Read Online Stealing His Heart by Diane Alberts - Free Book Online Page B

onto the couch in the nick of time, sliding into the corner as he rounded the corner. She did her best to act calm and collected, but she couldn’t hide her harsh breathing from bolting inside.
    He froze on the threshold, brow furrowed. “What were you doing? Where did you go?”
    Of course he’d caught her. Damn it. “I went outside for some fresh air.”
    He raised a brow, but didn’t sit. “Fresh air.”
    “Yep.” She stood, stretching her arms high over her head. His gaze dipped low, then slammed back into her. He had a way of looking at her that made her want to rip her clothes off and beg to be touched. Especially after this afternoon, when he’d rocked her world and then walked away as if he hadn’t been turned on at all. After telling her that next time, he would be rough. Who did that, anyway?
    Hesitating, she lowered her arms and shifted on her feet. “Do you have any wine?”
    “Nope.” He shook his head. “I only have beer and bourbon.”
    “Bourbon it is.” She headed for the kitchen, and he followed on her heels. “Where is it?”
    He grabbed the bottle out of the cabinet, and then plunked two tumblers down next to it. Swiftly, he removed the cap and poured two fingers into the glasses. “Was tonight so bad that you need to drink? We’ve barely started—and you still haven’t given me anything I can work with. We’ve got one more day before all hell breaks loose.”
    “Yes, it was that bad.” She picked up her glass, saluted him, and drained it. His eyes widened, and she slammed it down on the counter. “Fill me up for real this time.”
    He finished his own drink before refilling both of their glasses. “You’re not playing around, are you?”
    “I never play around when it comes to the important things.”
    She grabbed her cup and headed into the living room. After sitting directly in the middle, she patted the spot next to her. He watched her warily, but sat anyway.
    “But when it comes to work, you’re a total slacker. Interesting.”
    She stiffened. “That’s not true. I’m a hard worker who doesn’t stop till the job is done.”
    He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I know. I didn’t mean—”
    “Yeah. Yeah, you did.” She frowned at him. “I’m not a slacker. I don’t have the information you want.”
    Technically, she had it…but wouldn’t be sharing it. Not only did it go against her code, but if she told him how to fix it…he’d be gone. And they’d be over .
    She wasn’t ready for that yet. She’d just found him again.
    “I know. I’m sorry.” He took a smaller sip of his bourbon, then leaned back in the couch. He spun the bourbon in his cup, creating a tiny little whirlpool. “You look tired.”
    “That’s because I am.” She took a big gulp of her drink as she examined the room for the millionth time. “Being questioned for hours at a time takes a toll.”
    Tipping his head back, he swallowed the rest of his drink and set his cup down. “Sorry.”
    She looked at the photo next to her. Christine was red-haired and blue-eyed. She was absolutely gorgeous. So was the brown-haired, blue-eyed man in the photo with her—presumably her boyfriend. They were quite the couple. “She looks happy.”
    He stared at the photo. For a second, his expression went soft. “She is. She moved back here last year.”
    “She did?”
    “Yep.” He twisted his lips. “She’s vacationing in Mexico with her boyfriend, Tyler, right now, but she lives ten minutes away.”
    She hesitated. “Isn’t there anyone else in your life, besides them?”
    He cocked a brow. “Like…?”
    “A girlfriend. A best friend. A buddy. A freaking cat.” She finished her drink and set it down. “Heck, anyone.”
    “I hate cats. You know that.”
    He was right—she did know that. “Okay. What about a girl?”
    “There’s no one,” he said, his tone flat. “There was a fiancée a long time ago, but she left when I came home from war.”
    She gripped her knees. She needed to