Black Rose by Jenna Ryan

Author:Jenna Ryan [Ryan, Jenna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460330715
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

“I’ll go back for the car in the morning,” Ryder said when they returned to Desdemona’s antique shop in the swamp.

But Mia wasn’t listening. She’d kissed him. She hated him—or wanted to—and yet she’d taken one look at his mouth and kissed him until her mind had gone blank, and all she’d been able to think about was having sex in a predator-infested swamp.

As logical moves went, she’d have been better off staying in New Orleans.

“Not happy.” She yanked her clothes off in Desdemona’s guest room. “Not dealing. Not properly.”

“Not dead either, little kitten…”

The voice in her head could have been Iona’s or Desdemona’s. It sure as hell wasn’t hers. Fine, she wasn’t dead. But Ryder had lied to her. She felt alone, angry. And, God help her, she still wanted to have sex with him.

“Cracking up,” she said to the shadows that seemed to be everywhere in the room.

Also hungry, she realized when she discovered it was after 10 p.m. Maybe that’s why she’d kissed him. Her brain was starved for nutrition.

Whether that made sense or not, she went with it. She’d go with anything that would get her back to the level-headed person she’d been. Or thought she’d been, but apparently hadn’t.

Okay, enough, she decided. Forget kisses and killers and lies. Desdemona had told her to raid the kitchen any time she felt hungry, and she was going to take her hostess up on that offer.

Pulling on her pajama pants and tank, she took a flashlight from the dresser and made her way down to the shop.

The ticking clock sounded louder than before, but she chalked that up to perception and twitched away the sensation of ants crawling on her skin.

The floor creaked beneath her—no way to avoid that—while she carefully forged a path toward the rear of the building.

Spotting Billy in his chair, she paused to play her light over him. Had he been smiling earlier? She didn’t think so. And she was sure his eyes hadn’t been wide open.

“Spooky,” she murmured.

Raising the beam to the high shelves, she noticed a collection of other dolls, most of them made of rags, none of them particularly riveting.

“So what is it about you, B-Billy?” His name stuttered out when she brought the beam back down. Stepping back quickly, she stabbed an accusing finger at his face. “Okay, you’re not smiling. Why aren’t you smiling? You were a minute ago. And we’re the only ones here…I hope.” She looked away, then back. And jumped halfway across the aisle when she saw Billy’s mouth was now open in a silent scream.

“Stop it. Just stop it, right now.” Temper surged. “It’s been a really bad day, and I’m in no mood to play games.”

The air behind her stirred unexpectedly. A rough hand covered her mouth, and a man’s rusty voice croaked in her ear. “If games aren’t your thing, lady, you busted into the wrong establishment. Because while this here place might not be yours or mine, seeing as we’re both standing in it, I say, game on.

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