Read Online Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil by Barbara Monajem - Free Book Online Page B

finds out I'm a vamp, he'll be even worse."
    "Gideon? No way. It'll scare the hell out of him. He may look sexy, but he's very conventional." Art laughed, suddenly full of mischief. "If you want to get rid of him, show him those fangs."
    "Fine." Just fine. But..."I don't want to scare him off yet. If we set a trap for the blackmailer, we'll need him to take care of the evidence against you and Andrea."
    "Destroy it, you mean? That's illegal!"
    "Maybe not, if the only charge is blackmailing me."
    "You? No way." Art stood and poured more coffee. "It's not worth the risk."
    "Why not? There may be a slew of other innocent victims. We'll give Gideon something more important to think about than whoever vandalized me."
    "It's a lousy idea." Art set her mug down and paced back and forth. "What will you do, get someone to take compromising pictures of you? You're running a small business. You'll be as vulnerable as I am."
    Ophelia shook her head. "I'll look as vulnerable as you. That's the beauty of it. We'll use film, so it'll look normal bringing it into the print and photo shop. We can put pictures of my landscaping signs in people's gardens on the same roll, without showing enough to identify their houses. He won't know most of my customers are too bent to care about kinky pictures." As Art shook her head, still pacing, Ophelia tossed in her ace: "My biggest client is Constantine Dufray. He'll think it's a hoot. If the bondage types find out, they'll just razz me about improper technique. I don't advertise my connection with the clubs, but I don't go out of my way to hide it, either."
    Art was stuck a few sentences back. "You know Constantine Dufray?"
    Dazzled again. "Yes, I know him, yes, I can get you tickets or backstage passes or a personal introduction, and will you please keep your mind on more important matters? Do you have an old-fashioned camera? Not digital, I mean."
    "Sure. I teach photography." Art gazed dreamily out the window. "Constantine. Cool."
    "We'll take some pics at Blood and Velvet tonight. I'll be a dominatrix. Vi will find someone to pose with me. We'll have to borrow supplies from another club, because my sister doesn't allow anything to do with bondage in Blood and--"
    "Oh, shit," Art said. "My brother's at my place."
    Ophelia's heart lurched as she went to the window. Gideon's Mercedes was behind a Toyota a few houses down.
    "I wonder how long he's been there?" Art radiated uneasiness. "Since he caught me vacuuming naked, he doesn't drop by for no reason."
    Good Lord. "It'll take him only a minute with the phone in your house to find out who you were talking to all afternoon. Damn it, he'll ruin our plans."
    "Here he comes. No, he stopped to be polite to my neighbor. Maybe she'll drag him around her garden...No, he's saying good-bye. I could try to fend him off." Art grimaced. "He'll drag it all out of me."
    "Leave him to me," Ophelia said. "I can distract him."
    "I'll bet you can." Art grinned.
    "Come to my sister's for dinner and bring your camera and some color film. I'll let her know to expect you. Seven o'clock, the big purple Victorian behind Blood and Velvet. And for your own safety as much as mine, please don't tell anyone I'm a vamp."
    Art grinned again. "Cross my heart."
    Ophelia stationed herself by the front windows and watched Gideon stroll up Andrea's walk, calm and confident, a big blonde mutt with matted curls trotting at his side, rays of late-afternoon sun slanting behind them. She took a deep breath and told her thudding heart to chill. So what if he's the first man you've responded to in years? He dates bimbos and would be terrified of fangs. Detective work first, and sex only if all else fails.
    Ophelia counted slowly to ten before opening the door. There Gideon stood, pheromones in jeans and a checkered shirt with rolled up sleeves. What was it about rolled up sleeves? Powerful forearms, strong capable hands... Pull yourself together, girl!
    "What a surprise." She left the door ajar