Read Online The Art Of Deception, Book Two, Stolen Hearts series, Romantic Suspense by Kate Kelly - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Kelly
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think they’d just lost their culprit or was he concerned that she really was sick? If the wine had disagreed with Sophie, he had a feeling she wouldn’t welcome his presence.
Geez, there were those feelings again.
“I’ll check on her. Mind getting Elaine a glass of wine or something?”
“Not to worry. Elaine’s in good hands."
Gage frowned as he eased himself through the press of bodies to follow Sophie. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Parker was interested in getting a little on the side. That would fit in with the rumors running through the office recently about Parker’s marriage. Or pretend marriage. Or whatever you called it when both partners agreed to look the other way on occasion.
Considering it was his date the boss was ogling, he should probably be pissed. Instead, he was much more interested in finding out why Sophie said she felt sick. He thought she’d looked ornery as hell.
He threaded his way through the crowd to the back of the gallery. The door Sophie had disappeared through stood ajar. He slipped through the opening and closed the door behind him. The small, cluttered room looked like a combination office and storage room. Probably Mrs. Pascotto’s office.
Sophie was nowhere in sight, but Gage noticed a second door in the side wall. He picked his way through the clutter, taking mental notes of what Moira Pascotto left lying around and pushed the second door open.
The damp spring night had a chill in it, and he shivered as he stepped outside. Sophie sat on the hood on a bright red MG Midget that was parked in the narrow alley, her head in her hands.
She looked up at the snick of the door closing. “Go away."
Gage halted a few feet away from her. “Are you sick?”
“Yes." She glared at him through the evening twilight. “Sick of men who cheat on their wives. What is it with guys, anyway?”
She must have instantly picked up on Parker’s interest in Elaine. Talk about radar. “Last I heard, men haven’t cornered the market on the cheating game."
“Does that mean your wife sleeps with other men?”
“My wife?” He took a step closer to her, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “What are you talking about?”
“A wife,” she spit out. “W-I-F-E. You know, that woman who phoned you a couple of weeks ago at my studio and asked you to go home and spend some time with your kid.”
He threw back his head and laughed harder than he had for a long, long time. God, she delighted him. Gage savored the thrill that ran through him, then mentally shook himself. This was exactly why he’d kept his distance from Sophie for the last two weeks.
She shot off the hood of the car and bounced on the soles of her feet. “First you try to hit on me." Her hands formed fists on her hips. “Then you show up here with Ms. Sexpot on your arm. Where’s poor Maisie? Home doing the laundry?”
“Likely." As he advanced toward her, she backed up until she pressed against the car.
“Go away."
“Maisie’s my sister, and Andy’s her kid. He doesn’t have a dad, at least not one who wants to acknowledge him, so I try to spend time with him. Do guy stuff.”
“Guy stuff."
“Yeah.”
She looked everywhere but at him. “Wow, do I feel stupid.”
Sophie not only delighted him; she fascinated him. He couldn’t wait to hear what she would come up with next.
She pinned him with a straight-shooter look. “So, I suppose Ms. Sexpot is your mother.”
“Her name’s Elaine, and no, she’s an old girlfriend.”
“Oh."
He stepped into her personal space. “Everything straight now?” Another smile tugged at his mouth. She smelled like turpentine.
She looked at him without answering, her eyes wide and a little frightened. “We can’t do this,” she finally whispered.
He looked at her mouth, at her eyes, at her hair that for once, looked like it had been combed, and felt the warmth that colored his life slowly trickle away. “I know."
She slipped away from him,
Geez, there were those feelings again.
“I’ll check on her. Mind getting Elaine a glass of wine or something?”
“Not to worry. Elaine’s in good hands."
Gage frowned as he eased himself through the press of bodies to follow Sophie. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Parker was interested in getting a little on the side. That would fit in with the rumors running through the office recently about Parker’s marriage. Or pretend marriage. Or whatever you called it when both partners agreed to look the other way on occasion.
Considering it was his date the boss was ogling, he should probably be pissed. Instead, he was much more interested in finding out why Sophie said she felt sick. He thought she’d looked ornery as hell.
He threaded his way through the crowd to the back of the gallery. The door Sophie had disappeared through stood ajar. He slipped through the opening and closed the door behind him. The small, cluttered room looked like a combination office and storage room. Probably Mrs. Pascotto’s office.
Sophie was nowhere in sight, but Gage noticed a second door in the side wall. He picked his way through the clutter, taking mental notes of what Moira Pascotto left lying around and pushed the second door open.
The damp spring night had a chill in it, and he shivered as he stepped outside. Sophie sat on the hood on a bright red MG Midget that was parked in the narrow alley, her head in her hands.
She looked up at the snick of the door closing. “Go away."
Gage halted a few feet away from her. “Are you sick?”
“Yes." She glared at him through the evening twilight. “Sick of men who cheat on their wives. What is it with guys, anyway?”
She must have instantly picked up on Parker’s interest in Elaine. Talk about radar. “Last I heard, men haven’t cornered the market on the cheating game."
“Does that mean your wife sleeps with other men?”
“My wife?” He took a step closer to her, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “What are you talking about?”
“A wife,” she spit out. “W-I-F-E. You know, that woman who phoned you a couple of weeks ago at my studio and asked you to go home and spend some time with your kid.”
He threw back his head and laughed harder than he had for a long, long time. God, she delighted him. Gage savored the thrill that ran through him, then mentally shook himself. This was exactly why he’d kept his distance from Sophie for the last two weeks.
She shot off the hood of the car and bounced on the soles of her feet. “First you try to hit on me." Her hands formed fists on her hips. “Then you show up here with Ms. Sexpot on your arm. Where’s poor Maisie? Home doing the laundry?”
“Likely." As he advanced toward her, she backed up until she pressed against the car.
“Go away."
“Maisie’s my sister, and Andy’s her kid. He doesn’t have a dad, at least not one who wants to acknowledge him, so I try to spend time with him. Do guy stuff.”
“Guy stuff."
“Yeah.”
She looked everywhere but at him. “Wow, do I feel stupid.”
Sophie not only delighted him; she fascinated him. He couldn’t wait to hear what she would come up with next.
She pinned him with a straight-shooter look. “So, I suppose Ms. Sexpot is your mother.”
“Her name’s Elaine, and no, she’s an old girlfriend.”
“Oh."
He stepped into her personal space. “Everything straight now?” Another smile tugged at his mouth. She smelled like turpentine.
She looked at him without answering, her eyes wide and a little frightened. “We can’t do this,” she finally whispered.
He looked at her mouth, at her eyes, at her hair that for once, looked like it had been combed, and felt the warmth that colored his life slowly trickle away. “I know."
She slipped away from him,
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