Read Online Still Lake by Anne Stuart - Free Book Online

danger, was ridiculously tempting. Fortunately she wasn’t the sort to be tempted.
    He hadn’t waited for her on the porch, which didn’t surprise her in the least. He’d wandered down the lawn to the edge of the lake, and he was staring across the shimmering blue expanse toward the unseen village, his back straight and tall. And he was no longer alone.
    At least it wasn’t Marty this time, though the alternative wasn’t much more reassuring. Gracey was looking up at him, her gray hair tumbling to her shoulders, her mismatched clothing drooping around her too-thin body. Doc was there, as well, a small buffer, but Sophie almost took a header off the wide front porch in her haste to get down to the water’s edge.
    â€œYou didn’t tell me we had a new neighbor,” Gracey said as she approached.
    Sophie bit her lip in frustration. “Yes, I did, Mama. We already discussed this yesterday, remember?”
    Gracey’s eyes brightened for a moment. “Oh, yes, love,” she said. “I remember now. I told you you needed to get laid.”
    Mr. Smith’s choking sound didn’t make the hideous situation any better. Doc had jumped in quickly, taking Gracey’s thin hand. “Now, Gracey, you know you’re not supposed to say things like that.”
    â€œBut it’s true. Sex is very healthy for a young woman like Sophie. Besides, he’s very attractive. Isn’t he, Sophie?”
    Sophie tried not to cringe. “He’s not my type, Mama. Why don’t you go back to the house with Doc and…”
    â€œWhat do you mean, he’s not your type? You’re too picky.” She swung her wicked gaze to the silent stranger. “Tell me, Mr. Smith, are you married?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œInvolved? Gay?”
    â€œNo,” he said. The monosyllable was delivered entirely without inflection, and Sophie refused to look at him to see his reaction to her mother’s outrageousness.
    â€œYou see!” her mother said triumphantly. “He’d be perfect. You go off and have sex with him and I’ll look after the inn. Marty can help me.”
    â€œCome along, Gracey,” Doc said kindly. “I’ll make you a cup of tea.”
    Sophie didn’t wait any longer. She headed toward the narrow path through the woods, not stopping to see if John Smith was following. If he wasn’t, just as well. She’d keep going, hike out to the main road and circle back to the inn.
    He was close behind her—there was no escape. He waited until they were out of sight of the inn, almost at the edge of the Whitten place, before he spoke.
    â€œWhy are the women in your family so interested in my sex life?” He sounded no more than vaguely curious, but Sophie wasn’t fooled.
    It was now or never. She stopped, turning to look at him. He was closer than she’d realized, and she had to look up. He was the kind of man you’d needto wear high heels around, so as not to let his height intimidate you. “What do you mean?”
    â€œWell, you think I want to have sex with your seventeen-year-old sister, your mother thinks I ought to have sex with you, and I imagine Marthe probably has ideas of her own.”
    â€œWell, you can just ignore any ideas Marty might have. She’s an impressionable teenager. And ignore my mother, as well—surely you can see she’s got some kind of senile dementia.”
    â€œMaybe,” he said. “But I think she’s a lot sharper than she pretends to be.”
    â€œAnd you base that on what? Five minutes in her company? Or the absurd notion that I would want to go to bed with you?”
    â€œSee? Obsessed with sex,” Mr. Smith said in a calm voice.
    â€œI’m not! We’re not.” She took a deep breath. “I have no interest in you at all, Mr. Smith, except to help out a neighbor in need.”
    â€œAnd to keep your sister away from me.”
    It would