Read VANISHED, A Romantic Suspense Novel (Edgars Family Novel) for Free Online Page B

is so limited I’ve had to modify the steps a bit. I needed to think. Some sort of physical activity clears my brain.”
    She stretched to the side, her T-shirt sliding up and revealing more of her creamy skin, this time on her waist and abdomen. And visions of them both participating in another activity filled his sleep-deprived brain.
    He bit back a curse. She had to be doing this on purpose.
    “It’s the middle of the night, Abby. You’re supposed to be sleeping. Or do you do this all the time—exercise in the middle of the night?”
    She shrugged, grabbed the towel from the bed and mopped at the sweat around her face and neck. “If a problem bothers me I usually go for a run, but I didn’t know the area here, so I thought this was a better solution.”
    He couldn’t believe it. White-hot anger coursed through him and he advanced, until he stood less than a foot from her. “You go running in the middle of the night by yourself?”
    She looked at him as if he were the crazy one.
    “Well, no. If it’s late at night, I usually go to the all-night fitness club near my apartment. There’s an indoor track and a security guard.” The towel in one hand, she thrust her fists onto her hips, her cheeks red and her eyes narrowed. “Despite what you think, I’m not stupid or irresponsible.”
    “I’ve never thought you were stupid or irresponsible, Abby. Just a little out of your element, sometimes.”
    “What is that supposed to mean?”
    He folded his arms over his chest and gave her a once-over exam from head to toe. “Let’s face it, Abby. Give you a set of numbers or data to analyze and you’re a whiz. Out in the field? You’re a disaster waiting to happen.”
    “How would you know? I haven’t had enough field experience for my superiors, let alone a fellow agent to know how I handle myself during a case.”
    “I’ve seen you in action today. You walked right into a crime scene without waiting for backup.”
    “Give it a rest, Luke.” She looked briefly at the ceiling then fixed him with a determined stare. “I’ve already explained. The whole situation took me off-guard. I arrived at my friend’s townhouse thinking I’d be spending a quiet night with an old friend. I didn’t expect to find her place in shambles, blood on the floor, and no sign of Brianna.”
    “And what are you going to do if someone attacks you like they did your friend? Scare them with karate moves?”
    “I’m not defenseless.” She stepped back, dropped the towel on the bed and raised her arms in a defensive posture. She motioned him to attack.
    If she didn’t look so earnest, Luke would’ve laughed. “You can’t be serious. The last time we tried this during training, you couldn’t take down anyone in the class, Abby.”
    “What? You afraid I can do it this time?”
    Luke shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
    “This isn’t a joke to me. Attack me, dammit.”
    He held up his hands. “I’m sure you’ve been practicing a lot. But this is the real world, not some karate gym. Even if you have been practicing, you could still get hurt.”
    She whirled, kicking at his head.
    Instinctively, he grabbed her leg, then lifted her by the other one, turning and landing them both on the bed. She lay trapped beneath him, his hips wedged intimately between hers. Her arms stretched above her on the pillows and rumpled covers.
    Anger replaced his humor. “That’s what I’m talking about. If you seriously mean to use karate as self-defense, then don’t go showing off.”
    She gulped, panting, her breasts rising and falling beneath the T-shirt now pulled tight across them. Her eyes widened and her lips parted.
    He pressed his body closer, slowly lowering his head towards hers. God, he wanted to taste her again. It had been too long since the last time.
    “Luke,” she whispered when his mouth was but a fraction away.
    “Yes, Abby?”
    “Don’t.”
    “Don’t call you Abby? Or don’t do this?” He closed the