Read Online Sweet Liar by Jude Deveraux - Free Book Online

intolerable.”
    â€œI’m glad to see you’re angry. At least that’s better than sleeping your life away.”
    â€œWhat I do with my life is none of your business,” she snapped as she got off the bed and grabbed her father’s robe.
    Turning to the tray behind him, Mike lifted the napkin that covered the basket of bread and took out a roll. He bit into the delicious bread, then with his mouth full said, “Don’t put on that robe. It’s too big for you. Don’t you have something girly?”
    Giving him a look of disbelief, she defiantly shoved her arms into the sleeves of the big flannel robe. The man really was too much to bear. “I suggest that if you want something…girly—what an old-fashioned word—you should go elsewhere.”
    Her tone, her hostility, not to mention her direct request that he leave had no effect on him as he ate the rest of the roll. “I’m an old-fashioned guy. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
    Samantha had her hand on the doorknob, and when he warned her, for the first time she felt fear. With her back to him, her hand on the verge of trembling, she didn’t turn to look at him.
    â€œAh, Sam,” he said, annoyance as well as exasperation in his voice, “you don’t have to be afraid of me. I wouldn’t hurt you.”
    â€œAm I supposed to believe you?” she whispered, trying to be calm, trying to hide her fear, but failing. “You lied about the key.”
    Mike could hear the fear in her voice, and he didn’t want her to be afraid of him—that was the last thing he wanted from her. Slowly getting up from the bed—no sudden movements—he went to her, but she continued facing the door. Very gently, he put his hands on her shoulders, then frowned when she drew her body together, as though to fight off the coming blows. As gently as though she were a wounded animal, he led her to the bed, pulled the cover back, and directed her into it, smiling at her in a way that he hoped was reassuring.
    â€œNo,” she whispered, her voice almost quivering with fear.
    It was obvious that she thought he wanted her in bed so he could more easily attack her—or worse. Never before had any woman thought Mike was a rapist. Never had a woman been afraid of him and he didn’t like it, but more importantly, he damned well didn’t deserve her fear.
    â€œOh hell!” Mike said as he pushed her down on the bed where she landed in a tumble of bedclothes. He was sick of being thought of as some sexual deviant who regularly attacked his tenants. Walking away from the bed, he turned back to glare at her. “Okay, Sam, let’s get some things straight between us. So I kissed you. Maybe according to your rules I should be hanged for that, or at the very least castrated, but we live in a permissive society. What can I say? We have people selling drugs to children, serial killers, child molesters, and me. I kiss pretty girls who look at me like they want me to kiss them. Unfortunately, the law doesn’t punish sickies like me.”
    Crossing her arms protectively under her breasts, Samantha set her mouth in a tight line. “What’s your point?”
    â€œThe point is, you and I have work to do and I’m tired of waiting for you to come up for air.”
    â€œWork? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    It took him a minute to realize that she was telling the truth. “Did you read your father’s will?”
    Anger as well as pain surged through her, but she stamped the pain down. “Of course I read it. I know its contents anyway.”
    â€œThen you didn’t read it.” His sense of frustration was building.
    â€œI really wish you would go away.”
    â€œI’m not going away, so you can save your breath. I’m tired of seeing you skulk about, not eating, not taking an interest in anything. How long has it been since you