Black Opal by Sandra Cox Read Free Book Online

their platters and steaming baked potatoes, loaded down with sour cream, butter and chives.
    “I took the liberty of ordering for all of us. If anything isn’t to your liking we’ll send it back and get something else. The fillets are medium.”
    “That’s fine, sugar. I hate steaks rare. The sight of blood makes me nauseous,” Bella answered as she cut into hers.
    Sabina nodded. “Perfect.” A slight frown of annoyance flickered across her features. He could only guess that it was because he’d ordered for her.
    As soon as the waiter left the room, Sabina laid down her fork and knife. “What about your uncle?”
    “What about him?”
    “There’s nothing saying he isn’t behind the attacks and you are in it with him.”
    “It is a possibility, sugar,” Bella added in a calm voice as she salted her potato then looked at Adam.
    Adam didn’t know whether to laugh or curse. “So let me see.” He lifted his finger to tick off his point. “You nearly get your head crushed and I remove you from danger.” He lifted a second finger. “A car comes rushing straight at you and I arrive before the car can nudge yours over the cliff. Oh excuse me or should I say shoot you?” he inquired, his voice heavy with sarcasm. He nodded. “It certainly has every appearance of me and my uncle trying to kill you. I can see where you would think that.”
    His knife scraped against his plate as he cut his steak with a little more vigor than absolutely necessary. The women followed the movement with their eyes.
    The moment he popped a piece in his mouth, Bella spoke, all drawl and Southern charm, “Perhaps, you aren’t in agreement with what your uncle wants done, sugar.”
    The meat lodged in his throat. He choked and forced himself to swallow, his face hot and flushed. He reached for his water, took a deep drink then breathed hard through his nose trying to beat back his anger.
    He looked first at Bella then directed his gaze to Sabina. “I swear on the blood of my family, my uncle has nothing to do with these two incidents. And I intend to stay nearby to prove it.” He leaned forward and looked deep into her eyes knowing heat flared in his own as he added, “Day and night.”
    He watched color flood her lovely features.
    Her aristocratic nostrils flared. “He tried to kill my friend.” She tossed her head in Bella’s direction while still maintaining eye contact with Adam. She referred to an instance some time back that had happened when Victor Price was trying to get Bella’s armband.
    “Business,” he shrugged and hated himself for the lame answer.
    Sabina pushed back the chair, shot to her feet and threw down her linen napkin, her fine brown eyes flashing liquid fire.
    “Sit down, Sabina,” he said in a quiet voice. “That was crass of me. My uncle deeply regrets what he tried to do and so do I.”
    She stood panting, her whole body quivering.
    “Sit down, Sabina.”
    “Sit down and eat, sugar.” Bella reached for a roll. “He’s just trying to get a rise out of you because you get under his skin.” She looked at Adam and grinned. “Right, handsome?”
    He tamped down his embarrassment. “It is hard on my equilibrium to be dining by candlelight with the two most beautiful women in the city.”
    Sabina rolled her eyes but sat down.
    Bella fluttered her eyelashes and patted her hair. “Why, sugar, you certainly know how to sweet-talk a woman.”
    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sabina point her finger toward her mouth and make a gagging gesture. The tension broke as he burst out laughing. “Remind me never to play poker with you,” he told Bella. “You would empty my pockets and probably take the shirt right off my back before I realized what happened.”
    Bella leaned forward exposing her ample cleavage, letting her gaze sweep over him. “What a charming thought.”
    He blushed, something he would have sworn he hadn’t done since he was a boy. He cast a glance at Sabina to see how she was