Read Online Persuasive Lips by Sherry Silver - Free Book Online

u n derground. Strolling carefully on the slippery sidewalk, she watched as Sergeant Bill Blandings hoisted the loading dock door a n d stepp e d outside t h e Bureau of Engra v ing and Printing. He struck a match to light the cig a rette dang l ing from his lip then ascended the ramp, locking his gaze onto hers. Heart pounding, Chloe paused to refresh her lipstick. Bill sucked the smoke d e ep into his lungs as h e watched and waited. Finally exhaling, he blew five smoke rings. She stepped up to him and scattered the circles wi t h her blue gloved hand.
    He said, “You are one gorgeous dame tonight.”
    Chloe gazed into his midnight b lue eyes. Nobody has eyes like Bil l . He has the devil in them. They are so darned…irresistible. She brushed him aside.
    He threw down his cigarette and snuffed it o u t with one twist of his black ste e l-toed police boot. Powdery snow blew off the ret a ining walls as they w a lked down the salted ramp. Chloe and Bill entered the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He l o wered the door. It thumped against the concrete floor.
    She led the way through the ca v ernous federal building. The scent of floor polish wafted up from the pristine terrazzo.
    He confided, “We’re pretty much alone n o w. The bureaucrats departed hours ago. The charwomen came and went. Just the s k eletal police detail is l eft. Me, Schwartz and Krankow s ki.”
    Bill follow e d Chloe into the printing room. He balked. “Jeez, this place is a pigsty.” In her sweet southern drawl Chloe said, “Alcohol was the most popular guest a t our office party tod a y, resulting in a whole run of botched hundreds. They didn’t change the plates. The same ima g e is printed on both sides of the notes.” She pointed to the sloppi l y bundled currency and a big ink stain o n the floor. “They ought not to have bothered working at all. As the currency inspector, I have to file a report. I feel like a lousy snitch.”
    Bill eyed her fur. “Hey, where’d ya get the coat from? It’s not from that weasel
    Myron in personnel, is it?”
    “ Eww! No, Bill. It’s Mrs. Grogan’s. My landlady. She let me borrow it. I told her this was a spec i al night.”
    Bill grabbed her colla r . They kissed hungrily.
    Finally taking a much-needed breath, Chloe pulled away and smiled as she unbuttoned the full- l ength sabl e . She was wearing h i s favorite blue dancing shoes… a n d noth i ng el s e.
    “ Jeez, Chloe—lay off of them doughnuts.”
    Before she could process the insult, Bill slipped his fingers under the fur. She shoved him away.
    Her voice trembled, “I won’t be your dirty little se c ret anymore. Divorce Vera.”
    There, I’ve said it.
    Bill ran his fingers through Chl o e’s soft red hair. He knew just t he spot to touch. “Lovey, we’ve been all through this. You know I can’t p ossibly divorce her while he’s in office. How would it look if the Preside n t’s secretary all of a sudden up and got divorced? The Republicans would go wild! A n d it’d be rough o n my l i ttle girls. Ju s t wait a little bit longer. Lovey, I promise we ’ ll be together soon. He ain’t gonna be Prez for the rest of his life ya know.”
    Chloe fought back tears. Whatever was I thinking? Momma was right. I should have stayed in t h e mountains. But eleven months ago, her country had called for good girls to fill the shoes of the boys at war. When I was still a good girl. I had n o idea what I’d have to do for my country. It mig h t as well h a ve been ele v en millennia ago. I can’t ever go back. Not now. She shoved her h a nds in t h e d eep silk-lined pockets…where s h e felt the cold steel of a revolver.
    Five shots exploded down from the super v isors’ catwa l k. Chloe dove under a metal desk, pulling in an olive drab trash can f o r cover. Bill slumped face down into a carelessly heaped pile of hundreds.
    Chloe peeked from behind the c an. She watched a female silhouette blow smoke from the barrel and stroll back along