Read Online The Witch of Stonecliff by Dawn Brown - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dawn Brown
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flashed to Kyle. The warmth of his kiss still imprinted on her lips.
What was she doing, spinning schoolgirl daydreams about the man? She was on the brink of being arrested for multiple murders, and he stood a good chance of winding up a victim. The odds of any sort of romantic future weren’t good.
“My point is—” Brynn dragged Eleri’s attention back to their conversation “—we’re going to be longer than I thought. Probably another week, maybe ten days. If something happens before then, get in touch and we’ll be on the first flight out.”
Brynn was coming back. She wasn’t abandoning Eleri to face this mess alone.
There was a commotion in the background again. “That will be our dinner, I should let you go. I’m so sick of fast food. I’ll be glad to eat something homemade again.”
Eleri snorted. “I know how you feel.”
“Give my regards to Mrs. Voyle,” Brynn said, with a chuckle. “I’ll call in a few days to see how you’re doing.”
“Right, enjoy your dinner. Good night.” Eleri set the phone back in the cradle, relief turning her limbs heavy. They were coming back. Not as soon as she’d hoped, but they were coming back.
Eleri stood, left the study and climbed the stairs. The sconce at the top was still out, but there was no mossy stink, no writhing shadows. Keeping her gaze fixed on the vine-patterned carpet, she hurried past.
Once in her room, she began to undress but stopped when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. What in the world did Kyle see in her? She wasn’t repulsive, she supposed, but there was nothing about her that stood out. The most interesting thing about her was her name was tied to twelve murdered men. Hardly something to interest the opposite sex—unless the man in question had a few issues of his own. Was that Kyle? Was he some kind of crazy who got a thrill from being with a possible serial killer?
Not likely. He was too stable, too…grounded for that sort of nonsense. Or maybe she was too smitten to see the truth.
She blew out a long sigh. Too damned tired to think about all that now, she’d worry about it in the morning.
Eleri finished unbuttoning her blouse and let the material slide from her shoulders. Kyle’s scent wafted from the fabric. God, he smelled good, clean and spicy and…familiar.
Eleri froze. He
did
smell familiar. She balled up her blouse, pressed the fabric to her nose and inhaled deep. Where had she smelled that scent before?
For crying out loud, he probably wears cologne that anyone else could buy
.
Maybe, but she’d smelled this recently. Nipping the corner of her lip, Eleri crossed to her wardrobe and yanked open the door. There, hanging amongst her own clothes, was an old brown suede coat. A man’s coat.
Eleri gripped one shoulder and tugged it off the hanger. She had no idea who the coat belonged to. Last month, during the night Ruth had tried to kill her sister, the nurse had drugged both Eleri and Brynn and left them at The Devil’s Eye. Eleri had woken first, still groggy and disoriented from whatever Ruth had injected her with. She hadn’t been able to rouse Brynn, so she tried to make her way back to the house for help. Instead, she tripped and lost consciousness in the woods. When she woke, she was on the settee in the study wrapped in this coat with no memory of how she’d gotten there.
Now Eleri’s grip tightened on the soft fabric, lifted it to her face, and she inhaled deeply.
The scent on the coat had grown faint over the past weeks, but it was still discernible. And smelled just like Kyle. Not similar to, but exactly like Kyle.
Cold swept through Eleri like an icy wind. He’d been the one to find her in the woods last month, to return her to Stonecliff. He’d lied tonight. He had been here before. No doubt his sudden attraction to her was a lie, too. Pain zinged through her quick and sharp, like sugar on a rotted tooth.
Why go through the trouble of making her believe he was interested
What was she doing, spinning schoolgirl daydreams about the man? She was on the brink of being arrested for multiple murders, and he stood a good chance of winding up a victim. The odds of any sort of romantic future weren’t good.
“My point is—” Brynn dragged Eleri’s attention back to their conversation “—we’re going to be longer than I thought. Probably another week, maybe ten days. If something happens before then, get in touch and we’ll be on the first flight out.”
Brynn was coming back. She wasn’t abandoning Eleri to face this mess alone.
There was a commotion in the background again. “That will be our dinner, I should let you go. I’m so sick of fast food. I’ll be glad to eat something homemade again.”
Eleri snorted. “I know how you feel.”
“Give my regards to Mrs. Voyle,” Brynn said, with a chuckle. “I’ll call in a few days to see how you’re doing.”
“Right, enjoy your dinner. Good night.” Eleri set the phone back in the cradle, relief turning her limbs heavy. They were coming back. Not as soon as she’d hoped, but they were coming back.
Eleri stood, left the study and climbed the stairs. The sconce at the top was still out, but there was no mossy stink, no writhing shadows. Keeping her gaze fixed on the vine-patterned carpet, she hurried past.
Once in her room, she began to undress but stopped when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. What in the world did Kyle see in her? She wasn’t repulsive, she supposed, but there was nothing about her that stood out. The most interesting thing about her was her name was tied to twelve murdered men. Hardly something to interest the opposite sex—unless the man in question had a few issues of his own. Was that Kyle? Was he some kind of crazy who got a thrill from being with a possible serial killer?
Not likely. He was too stable, too…grounded for that sort of nonsense. Or maybe she was too smitten to see the truth.
She blew out a long sigh. Too damned tired to think about all that now, she’d worry about it in the morning.
Eleri finished unbuttoning her blouse and let the material slide from her shoulders. Kyle’s scent wafted from the fabric. God, he smelled good, clean and spicy and…familiar.
Eleri froze. He
did
smell familiar. She balled up her blouse, pressed the fabric to her nose and inhaled deep. Where had she smelled that scent before?
For crying out loud, he probably wears cologne that anyone else could buy
.
Maybe, but she’d smelled this recently. Nipping the corner of her lip, Eleri crossed to her wardrobe and yanked open the door. There, hanging amongst her own clothes, was an old brown suede coat. A man’s coat.
Eleri gripped one shoulder and tugged it off the hanger. She had no idea who the coat belonged to. Last month, during the night Ruth had tried to kill her sister, the nurse had drugged both Eleri and Brynn and left them at The Devil’s Eye. Eleri had woken first, still groggy and disoriented from whatever Ruth had injected her with. She hadn’t been able to rouse Brynn, so she tried to make her way back to the house for help. Instead, she tripped and lost consciousness in the woods. When she woke, she was on the settee in the study wrapped in this coat with no memory of how she’d gotten there.
Now Eleri’s grip tightened on the soft fabric, lifted it to her face, and she inhaled deeply.
The scent on the coat had grown faint over the past weeks, but it was still discernible. And smelled just like Kyle. Not similar to, but exactly like Kyle.
Cold swept through Eleri like an icy wind. He’d been the one to find her in the woods last month, to return her to Stonecliff. He’d lied tonight. He had been here before. No doubt his sudden attraction to her was a lie, too. Pain zinged through her quick and sharp, like sugar on a rotted tooth.
Why go through the trouble of making her believe he was interested
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