Read Online The Art Of Deception, Book Two, Stolen Hearts series, Romantic Suspense by Kate Kelly - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Kelly
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a shadow shifting from light into dark. “I ah...I need to talk to you about something.”
“More defamation of my character?”
Her small white hand fluttered in the light that wasn’t quite day, but not yet night. “No. About the case.”
He shifted uneasily, wondering why she felt the need to hide in the shadows. So far, she hadn’t had a problem telling him straight out what she thought. Including, hauling off and whacking him across the face the last time he saw her. Which he supposed he deserved.
He inched toward her. If he could see those big brown eyes of hers, it’d be a cinch to tell if she were lying or not. “Okay. What’ve you got?”
He was close enough now to see her shiver, but he still couldn’t see her eyes.
“Notes.”
Although the rain had stopped, the evening air felt saturated with cool moisture. He stopped in the act of taking his sports coat off to give to her. “Notes?”
She looked up, licked her lips. “The last one...maybe it’s a death threat. I don’t know." She shivered again and ran her hands up and down her arms.
His lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves. He couldn’t breathe. A death threat. Christ.
He pulled his jacket off the rest of the way and wrapped it around her and pulled her into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She nestled in close to him, her head by his heart. He closed his eyes, buried his face in her hair. God, she felt good. As if she were right where she belonged.
Wrong, bucko. He loosened his grip and pulled back. He was angry with himself, but at Sophie, too, that she could make him forget who he was--Special Agent Gage of the FBI. Without that, he was nothing more than his father’s son.
“Sophie?” He shook her.
“I phoned you, but...." She stepped back from him and pulled his jacket tight around her. “I’m probably overreacting, okay? It’s just a couple of notes and a rat trap.”
He choked on the bile that rose in his throat. “When did the first one come?”
“A couple of days after I gave you that list.”
“That was two weeks ago. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She opened her mouth, but for the first time since he’d met her, she couldn’t seem to find the words she needed. She shrank down into his jacket and turned sideways away from him.
It’s my fault. I should have known you wouldn’t phone without a good reason. I messed up. Sorry.”
A crooked smile lifted a corner of her mouth. “Both our faults. I should have told you to lose the tight-ass attitude and made you listen to me."
He smiled back at her. “I have a feeling you won’t hesitate the next time." Not that there would be a next time. Sophie’s safety had just become number one priority on his list. “Soph, if these notes are really death threats, it changes everything. We have to be straight with each other from now on. Understand?”
She turned to face him full on. “Yes.”
A hard, tight ache gripped him as he stared down at her. Desperately, he thought of Elaine and her luscious body waiting for him inside, then closed his eyes and sighed in defeat. Hot, mindless sex with his old girlfriend wasn’t going to cure what ailed him.
Death threats, bucko. Keep your mind on the job. “Okay. Did you keep the notes?”
“Yes. I thought I should.”
“Tell anyone else about them?” He took her arm and led her toward the back door of the art gallery.
“Not yet. I was going to tell Raphael, but I didn’t get the chance.”
“We’ll go get them now. That okay with you?”
“What about Elaine?”
“I’ll see if my boss and his wife can give her a drive home." A smile flitted across his face. “Sure wish I could stick around to see how he swings that one."
Chapter Five
Sophie bounced imperceptibly, testing the truck bench seat. Half-tons were cool. For once in her life, she could look down on other people.
“I figured you for a SUV man. Something upwardly mobile." She twisted the radio dial on and smiled at Mark Knopfler’s
“More defamation of my character?”
Her small white hand fluttered in the light that wasn’t quite day, but not yet night. “No. About the case.”
He shifted uneasily, wondering why she felt the need to hide in the shadows. So far, she hadn’t had a problem telling him straight out what she thought. Including, hauling off and whacking him across the face the last time he saw her. Which he supposed he deserved.
He inched toward her. If he could see those big brown eyes of hers, it’d be a cinch to tell if she were lying or not. “Okay. What’ve you got?”
He was close enough now to see her shiver, but he still couldn’t see her eyes.
“Notes.”
Although the rain had stopped, the evening air felt saturated with cool moisture. He stopped in the act of taking his sports coat off to give to her. “Notes?”
She looked up, licked her lips. “The last one...maybe it’s a death threat. I don’t know." She shivered again and ran her hands up and down her arms.
His lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves. He couldn’t breathe. A death threat. Christ.
He pulled his jacket off the rest of the way and wrapped it around her and pulled her into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She nestled in close to him, her head by his heart. He closed his eyes, buried his face in her hair. God, she felt good. As if she were right where she belonged.
Wrong, bucko. He loosened his grip and pulled back. He was angry with himself, but at Sophie, too, that she could make him forget who he was--Special Agent Gage of the FBI. Without that, he was nothing more than his father’s son.
“Sophie?” He shook her.
“I phoned you, but...." She stepped back from him and pulled his jacket tight around her. “I’m probably overreacting, okay? It’s just a couple of notes and a rat trap.”
He choked on the bile that rose in his throat. “When did the first one come?”
“A couple of days after I gave you that list.”
“That was two weeks ago. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She opened her mouth, but for the first time since he’d met her, she couldn’t seem to find the words she needed. She shrank down into his jacket and turned sideways away from him.
It’s my fault. I should have known you wouldn’t phone without a good reason. I messed up. Sorry.”
A crooked smile lifted a corner of her mouth. “Both our faults. I should have told you to lose the tight-ass attitude and made you listen to me."
He smiled back at her. “I have a feeling you won’t hesitate the next time." Not that there would be a next time. Sophie’s safety had just become number one priority on his list. “Soph, if these notes are really death threats, it changes everything. We have to be straight with each other from now on. Understand?”
She turned to face him full on. “Yes.”
A hard, tight ache gripped him as he stared down at her. Desperately, he thought of Elaine and her luscious body waiting for him inside, then closed his eyes and sighed in defeat. Hot, mindless sex with his old girlfriend wasn’t going to cure what ailed him.
Death threats, bucko. Keep your mind on the job. “Okay. Did you keep the notes?”
“Yes. I thought I should.”
“Tell anyone else about them?” He took her arm and led her toward the back door of the art gallery.
“Not yet. I was going to tell Raphael, but I didn’t get the chance.”
“We’ll go get them now. That okay with you?”
“What about Elaine?”
“I’ll see if my boss and his wife can give her a drive home." A smile flitted across his face. “Sure wish I could stick around to see how he swings that one."
Chapter Five
Sophie bounced imperceptibly, testing the truck bench seat. Half-tons were cool. For once in her life, she could look down on other people.
“I figured you for a SUV man. Something upwardly mobile." She twisted the radio dial on and smiled at Mark Knopfler’s
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