Read Online The Temple of Indra’s Jewel: by Rachael Stapleton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rachael Stapleton
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well. I hung up the phone, drying the tears from my eyes, just as Cullen came back in the room.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, she was relieved to hear from me, but she had a lot of questions. Apparently Nick phoned her, screaming I’d run off. On top of that, my passport’s missing. It’s not in my luggage. Nick must have it, so I can’t book a flight home yet. I guess I’ll need to arrange a hotel ’til I can track him down.”
“Ye’re more than welcome to stay with us.”
“That’s very thoughtful, but I certainly couldn’t impose any further.”
“Honestly, we’d love to have ye. Consider it done. I’ll take you back to the hospital if you want. You can see if they’ll help you track down what’s-his-name. Of course that’s on one condition.”
“What?” I asked, shifting.
I heard him take a breath, like he was gearing up. After a moment he let it out and moved restlessly on the chair. “That you’ll allow me to hit him if he touches you again.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
T he sun shone as we headed east on Boulevard du Littoral. Cullen rolled the windows down; the ocean breeze blew through my hair. Cannes Hospital lay behind us. The excitement of getting my passport back left me feeling euphoric as we pulled into the O’Kelleys’ drive.
Nick’s absence at the hospital meant I didn’t have to deal with Cullen confronting him, although part of me had relished the thought. My passport had been there. I was looking forward to booking my flight home. Or am I? I asked myself as I looked over at Cullen humming to the radio. I was growing fond of the man, even if he couldn’t carry a tune. Perhaps that’s why I’d agreed to come back to his family’s vacation home.
“I think I’m going to fire up the barbeque and maybe go for a swim,” Cullen said, getting out of his truck. “Would you care to join me?”
“That sounds amazing, but I need to call the airline first.”
“How do you like your steak?”
“Red.”
“A woman after my own heart.” He laughed, opening the door and stepping back so I could go in first. “Why don’t you go change? We can look up flights on my iPad when you get back. The towels are in the closet.”
As I rummaged through my luggage, I saw my cell next to my bikini. I’m such an idiot—I could have already looked up flights. I picked it up and turned it on: Low battery. Good thing I brought the charger. Three days in the nineteenth century and I’d forgotten I owned a cell.
I changed, pulled my hair into a ponytail and tightened the towel around my waist. I descended the stairs and stepped out onto the patio stones surrounding the pool.
Cullen stood, dripping wet, hair tousled, over the barbeque as it smoked, wafting the delicious aroma of grilled meat. Spatula in one hand and beer in the other, he smiled and motioned to the pool. “Sorry. I didn’t wait for you, but please feel free to take a dip.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll just enjoy the last of the sun from here.” I took a seat in the blue-and-white striped lounger.
“I took the liberty of pullin’ up all of the available flights leaving over the next couple of days.”
“Great. Thank you.”
“Can I get you a beer or a glass of wine while you check that out?”
“Sure. Wine would be great,” I said, picking up his iPad.
Cullen returned with an empty glass, a bottle of red, two plates and a large bowl of salad.
“Is this okay? There was no white chilled.”
“Wow, you’ve been busy! Yes, that’s great. I prefer red.”
“So tell me about the likes of you,” he said, flipping the steaks.
“You know…” I started to speak just as a man stepped out the door in a very teeny-weeny bathing suit bottom.
“Old man, what the hell are you wearing?”
“Cullen. Bollix. You scared the daylights outta me. Your mother’s idea. She wants me to wear it to get some colour up here,” he said flustered, pointing to his upper thighs.
“This is my father, John O’Kelley. Da, this is
“You okay?”
“Yeah, she was relieved to hear from me, but she had a lot of questions. Apparently Nick phoned her, screaming I’d run off. On top of that, my passport’s missing. It’s not in my luggage. Nick must have it, so I can’t book a flight home yet. I guess I’ll need to arrange a hotel ’til I can track him down.”
“Ye’re more than welcome to stay with us.”
“That’s very thoughtful, but I certainly couldn’t impose any further.”
“Honestly, we’d love to have ye. Consider it done. I’ll take you back to the hospital if you want. You can see if they’ll help you track down what’s-his-name. Of course that’s on one condition.”
“What?” I asked, shifting.
I heard him take a breath, like he was gearing up. After a moment he let it out and moved restlessly on the chair. “That you’ll allow me to hit him if he touches you again.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
T he sun shone as we headed east on Boulevard du Littoral. Cullen rolled the windows down; the ocean breeze blew through my hair. Cannes Hospital lay behind us. The excitement of getting my passport back left me feeling euphoric as we pulled into the O’Kelleys’ drive.
Nick’s absence at the hospital meant I didn’t have to deal with Cullen confronting him, although part of me had relished the thought. My passport had been there. I was looking forward to booking my flight home. Or am I? I asked myself as I looked over at Cullen humming to the radio. I was growing fond of the man, even if he couldn’t carry a tune. Perhaps that’s why I’d agreed to come back to his family’s vacation home.
“I think I’m going to fire up the barbeque and maybe go for a swim,” Cullen said, getting out of his truck. “Would you care to join me?”
“That sounds amazing, but I need to call the airline first.”
“How do you like your steak?”
“Red.”
“A woman after my own heart.” He laughed, opening the door and stepping back so I could go in first. “Why don’t you go change? We can look up flights on my iPad when you get back. The towels are in the closet.”
As I rummaged through my luggage, I saw my cell next to my bikini. I’m such an idiot—I could have already looked up flights. I picked it up and turned it on: Low battery. Good thing I brought the charger. Three days in the nineteenth century and I’d forgotten I owned a cell.
I changed, pulled my hair into a ponytail and tightened the towel around my waist. I descended the stairs and stepped out onto the patio stones surrounding the pool.
Cullen stood, dripping wet, hair tousled, over the barbeque as it smoked, wafting the delicious aroma of grilled meat. Spatula in one hand and beer in the other, he smiled and motioned to the pool. “Sorry. I didn’t wait for you, but please feel free to take a dip.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll just enjoy the last of the sun from here.” I took a seat in the blue-and-white striped lounger.
“I took the liberty of pullin’ up all of the available flights leaving over the next couple of days.”
“Great. Thank you.”
“Can I get you a beer or a glass of wine while you check that out?”
“Sure. Wine would be great,” I said, picking up his iPad.
Cullen returned with an empty glass, a bottle of red, two plates and a large bowl of salad.
“Is this okay? There was no white chilled.”
“Wow, you’ve been busy! Yes, that’s great. I prefer red.”
“So tell me about the likes of you,” he said, flipping the steaks.
“You know…” I started to speak just as a man stepped out the door in a very teeny-weeny bathing suit bottom.
“Old man, what the hell are you wearing?”
“Cullen. Bollix. You scared the daylights outta me. Your mother’s idea. She wants me to wear it to get some colour up here,” he said flustered, pointing to his upper thighs.
“This is my father, John O’Kelley. Da, this is
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