Read Online Seducing Celestine by Amarinda Jones - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amarinda Jones
Ads: Link
that man off. She looked at Nick. He was dialing the police.
“I better get changed.” She did not want to be dealing with either Nick or the police in her pajamas.
“I think you look cute in your pajamas. Though you naked also works for me.”
———
After the police had left, Celestine waited for Nick Swan to leave as well. But he had made no attempt to move from the middle of her lounge room where he looked around her home assessingly. She knew what he was thinking. The place was pathetic. Other than one very battered old Fifties Genoa sofa, a spindly armchair and a packing crate with an old black-and-white television it, there was nothing in the lounge room, except for several piles of books neatly stacked against one of the walls.
“Going for the minimalist look?” Nick was surprised at the utter lack of furniture in the lounge room. “So you either do not believe in furniture or you’re flat broke.” He suspected the other rooms of the house were the same.
“That would be door number two.”
“Tell me about it.” His eyes were filled with genuine concern.
“It’s a long, boring story with no happy ending.”
“I still want to hear it, baby.”
Celestine bit her lip and looked at Nick Sawn. He was looking at her as if he genuinely cared. She sighed tiredly.
“My thieving cow of a roommate, Julia Bailey, stole everything I owned and then she took the money and ran. I had some nice stuff too. Hence the reason Julia took it. She hocked anything she could carry out of the house.” Celestine could still remember the day she had arrived home after work to find the place cleaned out. “Then to add insult to injury, I found out she had my credit card number and she ran my credit into the ground.”
“Why did she do it?” Nick was horrified but he knew better than to show pity to this woman.
“I would say it was because she was a greedy bitch but I’m a tad jaded when it comes to her.” Actually “jaded” did not cover it. Celestine wanted to hunt Julia Bailey down and throttle the woman. It wasn’t an entirely rational response but it would, however, make her feel better. “Anyway, what little she left I sold to pay off the debts she accrued under my name. One day after all the debts are paid and I’m back on her feet, I’ll have everything restored.” Celestine blew out a deep breath. One day…when would that be? She seemed to be going two steps forward and ten steps back in her progress out of the mire she was stuck in.
“So how have you been living?”
There was no need for him to know she was down to her last couple of dollars and that the job interview she had yesterday had netted no result. She may feel pathetic but Celestine did not want to look it. She had pride. If she didn’t, she would have gone to her toffee-nosed sister Grace and asked to borrow some money. And that was never going to happen. She would rather have walked naked down the Queen Street Mall than do that.
“I’ve been doing okay.”
Nick knew a lie when he heard one.
“Tess is a good friend.”
Celestine could see that Nick had worked out why she had been staying at Tess’ home.
“Yeah, she is.” The way Nick was looking at her made her want to crawl into his arms and cry. She had been holding so much inside for so long that Celestine was scared she was going to start crying and not stop. But where would that get her other than all puffy-faced and sniffling? She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. She did not need sympathy. She needed to get a grip.
“You’ve been through a lot.” Nick wanted to hold her in his arms and ease some of the pain.
The simple way he said it and the way he looked at her was so sweet and loving that she wanted to give in to the urge and cry. Add to that the fact that she had been shot at and the police were worried that the shooting and the carjacking were connected and she was feeling very vulnerable at the moment. Vulnerability was not an emotion Celestine
“I better get changed.” She did not want to be dealing with either Nick or the police in her pajamas.
“I think you look cute in your pajamas. Though you naked also works for me.”
———
After the police had left, Celestine waited for Nick Swan to leave as well. But he had made no attempt to move from the middle of her lounge room where he looked around her home assessingly. She knew what he was thinking. The place was pathetic. Other than one very battered old Fifties Genoa sofa, a spindly armchair and a packing crate with an old black-and-white television it, there was nothing in the lounge room, except for several piles of books neatly stacked against one of the walls.
“Going for the minimalist look?” Nick was surprised at the utter lack of furniture in the lounge room. “So you either do not believe in furniture or you’re flat broke.” He suspected the other rooms of the house were the same.
“That would be door number two.”
“Tell me about it.” His eyes were filled with genuine concern.
“It’s a long, boring story with no happy ending.”
“I still want to hear it, baby.”
Celestine bit her lip and looked at Nick Sawn. He was looking at her as if he genuinely cared. She sighed tiredly.
“My thieving cow of a roommate, Julia Bailey, stole everything I owned and then she took the money and ran. I had some nice stuff too. Hence the reason Julia took it. She hocked anything she could carry out of the house.” Celestine could still remember the day she had arrived home after work to find the place cleaned out. “Then to add insult to injury, I found out she had my credit card number and she ran my credit into the ground.”
“Why did she do it?” Nick was horrified but he knew better than to show pity to this woman.
“I would say it was because she was a greedy bitch but I’m a tad jaded when it comes to her.” Actually “jaded” did not cover it. Celestine wanted to hunt Julia Bailey down and throttle the woman. It wasn’t an entirely rational response but it would, however, make her feel better. “Anyway, what little she left I sold to pay off the debts she accrued under my name. One day after all the debts are paid and I’m back on her feet, I’ll have everything restored.” Celestine blew out a deep breath. One day…when would that be? She seemed to be going two steps forward and ten steps back in her progress out of the mire she was stuck in.
“So how have you been living?”
There was no need for him to know she was down to her last couple of dollars and that the job interview she had yesterday had netted no result. She may feel pathetic but Celestine did not want to look it. She had pride. If she didn’t, she would have gone to her toffee-nosed sister Grace and asked to borrow some money. And that was never going to happen. She would rather have walked naked down the Queen Street Mall than do that.
“I’ve been doing okay.”
Nick knew a lie when he heard one.
“Tess is a good friend.”
Celestine could see that Nick had worked out why she had been staying at Tess’ home.
“Yeah, she is.” The way Nick was looking at her made her want to crawl into his arms and cry. She had been holding so much inside for so long that Celestine was scared she was going to start crying and not stop. But where would that get her other than all puffy-faced and sniffling? She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. She did not need sympathy. She needed to get a grip.
“You’ve been through a lot.” Nick wanted to hold her in his arms and ease some of the pain.
The simple way he said it and the way he looked at her was so sweet and loving that she wanted to give in to the urge and cry. Add to that the fact that she had been shot at and the police were worried that the shooting and the carjacking were connected and she was feeling very vulnerable at the moment. Vulnerability was not an emotion Celestine
Similar Books
