Read Online Slim To None (Cedar Tree #1) by Freya Barker - Free Book Online
Authors: Freya Barker
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chaise.
"Exhausted really, but I don't think I could sleep; too much is going through my mind, so I think doing something productive will make me feel better."
Walking over to where Emma is was leaning back, he bent over and put his hands beside her head on the back of the couch, and then leaned in close.
"And don't think I’ve let you off the hook, darlin'. I'm giving you a breather, that's all, get you used to having me in your space ‘cause I aim to be there a bit." He closed the distance, folding his mouth over her lips and slowly licked them from one side to the other before pulling back. Standing up, he gave a final look from his dark eyes that were now burning with intensity. He turned, walked out of the room, and left Emma sitting in stunned silence.
*****
"D o you want something? I think I may have a beer or two left in the fridge."
They'd been at it for a couple of hours and had singled out most of the files related to Encorb, the company Ernst Corbin apparently used to shuffle money. It was the same company that she was supposed to have received a paycheck from a while ago; guess she could kiss that money goodbye. She had minor administrative tasks that had seemed innocuous at the time, as well as maintained a rather complicated ledger that included some sort of coding instead of creditors or debtors, something she remembered finding rather odd at the time, but she had assumed it had been done for security reasons. The thing that worried her the most was that she had stepped outside of her normal scope of responsibilities when she had agreed to perform those small projects. Most weren't more than placing certain files in a dropbox and sending a message to a certain email account. When she checked the dropbox, it was completely empty, but since she wanted to make sure everything she did could be repeated if something went wrong, she had copied each file in her own dropbox as well. Only problem was, the files made no sense whatsoever.
With her eyes getting gritty from staring at the screen, she got up for a drink. Gus was making sure that all of what they found was immediately transferred to his IT guy, Neil, in Grand Junction.
“Would you like a drink?”
"Beer would be nice." Came the response. "I think we'll put this to rest for now. We've gotten a bit done, so let's see what Neil can come up with tomorrow. We'll also take a drive into Cortez, check the post office and pay my friend Joe a visit while we're there." Gus closed the laptop and walked over to the kitchen where she had just pulled a beer out of the fridge and was pouring some ice tea for herself. Grabbing both drinks, Gus returned to the couch, while she followed tentatively behind; a bit of anxiety starting to form in the pit of her stomach. Wanting to give herself a little space, she tried sitting down in the big lazy chair across from the sectional, but Gus was on to her, grabbing her hand and tugging her over to the couch where he plopped down beside her.
"Done avoiding me now, darlin'. I wasn't going to let those remarks you made at the diner go, but wanted to give you some time to collect yourself."
Busted , she thought to herself. Squirming in her seat, she was angry that she was allowing this man to make her feel so damn discombobulated. She, who had always been the strong one, always aware of exactly who she was and where she was going, was at a total loss after 10 years of pre-occupation. She raised her daughter, along with dealing with her own health issues, and now she was faced with this self-assured, strong and capable man. Oh how she hated being such a waffling, insecure, typical female.
Turning to Gus, she found his steady gaze on her, patiently waiting.
"This is not like me." She began, "That person on the phone is not like me. I don't do stuff like that. I mean, I never have...I never would have... before."
"Before what?"
"Before my life started getting out of control, no matter how hard I tried to reign it in. I
"Exhausted really, but I don't think I could sleep; too much is going through my mind, so I think doing something productive will make me feel better."
Walking over to where Emma is was leaning back, he bent over and put his hands beside her head on the back of the couch, and then leaned in close.
"And don't think I’ve let you off the hook, darlin'. I'm giving you a breather, that's all, get you used to having me in your space ‘cause I aim to be there a bit." He closed the distance, folding his mouth over her lips and slowly licked them from one side to the other before pulling back. Standing up, he gave a final look from his dark eyes that were now burning with intensity. He turned, walked out of the room, and left Emma sitting in stunned silence.
*****
"D o you want something? I think I may have a beer or two left in the fridge."
They'd been at it for a couple of hours and had singled out most of the files related to Encorb, the company Ernst Corbin apparently used to shuffle money. It was the same company that she was supposed to have received a paycheck from a while ago; guess she could kiss that money goodbye. She had minor administrative tasks that had seemed innocuous at the time, as well as maintained a rather complicated ledger that included some sort of coding instead of creditors or debtors, something she remembered finding rather odd at the time, but she had assumed it had been done for security reasons. The thing that worried her the most was that she had stepped outside of her normal scope of responsibilities when she had agreed to perform those small projects. Most weren't more than placing certain files in a dropbox and sending a message to a certain email account. When she checked the dropbox, it was completely empty, but since she wanted to make sure everything she did could be repeated if something went wrong, she had copied each file in her own dropbox as well. Only problem was, the files made no sense whatsoever.
With her eyes getting gritty from staring at the screen, she got up for a drink. Gus was making sure that all of what they found was immediately transferred to his IT guy, Neil, in Grand Junction.
“Would you like a drink?”
"Beer would be nice." Came the response. "I think we'll put this to rest for now. We've gotten a bit done, so let's see what Neil can come up with tomorrow. We'll also take a drive into Cortez, check the post office and pay my friend Joe a visit while we're there." Gus closed the laptop and walked over to the kitchen where she had just pulled a beer out of the fridge and was pouring some ice tea for herself. Grabbing both drinks, Gus returned to the couch, while she followed tentatively behind; a bit of anxiety starting to form in the pit of her stomach. Wanting to give herself a little space, she tried sitting down in the big lazy chair across from the sectional, but Gus was on to her, grabbing her hand and tugging her over to the couch where he plopped down beside her.
"Done avoiding me now, darlin'. I wasn't going to let those remarks you made at the diner go, but wanted to give you some time to collect yourself."
Busted , she thought to herself. Squirming in her seat, she was angry that she was allowing this man to make her feel so damn discombobulated. She, who had always been the strong one, always aware of exactly who she was and where she was going, was at a total loss after 10 years of pre-occupation. She raised her daughter, along with dealing with her own health issues, and now she was faced with this self-assured, strong and capable man. Oh how she hated being such a waffling, insecure, typical female.
Turning to Gus, she found his steady gaze on her, patiently waiting.
"This is not like me." She began, "That person on the phone is not like me. I don't do stuff like that. I mean, I never have...I never would have... before."
"Before what?"
"Before my life started getting out of control, no matter how hard I tried to reign it in. I
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