All You Desire by Kirsten Miller Read Free Book Online

seven decades.”
    â€œHe’s supposed to leave me alone. He didn’t make any promises when it came to you. And after you threatened to send the Ouroboros Society’s membership list to the New York Times . . .”
    â€œOkay, okay, Haven. I get it. But New York’s a city with eight million people. And Roy goes to Columbia. He lives up in Morningside Heights, for God’s sake,” Beau said. “I’m not going anywhere near Gramercy Park or the Ouroboros Society.”
    â€œSo his name is Roy now?” Haven finally cracked a smile.
    â€œRoy Bradford,” Beau confirmed. “He sounds like a movie star, don’t you think?”
    â€œHe does.” Haven’s smile faded fast. “You will be careful, won’t you? I don’t want you to get your feelings hurt if he ends up being a psycho.” Most people might not have felt the need to protect a sixfoot-four football player with a terrible temper, but Haven knew that Beau’s Achilles’ heel was his heart. After he’d watched Haven find the person she was meant to be with, Beau’s own search for a soul mate had begun in earnest. The only problem was that he had mistaken him for half of the men he’d met. As hard as she tried, Haven couldn’t shake the feeling that Roy Bradford might be another wrong number.
    â€œI’m not going to let my imagination run away with me this time,” Beau vowed, as though he’d been reading her thoughts. “And you watch yourself too. Don’t let some old lady rob you blind. Go see Virginia Morrow and let her know who she’s dealing with.”
    â€œI’ll think about it,” Haven said, though she’d already made up her mind.

CHAPTER SIX
    The villa perched on a small, overgrown hill that rose above the emerald green Tuscan fields surrounding it. From the road, all Haven could see of the building was the clay tiles of its roof, which looked badly in need of repair. As she turned into the driveway, she noticed that a cypress tree had grown to engulf one corner of the house while grape vines scaled the walls, pinning the last chunks of the villa’s crumbling plaster to the bricks beneath.
    Haven pulled her car as close to the house as she could. She’d hoped to complete her errand quickly and return to Florence before sunset. Iain thought she’d gone window-shopping, and if the trip took less than three hours, his suspicions might not be aroused. Now there didn’t seem to be any reason to rush. The villa looked deserted, and Haven wondered how long Virginia Morrow had been gone. Still, she decided to fight her way through the vines to the front door. A cold wind rustled the vegetation, and Haven was assailed by the faint smell of rotting flesh. She looked down to find herself standing at the edge of a swimming pool. The corpse of a bird floated in the icy, algae-filled rainwater that had collected inside. Startled, Haven almost turned back toward the car, but she stopped herself. It would be ridiculous to drive so far only to leave without knocking.
    As she stood outside the villa’s front door, a cat emerged from under a bush and brushed against Haven’s ankles. She reached down to scratch behind its ears. Abandoned on a desolate hill in the middle of Tuscany, the creature had the protruding ribs of a castaway. Haven wondered if she should take it back to the city, where it might stand a chance of survival.
    â€œWho’s there?!” a voice inside demanded.
    Haven jumped, and the cat slunk silently back into the bushes. “Mrs. Morrow?” Haven replied.
    â€œI don’t talk to reporters.”
    â€œI’m not a reporter, but I would like to speak with you if you have a moment. My name is Haven Moore.”
    Haven thought she heard a throaty chuckle. “I’m busy. If you have something to say, you can say it to my lawyer.”
    â€œI was hoping that wouldn’t be necessary.