Read Online Promises in the Night: A Classic Romance - Book 2 by Barbara Bretton - Free Book Online

you’re free.”
    Monday nights she led the class in Beginner’s Ballet. “Monday’s no good,” she said, “but Tuesday is open.”
    Silence. Then he said, “I have group sessions at Stony Brook on Tuesday.”
    On Wednesday they both had commitments.
    Larkin wrapped a patchwork quilt around her shoulders against the chilly air of the bedroom. She sighed. “This doesn’t seem to be working out. If I remember right, you do a taping on Thursday.”
    “I do,” he said, “but if I remember right, you don’t have a blind date every Thursday night. At least, I hope you don’t.”
    Her spirits lifted again. “Believe me, that was my last one. The next time my brother Billy says he’s found a wonderful man, I’m going to tell Billy to date him himself.”
    “The taping will be over around 9 o’clock. I could pick you up around nine-thirty, ten—if that’s not too late.”
    “I’ve never been to the Viacom studio,” Larkin said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to sit in on part of the taping. We could leave from there.”
    “After being in the ballet, I’d think watching a cable TV talk show being taped would be a lesson in boredom.”
    “I don’t think watching you work will be boring at all, Alex.” Oh, wonderful. Next thing she knew, she’d be telling him about the erotic dream she had had about him last night. “Besides, you’ve only touched the fringes of boredom until you’ve spent five hours practicing your pliés. In some countries I believe it’s considered cruel and inhuman punishment.”
    Alex, started to say something; then Larkin heard the sound of a small, high-pitched voice somewhere in the room with him.
    “Larkin, I’m afraid we have a minor emergency here. Cameron decided to try sticking her mother’s pearl earring up her right nostril, and it seems as if it’s taken up residence there. I’m going to have to see what I can do.”
    “I understand,” she said, thinking about the odd things her nieces and nephews had attempted over the years. A pearl in the nostril seemed rather sedate. “I’ll bet graduate school didn’t prepare you for anything like this.”
    He groaned. “I don’t think there is anything that can prepare you for something like this. Phil and Judy deserve Medals of Honor.” She heard him cover the phone and comfort the child with words that sounded soothing and warm, even though she couldn’t quite make them out. “I’m looking forward to Thursday, Larkin,” he said. The sound of his voice sent a warm thrill through her body. “I want to see you again.”
    After she hung up the telephone, Larkin found herself unable to consider anything as passive as relaxing in a hot tub. The sound of Alex’s voice had acted like a shot of adrenaline, and she slipped into jeans and a sweater, grabbed her raincoat, then headed off to South Shore Mall to find the sexiest dress imaginable for her date with Dr. Jakobs on Thursday, five days, twenty-two hours and thirty-six minutes from now.
    Not that she was counting.

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    S o much for romance .
    Alex’s dream of witty conversation rich with tension and promise had vanished along with the pearl earring in Cameron Lincoln’s right nostril. Fortunately the emergency had turned out to be easily handled—even by a man with little hands-on experience in pediatric traumas. With some deft maneuvering, the pearl earring had popped right out, none the worse for wear, and he had been able to soothe Cameron’s soul—and her brother’s as well—with a quick trip to Baskin-Robbins.
    It was going to take a bit more than chocolate-chocolate chip to soothe Alex’s soul.
    He had dialed Larkin’s number with more trepidation than any thirty-six-year-old Ph.D. ought to feel and had been appalled at the way his stomach knotted up when he heard her sweet, clear voice on the answering, tape.
    Ridiculous. Totally and absolutely ridiculous.
    But there it was. At just the sound of her voice saying his name, he was flying ten feet