The Burden of Desire by Natalie Charles

Author:Natalie Charles
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Ben ran five miles around the park on Saturday morning to calm his nerves and sharpen his thoughts. The surveillance footage of the parking lot had been little help in identifying the person who’d smashed Sally’s windshield. All they’d been able to see was a man who’d walked onto the property, his face shadowed by a baseball cap, smashed the car with a bat and ran away. Ben’s stomach had been on fire for most of the night, burning as he thought about Sally being in danger, and the time he was about to spend with her.

They’d agreed she would stay the night at Tessa’s, but that he’d pick her up at her own home. After his run, Ben spent a good part of the morning washing and vacuuming his car. His vehicle couldn’t compete with Sally’s BMW, but getting a rental would look desperate. He called her before he left his apartment.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she’d said. “Since this was so last minute, I’m just wearing an old dress I found.”

Of course he didn’t mind, and he’d felt the knot in his gut relax slightly. His heart had been racing since the previous morning at the thought of seeing Sally dressed up. Of being next to her at dinner, possibly dancing. Seeing her lipstick on a champagne flute. Knowing that the entire time he’d be playing the casual, detached date, he’d be thinking about what her skin might feel like beneath that dress. At least if she wasn’t making too much of an effort at dressing up, he wouldn’t have to try so hard to keep from doing something they’d both regret.

They worked together, and work relationships were never a good idea. Besides, there was something he liked about Sally. He felt lighter around her, and he couldn’t ignore this protective streak he’d suddenly developed. He’d hurt her in the past, and now all he could think about was keeping her safe—from Mitch Kruger, and from himself. Sally was a sweet girl who deserved better than that, and the last thing on his mind was hurting her again.

Ben took more care than usual when dressing, though he kicked himself for it. Before he donned his jacket, he slipped on a shoulder holster and his .38 automatic. He had a bad feeling about Mitch Kruger, and he wasn’t about to take any chances.

He followed the directions to Sally’s house, trying to imagine what one of her old dresses might look like. Something frumpy? The girl didn’t have a frumpy cell in her body, and he doubted she owned a stitch of clothing that would qualify. Sally would undoubtedly look beautiful and stylish in her old dress, but he was still unprepared for the woman who emerged from the modest home fronting Avon Lake: a woman with her blond hair swept up from her face, an elegant diamond necklace lacing her throat and a dress the color of the light blue sky at dusk adorning her body.

The

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.