Read Eyes Wide Open: The Blackstone Affair, Book 3 for Free Online

breakfast?”
    I came closer and peered at her breadmaking mission. “Oh, I’m fine with the coffee for now. I’ll wait for Ethan. In the meantime, could you use some help with the bread? I love to bake. It would be therapy for me after the insanity of last night.”
    She grinned and pushed a lock of hair away from her face with a bent wrist. “You’re hired, Brynne. Aprons are on the back of the pantry door and I want to hear all about the insanity of last night.”
    “That was easy,” I said as I went for the apron.
    “I’m not stupid. I’ve learned over the years that help is a good thing.” She pegged me with warm gray eyes. “And you never have to ask me twice.”

3

    ♠ I don’t know what compelled me to open my eyes. Probably the breathing on my face smelling faintly of jam, but regardless, I now understand why horror movies with children in them are, without a doubt, the most terrifying films of all. There is nothing quite like a silent child staring at you while you’re sleeping, or even worse, to wake up to.
    Some questions come to mind pretty fuckin’ quick. Like how long have you been standing there watching over me like one of the ill-fated Grady sisters in The Shining ?
    Scared the ever-living shit out of me for about two seconds.
    And then she smiled.
    “Uncle Ethan is awake!” she yelled at the top of her lungs as she ran to the door, flinging it wide open.
    “Zara! Shut the door behind you, please.” I sat up carefully, well aware I was nude and taking care to keep the blankets arranged. I was also alone in the bed, so I leaned around and looked toward the bathroom to try and catch sight of Brynne.
    No Brynne.
    “She’s downstairs talking to Mummy. They’re having coffees.” Zara poked her head back in.
    “Is that so?” I said, wondering why on earth I sleep like the dead now and how long my niece had been hovering over me. Creep factor? About a twelve.
    Zara nodded solemnly. “She came down ages ago.”
    “What do you think of her?”
    She ignored my question and tilted her head at me. “Did you get married, Uncle Ethan?”
    I am sure my eyes bulged out, because Zara gave me a thorough looking over as she waited for a response. “Um . . . no. Brynne is my girlfriend.”
    “Mummy and Daddy are married.”
    “Yes they are. I was at the wedding.” I smiled and wished I could get out of bed and into some clothes, but she had me good and truly trapped.
    “Why do you sleep naked?”
    “Excuse me? Zara, I need to get dressed—”
    “Daddy doesn’t sleep naked like you do. Brynne is nice. Will you take me to get an ice cream with Rags? He loves ice cream and I let him lick it and Mummy says that’s dirty but I let him anyway. Mummy said not to come in here, but I got tired of waiting for you to wake up. You’re the only person that’s still sleeping.”
    Unbelievable. A five-year-old held me captive in a bed where I could do nothing but listen, mesmerized by her litany of observations, opinions and requests, and praying for some way to escape. She gave me quite the disgusted look too with that last bit. Sort of along the lines of, “ What in the hell is wrong with you, Uncle Ethan?” And really, I had to agree with her five-year-old logic too. A hell of a lot was wrong with me.
    “Okay. I’ll tell you what, Miss Zara. I’ll see what I can do about the ice cream with Rags if you go on out so I can get up and get dressed.” I gave her my best eyebrow quirk. “Deal?”
    “What about Mummy?” she fired off with absolutely no change of expression. This one could play poker with the big shots some day, no doubt about it. My niece was magnificent.
    “What Mummy doesn’t know about ice creams won’t hurt her, I always say.” I wondered how long it would be before that declaration came back to haunt me. Probably about as long as it took for her to make her way downstairs, but hell, if it worked to get some immediate privacy . . .
    “Deal.” She gave me a thorough