Read Across Eternity for Free Online

believe this."
    "Believe it."
    "No, he can’t be the owner. He would have told me." He had
shared so much of himself with her he surely would have shared that too.
Lifting her eyes she focused on Rachael. "You’re mistaken."
    Rachael lowered her voice even more. "Go ask Mr. Hendricks if you
don’t believe me." She took her friend by the shoulders and
squeezed gently. "What’s the matter? So, he didn’t tell you.
That’s no big deal."
    "The hell it isn’t."
    "Maybe he thought you knew."
    She shook her head. "No, he knew I didn’t know."
    "Calm down." She touched her friend’s cheek. "Sweetie, why are you getting so upset?"
    "I don’t like men who play games."
    "Amber, I think you’re overreacting. Besides, I don’t think
he’s the kind of man who plays games."
    "It sure feels like he was playing one," Amber said truthfully.
    "I saw the way he was looking at you. There was no way he was playing
you. I know a player when I see one. And he’s not one."
    "Then why didn’t he tell me?"
    "I’m not sure. But before you get pissed I think you should give
him the benefit of the doubt."
    Amber looked down at her watch. "There’s only thirty minutes
left before closing. Could you cover for me?"
    "Of course I will. What are you going to do?"
    "I’m going to find the son of a bitch and give him a piece of my
mind."
    "Well, I guess you jumped right to the pissed part."
    "What do you want me to do, Rach?"
    "I don’t know," she said honestly. "Maybe give him a
chance to explain himself." She saw Amber’s expression.
"Okay, kick his ass if he’s playing you." She held up a
finger. "However, if he’s not, and I’d like to state for the
record that I don’t think he is, you need to take that man to bed."
    "Nice advice, thank you," Amber replied bitterly.
    She waved her friend on. "Just go find him and try to work it
out."
    Amber took off her apron and handed it to Rachael. "Thank you. I owe
you one."
    "What you owe me is a detailed report tomorrow, especially, if you
take him to bed."
    Amber was shaking her head at Rachael’s last comment as she made her
way to the door. The night was cool as she stepped out into it. The coastal
breeze gathered her short, black hair and tossed it around her face as she
looked up and down the dimly lit sidewalk, which was littered sparsely with
people. She wasn’t sure which way she should go but she knew there was a
large parking area to the left so that’s the way she headed.
    It wasn’t but a couple of minutes of her power walking when she saw
him. He was walking casually with his hands in his pockets, his head dropped.
"Is that how you check up on your employees," she shouted at his
back.
    Logan stiffened momentarily before he slowly turned toward her.
    Her emotions instantly surfaced when she saw his face. It was an awkward
mix, with anger being the predominant reaction. "What was that back
there?" Her hand shot out in the direction of the restaurant. "Was
that some kind of test to see if I would come on to the customers? Is that your
sick way of checking up on your employees? If it was, it was bullshit."
    His eyebrows grew heavy in confusion as she approached. "I
wasn’t testing you or checking up on you," he spoke in a calm tone.
"I don’t do that to any of my employees nor would I do it to
you."
    "Then what the hell were you doing," she asked as she stopped a
few feet before him. "What kind of game are you playing?"
    "I’m not playing a game."
    Her face turned into a scowl and her eyes narrowed in anger when she thought
about all they had shared. In less than an hour, they’d shared not only
an immediate attraction, but also intimate parts of themselves. Not many people
could be that unreserved unless they were experiencing a profound connection.
Sadly, their profound connection had been nothing more than a
farce—nothing more than a test.
    "I’m not playing a game," he repeated when she
didn’t respond.
    "Why do you find it necessary to lie to me?"
    "I never lied to