Almost Midnight by Teresa McCarthy Read Free Book Online Page A

glued to her back as she stepped into the room.
    His desk sat in the center of hunter green walls which were accented by carved-oak paneling. A mini bar was situated in the far corner, and on the opposite side of the room, two French doors overlooked the backyard pool. The place suited him.
    “Can I get you a drink? Wine, beer, soda?” 
    “No, thank you,” she said coolly.
    His gray eyes became flat as he stared at her. “Mind if I have a beer? It’s been a long day.”
    She shrugged her shoulders as if she didn’t care and moved toward the windows. The sun was slowly moving lower over the mountains. It was closing on five o’clock. She needed to get home and change. She had a three-hour shift at the library tonight. Time had gone by too fast. She realized she wouldn’t have time to make the gingerbread she promised Jeremy.
    “Miss Elliot, I believe I owe you an apology.” 
    Surprised, Hannah glanced over her shoulder and couldn’t help but raise her brows in question. “An apology?” That was the last thing she expected from this man.
    “You’re going to make this hard on me, aren’t you?” In spite of the cool tension in the room, his eyes sparkled with a tenderness she had instantly recognized when she’d first met him. She noted he hadn’t gone for his beer either.
    “I was out of line,” he said. “I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. It’s not just that my father didn’t tell me your name. My father set you up. He knows the police chief. They’re best of friends.” There was a moment’s hesitation, and he lifted a mocking brow. “Need I say more?”
    Hannah dropped her gaze, hiding her grin as she pictured Tanner Clearbrook on the phone with the police. She rubbed her hands against her jeans while the ticking of an old wall clock cut through the icy stillness that stood between them.
    His voice brought her head up. “My father’s interfered in my life as long as I can remember. He’s a stubborn old mule. So needless to say, your position here was not coincidence. Since Chief of Police Harry Brown is one of his good friends, my father found out about us like that.” He snapped his fingers in the air.
    “I see.” Hannah felt uneasy at the way she’d been hired and now she knew why. She almost laughed, but pride concealed her amusement. She noted the stern set of Tanner’s chin and wondered if the man had inherited the same stubbornness from his father.
    “Obviously, my father enjoyed your little jest. I really can’t blame you for not giving a stranger your number. And for your information, I am not a limo driver. I was doing someone a favor.” 
    He paused. “Back to my dad. Being on friendly terms with the police, it wasn’t hard for my dad to discover your address or which church you attended. But he did say that you were good for Jeremy. If you haven’t noticed, my son still has problems with his mother’s death.”
    “Mr. Clearbrook—”
    “Tanner. Call me, Tanner.” He turned his smile up a notch, and her heart slammed into her ribs. Tanner was dangerous. Mr. Clearbrook was safe.
    He stood there, so tempting and handsome, she almost forgot why she’d come into the room in the first place. “I like to keep it strictly business if you don’t mind, Mr. Clearbrook.”
    His eyes seemed to narrow. “I never mentioned anything but, Miss Elliot. If my father has your correct phone number, we can forget what happened a month or so ago. My son needs a tutor. I’ll give you two weeks to prove to me that my father didn’t make a mistake hiring you.”
    Her eyes grew wide. “Two weeks?”  
    “Yes, was there something else?” He said the words slowly, dropping his eyes to her feet, then shifting his gaze back to her face, giving her plenty of time to catch the meaning.
    Oh, she got it all right. “There is something else,” she said, meeting his steely gaze straight on.
    His eyes lit up as he rested on the corner of his desk and slowly crossed his arms