An Affair of Vengeance by Michele Jamie

Author:Michele, Jamie [Michele, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Published: 2012-11-06T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

HOT WIND CHURNED Evangeline’s hair before she had a chance to tie a scarf around her head. Looking at herself in the visor mirror through large black sunglasses, she grimaced. It looked like a weaverbird had built a nest on top of her head. She pulled a comb out of her purse and tried to tease the knots apart. “This is why I will never buy a convertible.”

McCrea gave her a quick look from the driver’s seat. A faint smile relaxed his face. “You look like a gorgon.”

She swallowed a gasp, but the offhand word hit her hard. Her father had called her a gorgon, too.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s not a very nice thing to say.”

“No, it’s fine.” She stared out at a passing grove of trees, finding reassurance in their regimented rows. “You just surprised me. My dad used to call me Medusa.”

“Not the kindest nickname for a girl.”

“He meant it sweetly. You’d have to know him to understand.”

“You two close?”

“We were close enough. He was busy, always busy, from as early as I can remember. But he was doing good work, so I never begrudged him for it. My mom, either.” She rested her arm on the door, wondering if he’d caught her use of the past tense.

“What did they do?” he asked, after he snaked the car around a slow truck on a straightaway.

He’d noticed. She was grateful for not having to explain that they were gone. “My mother was a civil servant. Worked in embassies, dealt with Americans in trouble in foreign countries. She was very kind. My dad was state department, too, but he was on the political track. He dealt with foreign leaders and such. A bit stubborn, but he was fearless. He eventually went out on his own, started his own nonprofit.”

“Why didn’t you go the diplomatic route, too?”

“I was going to. Things change.” She watched a bird soar high overhead. A golden eagle, judging from its wing shape and span. “And here I am.”

“That about explains it.”

Sarcasm. She turned and caught his grin. “Medusa had all-seeing eyes, you know.”

“I do know. She could also turn men to stone.”

She laughed. “So can I. So you’d better keep your eyes on the road.”

He obeyed as he navigated the nimble German car around a tight turn. Krai’s compound was only a couple of hours outside of Marseille, but the narrow roads were treacherous and slow off the expressways. The countryside was beautiful, though. These were the Alpilles, or little Alps, and they were glorious. Her parents had loved vacationing in these wild foothills of the South of France. Evangeline could understand why, for the area couldn’t feel more remote yet romantic. White limestone cliffs soared above ambling vineyards, orderly olive groves, and gray-green scrub. August heat infused the aromatic oils of rosemary, lavender, and thyme into the air.

And her partner’s tanned skin glowed like honey in the late-afternoon sun. As she watched, he downshifted to punch up a steep hill. His legs pumped the pedals and his narrow khaki slacks exposed every detail of his strong legs.

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