The Collector by Nora Roberts

Author:Nora Roberts [Roberts, Nora]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Contemporary
ISBN: 9781101617281
Google: IcBXAgAAQBAJ
Amazon: 0399164456
Barnesnoble: 0399164456
Goodreads: 18668066
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2014-04-15T04:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

Lila unpacked, enjoying, as always, the feeling of the new. Her client had left some provisions for her, and she appreciated it, but she’d take Earl Grey for a walk later, pick up a few things. For a while she played with the dog, who—as advertised—enjoyed chasing a little red rubber ball rolled over the floor. So they played chase and fetch, then find-the-ball until Earl Grey retreated to one of his little beds to nap.

In the quiet, Lila set up her workstation, poured herself a tall glass of lemon water and updated her blog, answered e-mails, booked two jobs.

She considered dipping back into the book when her house phone rang.

“Lowenstein residence.”

“Ms. Emerson, this is Dwayne on the door. There’s a Julie Bryant in the lobby.”

“She’s a friend. You can send her right up. Thanks, Dwayne.”

“No problem.”

Lila checked the time, frowned. Much too late for Julie’s lunch hour, and still a little too early for the usual end of her day. But the visit couldn’t have been more welcome—she had to tell Julie about Ash, about her and Ash, about the night after the awful day.

She went to the door, opened it, waited. No point having Julie ring the bell and wake up the dog.

It wasn’t until she heard the elevator ping, saw its doors begin to open, that the thought jumped into her head. What if it wasn’t Julie, but HAG using Julie’s name to gain access? On the heels of it, as she started to slam the door, Julie stepped out.

“It’s you.”

“Of course it’s me. I said it was me.”

“Mind tricks.” Lila tapped her temple. “Did you get off early?”

“I took off early. I needed a little mental health time.”

“You’ve come to the right place.” She swept her arm. “Amazing view, huh?”

“It really is.” Taking it in, Julie dumped her work bag in a tufted-back armchair. “I went to a party in this building last year, but the apartment wasn’t nearly as wow as this—and it was pretty wow.”

“You have to see the third-floor terrace. I could live out there all summer. You brought wine,” she added when Julie pulled a bottle out of her bag as slickly as a rabbit from a magician’s hat. “This is a wine visit.”

“Definitely.”

“Good, because I have to tell you something that goes with wine.”

“Me, too—you,” Julie said as she followed Lila to the wet bar. “Yesterday was crazy and awful, and then—”

“I know! That’s just it.” Lila used the fancy counter-mounted corkscrew. “It’s all about the then and then.”

She pulled the cork out.

“I slept with him,” they said in unison.

They stared at each other. “You did?”

“You did?” Julie echoed, pointing.

“You mean Luke, because I slept with Ash, so if you’d slept with him I’d have noticed. You slept with Luke. Slut.”

“Slut? You’re more qualified as slut here. I used to be married to Luke.”

“My point exactly. Sleeping with the ex?” Amused, Lila clucked her tongue as she reached for glasses. “Definitely slut territory. How was it? I mean, was it like a stroll down memory lane?”

“No.

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