Read Online See Me in Your Dreams by Patricia Rosemoor - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Rosemoor
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warred
through her. Forgetting his distrust, she concentrated on him. On the man in
pain. She wished she could will the misery from him, absorb it into herself –
unreasonably, perhaps, given his antipathy toward her – or at the very least
render the anguish he was suffering impotent.
She couldn't
help herself. Following her natural instincts, she slid her arms up around his
neck and comforted him as best she could. He shuddered against her.
"It'll be
all right," she whispered, only hoping she was uttering the truth.
"Keelin,
I have to get her back."
"I know.
I know."
"Whatever
I have to do." His mouth pressed into her hair. "Anything."
Whispered against her temple. "I'll do anything to get my daughter
back." Trailed across her cheek. "Give them anything they want!"
Eyes stinging,
heart churning with things she didn't understand, Keelin turned her face up to
Tyler's, felt his breath brush her skin. "I believe you."
Threading her
fingers through the thickness of his dark hair, she was startled by her own
boldness. For a moment, their gazes caught and she responded to the torment she
read in his eyes. Torment that came at least partly from guilt, she thought,
even as her body quickened to his.
How could this
be? How could her blood rush with such longing now? At such a desperate time
when personal want should be as nothing?
"I knew
Cheryl didn't really mean to run away from me," he whispered, sounding as
if he were trying to deny the guilt she sensed in him. Smoothing her hair so
that she pressed a cheek into his hand. "Not seriously. She would have
come home by now if she weren't being held prisoner."
Keelin shook
her head. "Cheryl did run,
Tyler. And she trusted whoever is now holding her prisoner to protect her. From you . Don't waste time fooling
yourself, please." Though his expression darkened and he put her from him,
gripping her shoulders hard, she didn't stop. "You need to concentrate on
whoever might have pretended they wanted to help Cheryl. Maybe if you can
figure out who has a motive–"
"A
motive? The bastards want money, plain and simple." His gaze changed, as
if he remembered suspecting that's what she wanted of him. He suddenly let her go altogether and took a step back.
"The greedy people in this world are willing to do anything to get
money."
Realizing he
included her in the sweeping condemnation, Keelin took a deep breath and tried
to will away the yearning to feel his arms around her again. To harden herself
against Tyler so that he couldn't hurt her more. She couldn't do it. God help
her, she felt something for the man.
And him a near-stranger.
Trying to
derail her emotions, she choked out, "Greed is only a part of it. There's
more." She concentrated, tried to remember exactly what she'd heard.
"One of them said something about wanting you to sweat, to know what it's
like for someone else to be on top."
He pulled a
face. "You're saying someone is using my daughter – a child – to punish
me?"
Keelin
swallowed hard. "I believe so."
"Dear
God, what have I done that's so terrible that He would let my child suffer for
it?"
Making an
uneasy Keelin wonder the same thing.
HALFWAY THROUGH THE MORNING, Brock
Olander was pacing Tyler's office. This waiting put his nerves on edge and
twisted his gut into a fancy knot. Pam had told him the moment Ty called in.
Supposedly he was on his way and would arrive any minute. Brock checked his
Rolex. Eighteen minutes ago now. It was out of character, Ty's being so late.
But the past
few days had been a crap shoot in general, with nothing going like it was
supposed to.
Brock stared
out the window at Lincoln Park. So many people with no worries. Going about
their pleasure like it was any other day. Well, it wasn't any day. In Brock's
mind, today was D-Day.
Ty had better
agree to his proposal.
"Any
mail?" came the deep voice from the outer office.
Brock whipped
around and stared at the half-open door. He'd thought he was psyched, but Ty
had
through her. Forgetting his distrust, she concentrated on him. On the man in
pain. She wished she could will the misery from him, absorb it into herself –
unreasonably, perhaps, given his antipathy toward her – or at the very least
render the anguish he was suffering impotent.
She couldn't
help herself. Following her natural instincts, she slid her arms up around his
neck and comforted him as best she could. He shuddered against her.
"It'll be
all right," she whispered, only hoping she was uttering the truth.
"Keelin,
I have to get her back."
"I know.
I know."
"Whatever
I have to do." His mouth pressed into her hair. "Anything."
Whispered against her temple. "I'll do anything to get my daughter
back." Trailed across her cheek. "Give them anything they want!"
Eyes stinging,
heart churning with things she didn't understand, Keelin turned her face up to
Tyler's, felt his breath brush her skin. "I believe you."
Threading her
fingers through the thickness of his dark hair, she was startled by her own
boldness. For a moment, their gazes caught and she responded to the torment she
read in his eyes. Torment that came at least partly from guilt, she thought,
even as her body quickened to his.
How could this
be? How could her blood rush with such longing now? At such a desperate time
when personal want should be as nothing?
"I knew
Cheryl didn't really mean to run away from me," he whispered, sounding as
if he were trying to deny the guilt she sensed in him. Smoothing her hair so
that she pressed a cheek into his hand. "Not seriously. She would have
come home by now if she weren't being held prisoner."
Keelin shook
her head. "Cheryl did run,
Tyler. And she trusted whoever is now holding her prisoner to protect her. From you . Don't waste time fooling
yourself, please." Though his expression darkened and he put her from him,
gripping her shoulders hard, she didn't stop. "You need to concentrate on
whoever might have pretended they wanted to help Cheryl. Maybe if you can
figure out who has a motive–"
"A
motive? The bastards want money, plain and simple." His gaze changed, as
if he remembered suspecting that's what she wanted of him. He suddenly let her go altogether and took a step back.
"The greedy people in this world are willing to do anything to get
money."
Realizing he
included her in the sweeping condemnation, Keelin took a deep breath and tried
to will away the yearning to feel his arms around her again. To harden herself
against Tyler so that he couldn't hurt her more. She couldn't do it. God help
her, she felt something for the man.
And him a near-stranger.
Trying to
derail her emotions, she choked out, "Greed is only a part of it. There's
more." She concentrated, tried to remember exactly what she'd heard.
"One of them said something about wanting you to sweat, to know what it's
like for someone else to be on top."
He pulled a
face. "You're saying someone is using my daughter – a child – to punish
me?"
Keelin
swallowed hard. "I believe so."
"Dear
God, what have I done that's so terrible that He would let my child suffer for
it?"
Making an
uneasy Keelin wonder the same thing.
HALFWAY THROUGH THE MORNING, Brock
Olander was pacing Tyler's office. This waiting put his nerves on edge and
twisted his gut into a fancy knot. Pam had told him the moment Ty called in.
Supposedly he was on his way and would arrive any minute. Brock checked his
Rolex. Eighteen minutes ago now. It was out of character, Ty's being so late.
But the past
few days had been a crap shoot in general, with nothing going like it was
supposed to.
Brock stared
out the window at Lincoln Park. So many people with no worries. Going about
their pleasure like it was any other day. Well, it wasn't any day. In Brock's
mind, today was D-Day.
Ty had better
agree to his proposal.
"Any
mail?" came the deep voice from the outer office.
Brock whipped
around and stared at the half-open door. He'd thought he was psyched, but Ty
had
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