Read Online The Arsonist by Mary Burton - Free Book Online Page A

deep connection to him. She remembered the way he’d looked at her at the fire and the fantasies she’d had about him in the shower.
    Then his gaze shifted to Nathan and all traces of emotion vanished before he turned toward the counter and placed his order.
    “Coffee. Black.” His rusty voice sent tingles down her spine.
    A hint of warmth rose in her cheeks. She took a bite of her cookie. How was she supposed to not only act cool but also find a way to pick his brain about Nero?
    “So you know Gannon?” Nathan said following her line of sight.
    “What? Oh no, not really. I’ve just seen him around town.”
    Nathan stood up as Gannon approached with his coffee. “What took you so long?”
    Darcy glanced between Nathan and Gannon. This was the friend he’d been expecting. Great. Just great. Setting down her cookie, she brushed the crumbs from her lap and summoned her best interview smile. This chance meeting could work to her advantage if she kept it together.
    Nathan placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Darcy Sampson, I’d like you to meet my friend, Michael Gannon. We met in D.C. last year when I was doing a project out in Loudoun County. He moved to Preston Springs about eleven months ago and now owns the motorcycle shop across the street from the Varsity.”
    “Oh,” she said, standing. “Right.”
    “Gannon, this is Darcy Sampson. Her family owns the Varsity and she is native to Preston Springs.”
    Gannon nodded. “Darcy.”
    Her name sounded different when Gannon said it. It sounded smoky—seductive.
    “Gannon would stay holed up in that bike shop of his for days if I didn’t drag him out for coffee occasionally,” Nathan said.
    “Right.” A half smile tipped the edge of Gannon’s lips.
    She suspected he accepted these coffee breaks more out of kindness than any need to be around people. Born in another time, Gannon would have been a mountain man.
    She still couldn’t get over the fact that this guy was Michael Gannon. He didn’t look anything like he had a year ago. The hair was no longer military short but swept the top of his shoulders. He’d swapped suits for a biker T-shirt and jeans. His entire aura had changed.
    Darcy struggled to speak coherently. “I almost didn’t recognize you without the motorcycle and helmet.”
    The corner of Gannon’s mouth rose further. “I almost didn’t recognize you without the trash can.”
    “Did I miss something here?” Nathan asked. He pulled out her seat and the trio sat down.
    Darcy cleared her throat. “Mr. Gannon and I met accidentally in the alley yesterday.”
    Gannon sipped his coffee. “I nearly ran her over with my bike and she shot me the bird.”
    Darcy’s face flushed with heat. “Sorry. Not one of my better days.”
    Nathan chuckled. “I’ve known Gannon a couple of years. He always did bring out the best in women.”
    Gannon’s eyes flashed with amusement. “It’s a talent.”
    Darcy cleared her throat. “What brought you to Preston Springs, Mr. Gannon?”
    “It’s just Gannon. And I liked the scenery,” he said.
    “It’s beautiful country here,” she said.
    Inwardly she groaned. What did she want to talk about next—the weather? She sat here with the man who knew Nero better than anyone and she couldn’t think of an intelligent thing to say. She was grateful when Nathan started talking to Gannon about interest rates and property values.
    Her mind drifted back to that time when the fires had gripped Washington. She, like everyone else in town, had been so relieved when Stephen reported that Nero had died in his last fire. The whole city had been thrilled. Gannon had disappeared from the scene altogether after the fires ended.
    And now Gannon was in Preston Springs and the fires had started here.
    She sipped her coffee. It tasted bitter.
    The image of Gannon standing at today’s fire flashed in her head. When his gaze had shifted to her, she’d assumed the raw, sexual intensity had been directed at her. But