Read Whisper of Revenge (A Cape Trouble Novel Book 4) for Free Online

already knew how velvety her skin was.  One stroke of his
knuckle had been enough to tell him.
    He forced himself to think about her question.  “God knows,”
he said, a little roughly.  “He goes down on one knee, holding out a diamond
ring?”
    She shuddered.  “Please, no.”
    He wished he’d been kidding, but the lead-up seemed over the
top for a mere request for a date.
    “This has to be someone you know.  I wonder if he’s
convinced himself you know who the gifts are from.”
    Hannah stared at him, tiny crinkles forming on her high,
curved forehead.  “That’s…kind of scary.”
    “Nobody has even hinted?”
    She shook her head.  “I mean, there have been comments. 
Lots of people admired the flowers.  And like I said, word about the puppy has
gotten out.  People either think it was an incredibly thoughtless gift, or they
think it’s funny.  I haven’t heard any overtones.  At least…I don’t think so.”
    The uncertainty told him she was second-guessing every word
that had been said to her recently.  Elias would be willing to bet that her
secret admirer had been one of those people commenting on her surprises,
probably waiting for her to say, “This is so exciting!”  Or maybe a yearning,
“I wish I knew who to thank.”
    He wondered what she had said in response to those comments,
but she was getting wet and her kid must be waiting for her.
    “What time do you arrive in the morning?”
    “Around eight.”  She frowned at him.  “Why?  You’re not
thinking…?”
    He was.  “If I get an early start tomorrow, I might pass
through the alley, that’s all.”
    “It’s supposed to rain tomorrow.”
    Yeah, and he’d been planning to work in his studio.  Still
would.  He just might make a quick trip into town first.
    “Go pick up Ian.”
    She started to get in but swung back around, expression
naked.  “Thank you, Elias.  You’ve been a good friend.”
    God.  He’d somehow come to be standing too close to her, one
hand braced on the roof of her vehicle.  His head was bending as if—  Taking a
hard grip on his self-control, he turned a move he hadn’t planned into a kiss
on her cheek.  It was soft and giving.  She smelled good, too, something he
hadn’t consciously noticed before because he thought visually.  It wasn’t
chocolate he smelled.  Maybe vanilla.  Something homey.
    She didn’t move.  He wasn’t sure she even breathed.  Lips
slightly parted, she simply looked up at him.
    “Hannah,” he said hoarsely.
    She swallowed.
    Christ.  He couldn’t do this.  Not now, and not here. 
Especially not here.  He was painfully conscious they stood in the alley
between the backs of stores on each side, and in daylight.  Anyone could come
out.
    Anyone could be watching.
    That was a thought to cool the heat in his bloodstream.
    “I might see you in the morning.”  He backed away, shoving
his hands into the kangaroo pocket of his sweatshirt.  “Have a good night.”
    She still didn’t move, just kept staring.  What was probably
a couple of seconds stretched, until suddenly she took a step back, too,
banging into the side of her Toyota.  “I must be late.  Why am I still standing
here?  Thank you.  Um…bye.”
    She leaped in, slammed the door and fired up the engine.  He
came close to being sideswiped by her mirror as she backed out of the space.
    And then he was left alone in the alley as she drove away.
    Or was she fleeing?
     
    *****
     
    “Oh, my God.”  Shaking, Hannah clutched the steering wheel
as several people scuttled across the street in front of her, tossing annoyed
or wary looks over their shoulders.  She had almost hit two people.  And, yes,
they’d stepped out into the street without looking, but they did have a
crosswalk.  And she hadn’t been looking, either.
    Nobody was behind her, so she waited long enough to regain a
semblance of composure before looking carefully to each side and turning left
onto Main Street.
    Elias