Read Earth Enchanted for Free Online Page B

page? How would her own life story end if she could read the last page first? She could die tomorrow, or she might fall asleep one night in her old age. Things like that hadn’t bothered her until today. She was thankful for the time she was given on this earth, and tried to do the best she could with it. So why was she suddenly so discontent? He was the problem. Jack Roarke had sneaked into her head with his troubled puppy-dog eyes. She wondered what had happened for his wife to die so young. Why did he seem so reclusive, despite his forward behavior toward her? For now, she could do nothing but wait and see what the next day would bring.
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Liv chose the floaty blue dress she’d caught on sale. Her dark hair fell in untamed rioting curls to her waist. Playing her make-up down to a minimum, she let her natural features shine. He’d be there in ten minutes, and she was wrecked on the inside. No sleep, no work to filter her troubles into. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea. She’d never been good at the dating thing, which was why she kept to herself usually.
    Most men, in her experience, proved to be a credit to their gender and not in the best of ways. He might expect too much from her. Or maybe he’d felt obliged to ask her out after coffee. Or maybe... Or maybe he was just a nice guy who missed his wife and wanted someone to talk to. She tossed the fluffy powder brush on the vanity in disgust with herself. She’d go to dinner, and worry about the rest later.
    Crossing her arms over her chest, she paced in front of the mirror, irritated with herself. The musical notes of the doorbell stopped her in her tracks. She wanted both to hide under the bed and run down the stairs. The man in question was at the door.
    Liv was still debating on earrings when she heard the knock. “Come in, Ryan.”
    He opened the door and let out a whistle, then grinned like a fool. “It’s unfortunate that I’ll have to tell your young man to leave. You’re too pretty to be let out the house.”
    The comment made her giggle and put her nerves away.
    “I hope you’re not serious, except for the pretty part.” She decided on the blue lapis drops. As she put them on, she watched her brother’s reflection in the mirror, with all the suspicion of a veteran mother. He looked so tired, defeated. “Are you really okay?”
    “No, Liv, but I will be. There’s nothing you can do but be here for me.”
    “If that is all I can do, then it will just have to be enough.”
    Jack shifted on the other side of Ryan’s front door and waited. He noticed a tall blond man peeking out the window at him. Must be Liv’s brother, what have I gotten into? He’d let himself forget for a moment, yesterday. Forget the blood and terror, forget that he was half of a broken unit, and he didn’t believe he could be part of one again. To risk that much pain, well he wasn’t sure his heart could take it. Then again, he was just taking her to dinner, not the altar. Since that wasn’t in his plans, he should manage to escape unscathed. Food, fun, and farewell and that’s where this infatuation would end.
    He straightened when he heard the footsteps approach the door.
    “Roarke, come in, and I’ll see if she’s ready.”
    “Thanks. It’s Ryan. Right?”
    “Yes.”
    Jack’s first impression of the house was one of walking into a Wicca shop. Ingrained in him was the ability to pick up every detail, trained into the cop, born into the writer. The mythical statuary carefully displayed throughout the foyer continued into the parlor just to his left. Unless he missed his guess, it continued through the rest of the house as well. Little bowls of crystals in various shades had also been set out. The colors of the décor were in keeping with the dark theme. Jack wandered to a chair in the foyer to wait. What sort of man could live with all those fairies and mermaids?
    Jack watched as they came down the stairs arm in arm. Her brother was