A Is for Apple by Kate Johnson Read Free Book Online Page A

other.
    “You?” Luke said in disbelief, glaring hard at Xander.
    “No, Luke, this isn’t—” I began shakily, horrified. “It’s not what it looks like—”
    “So what the hell is it? Does Angel know?”
    I think my eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. “Angel? What—? No.” I began to laugh, and immediately wished I hadn’t. “Luke, this isn’t Harvey, he’s—”
    Then in the corner of my eye I saw Shapiro’s goon coming over to see what the commotion was, and I had a horrible image of him getting out a gun and shooting all three of us.
    “Luke, get in the lift,” I said. “You too.” I grabbed Xander’s arm. He had his hand on his nose, which was bleeding.
    “I am not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck is going on,” Luke yelled.
    The goon was getting closer.
    I made a split second decision and grabbed Luke and said in his ear, “There’s man over there with a gun who wants to kill us both. Get in the goddamned lift or I’ll shoot you myself.” Oh, and by the way, what the fuck happened to your goddamn spy training? Blowing up over a personal matter. Yep, that’s in the handbook .
    “You haven’t got your—” Luke began, but I gave him my best don’t-fuck-with-me glare and he glowered back and stalked off to the lift.
    I gave a weak smile to the security man and the watching crowd. “Little misunderstanding,” I said, making a teensy gesture with my fingers. “Really nothing. Just a lover’s tiff. Come on, darling,” I said, taking Xander’s arm and wincing when I felt Luke’s eyes—and ears—on me, “let’s go and sort this out.”
    “I could call the cops,” the security guy said, and I wasn’t sure if it was an offer or a threat.
    “No, no need,” I trilled gaily, shoving Xander into the lift. “It’s all under control.”
    I rammed my fist repeatedly against the button for my floor until the door slid shut, and then I leaned against it, my eyes closed.
    “Don’t ostrich me, Sophie,” Luke said, and I opened my eyes again. Damn. They were both still there.
    “Look,” I said, in as calm a voice as I could manage—which is to say, vibrating on the Richter scale, “this really is just nothing like it looks—”
    “And how does it look?” Luke spat.
    I like this man very much , I told myself. I am sleeping with him. He has saved my life. There is a small possibility—now almost certainly expired—that he may be a little bit in love with me .
    Fuck it.
    “It looked like someone was after Xander with a gun and we were just stalling,” I said desperately. “Xander, tell him—”
    “I think you broke my nose,” Xander said.
    “Good,” Luke said savagely. “What the hell are you doing here?”
    “Luke, this isn’t Harvey. I thought it was.” I tried to smile, but Luke cut me off.
    “Is that why you were kissing him?”
    “No! No, I was kissing him because, er—”
    “A distraction,” Xander muttered through the blood pouring out of his nose. “The guy in the shiny suit’s been tailing me for days.”
    “He’s what?” I said.
    “He works for Shapiro. It’s a long story…”
    “No doubt. Xander, does he really owe you money?”
    “Well, yes—”
    “I don’t give a fuck who owes who what,” Luke broke in irritably. The lift slid to a halt and the doors opened, and yours truly fell back flat on her arse.
    “Ow,” I said, lying there with my knickers showing, slightly winded. “Aren’t you going to help me?”
    “No,” Luke said, and stepped over me, slouching off down to hall towards my room.
    Xander extended his least bloody hand and pulled me to my feet.
    “He seems like a nice guy,” he said. “Really.”
    “Xander,” I turned to him helplessly, “look, I’m really sorry about this. I told you he was jealous.” I winced. That was no excuse. “I’ll try and sort this out—can you maybe go home and get some ice on your nose?”
    He shook his head. “You don’t think they’ll be waiting for me at