. Her skin was very pale, her eyes very dark.
Had Rule been in wolf form, his hackles would have lifted.
Power. It radiated from that tiny, erect figure. Rule couldn't smell the magic on her, but he sure as hell sensed it.
"Grandmother." Lily dropped his hand to move forward. She bent to brush a
Similar Books
