Read Love is Darkness (A Valerie Dearborn Novel) for Free Online

to talk about this and take Nate's side? Her temper spiked, making her reckless. “You know what I know? I know that whenever someone tells you they are doing 'what's best for you', you're screwed. Those are not words you want to hear. It's right up there with 'it's not you it's me'.”
     
    He laughed a little. “What's the time frame? I need a shower.”
     
    “I thought about rolling down the windows but didn't want to be rude.” She gave him a smile that wasn't very nice at all.
     
    “Yeah, well, you after tennis is no picnic either.”
     
    “Fair.”
     
    They drove the rest of the way in silence. Jack took his shower and Val went to her room. Her bed was covered with the clothes she'd wear tonight on her mission. All black with lots of velcro and pockets for hiding deadly weapons.
     
      Jack knocked and opened the door. “Val?” He looked at her carefully, like he was trying to determine how upset she was. A sympathetic smile flashed across his face and he rubbed the back of his neck like he was tense too.
     
    Val pointed to the bed and his smokey eyes tracked the movement. He looked at the outfit on the bed, nodding absently. “Hmm. Those are good cargoes actually. I don't know about the top.”
     
    “Can I just tell you how hot I would look in a black leather jacket?” Her eyes slid over to his and she found him studying her, imagining her in that jacket, she thought.
     
    She blushed and leaned down so he wouldn't notice. His hand reached out to touch her dark brown hair and he pulled some of it through his fingers.
     
    “What about this?” he said softly.
     
    She shrugged and stood back up. “I don't know. Braid, maybe? Cut it off for the honor of my family, Mulan style.”
     
    His lips quirked. “Braid is good, but tuck it into your shirt. You don't want him to get a handhold.”
     
    She crossed her arms protectively around her. “This is such a bad idea. What if I freeze? I could be dead before you get there. Or dad, before he gets there.”
     
    “Not gonna happen. I’ll be there.” His voice was commanding. He shook his head at her, stormy gray eyes looking a little tortured. He was so handsome.
     
    Sigh.
     
    Jack had even managed to escape the Italian nose. His nose was straight, refined. Val mentally chastised herself. Nose romanticizing was for losers.
     
    Jack would die to protect her and just thinking about it made her knees wobble in both fear and lust.
     
    “I know that look gets you laid a lot but it doesn't really make me fear death any less,” she said grumpily, irritated at her attraction to him when he was partially responsible for what would happen tonight.
     
    His smile was genuine. “Smart ass. Maybe I will let him bite you.”
     
    “Maybe he won't even be there.” Her tone was hopeful.
     
    His eyes met hers again, “He'll be there. Prepare for that. You won't get out of it. You get the job done. No fear, no hesitation, right?”
     
    She nodded. Why did these conversations always sound like they came from some crappy war movie?
     
    A moment passed and she started thinking about things that could go wrong. As though he could read her mind, he tried to distract her, lightly jabbing a fist out towards her stomach which she blocked automatically.
     
    “What's your plan?” He was trying to be positive.
     
    “Dad and I talked about it. I'm gonna ambush him. We knocked out the streetlights around his house. It's not too obvious though. He shouldn't be suspicious. I'm going to hide behind the hydrangea bush in front of his house. I'll shoot through it, try to take him in the chest and not have any hand to hand at all. Assuming I don't get the money shot right away — ”
     
    “Different terminology please,” Jack said in a strangled voice. Was he laughing or horrified? Actually, both were good.
     
    “I like money shot. If dad is going to send me out there to die, then I'm going to make this as uncomfortable for everyone as I possibly can.”
     
    Jack