Read To Deceive Is To Love (Romantic suspense) for Free Online Page B

remarks, he took himself off to an alcove with his pint, already regretting the whisky coursing through his veins. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was still early, not yet six. What the hell was he going to do for the rest of the evening - get drunk? That wasn’t the answer; he knew what he wanted and it wasn’t at the bottom of a bottle.
    Those emerald eyes had a way of reaching into a man’s soul. Her body had been crying out for him to take her, but crazy as it sounded, maybe he was glad she had stopped it. She wasn’t like the Catherine’s of this world. Catherine was beautiful and intelligent, and ran her promotions agency with the same ruthless determination and independence as her private life. Neither of them had made any kind of commitment and it was hard to say who was using who, but at least he remained free inside.
    Ordering another pint, his thoughts drifted to his parents. He remembered what it had been like growing up in a loving atmosphere and how easily that illusion of security and love could be shattered. By the time he had joined the RAF, the happy family life had turned into a shambles, his once proud father reduced to a drunken wreck by the love he felt for his wife, who in turn felt nothing. She might not have crashed the plane for him, but she was at the controls in the crazed last moments before he took his own life. Feeling that deep-seated bitterness rise up again, David pushed his half-drunk pint away from him just as Chantelle entered and approached the bar.
    “A double gin and tonic please,” Chantelle ordered.
    The barmaid looked at her, furrows appearing on her forehead. “Are you all right, love ?”
    “Yes, fine, thank you,” she replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Positioning herself up on a barstool, she crossed her bare legs and tried to convince herself she was perfectly entitled to drink alone and to hell with him sitting in that corner acting as if she was invisible. He had brought her here, stranded in the middle of God knows where and she wasn’t going to hide up in that room as if she was ashamed. She was hoping at least he would come and join her, that they could talk and act in a mature manner, making the situation they both found themselves in a little easier to deal with. It wasn’t happening, though.
    By the time half an hour had passed, Chantelle was on her second double and feeling lightheaded with no food inside her since breakfast. Ringing for a taxi to take her to the nearest railway station had crossed her mind, but the idea of having to change trains several times while traveling across London quelled that thought. And why should she? That bastard would simply have to find himself another room for the night. Downing the contents of her glass, Chantelle ordered another one.
    A group of men who stood drinking around the bar area had been casting curious glances in her direction for some time now, but had kept their distance. Chantelle began to feel conspicuous when one leaned over and said something to the barmaid. Whatever she replied caused the man to look over at David before turning back to his friends. It didn’t seem to put him off though, because he sidled up to her at the bar and asked what she was drinking while his friends looked on in amusement.
    “What does it look like?” Chantelle replied in a clipped tone.
    “It looks like a gin and tonic.” He picked her glass up and held it up to the light as if examining its contents.
    Chantelle took the glass from him. “Very funny.”
    “Not one of my best pickup lines, but I’m working on it.”
    She couldn’t help a halfhearted smile.
    “Was that a smile? Do it again, please; you’ve just sent me to seventh heaven.” He held his hand over his heart and sighed.
    Giving an exasperated tut, she finished her drink and moved away from the bar. He had the same mentality as Danny and was probably the same age.
    “Let me buy your next one, please. You look too sad to drink alone