Grievous (Wanted Men Book 5) by Nancy Haviland Read Free Book Online Page A

idiot?” she whispered.
    Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright. Her heart was beating faster and faster, and her nerves were buzzing almost loud enough to hear.
    She was no longer afraid.
    She felt fucking excited.
    Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate. She did have some residual fear and anger twisting around inside her that continued to come and go because she had a brain in her head. But something was overpowering it. The incomprehensible thing she felt for the man standing on the other side of the door.
    “Oh, you stupid woman. Hold onto the fear. Find the phone. Get the hell out of here. Simple.” Something stretched awake inside her, looking for him. “He has no intention of bringing you to the airport!” she mouthed a little frantically.
    Excitement. No fear. She could have sworn her body just sighed with relief.
    She turned away, leaned her ass on the counter, and concentrated on what was happening to her. She was hot. She was bothered. A softness that felt so good was wrapping around her heart. Every time she looked and found Lucian watching her, she got hotter. When she concentrated on the new darkness in those amber depths, she became more bothered. And that softness making her heart swell? That was the most dangerous of all.
    She went back to the physical stuff—it wasn’t as pathetic. Was she really going to let her attraction to him wipe out what he’d done to her? What if she lost her job?
    Lucian was one of the most powerful men in New York. If he or his people were the ones who’d arranged her replacement, her boss wouldn’t turn around and fire her the moment she returned. Would he? Not if Lucian forbid it.
    Adrenaline and pure lust seeped into her muscles at the thought of him putting the hammer down with only a few cutting words. It had to be the new edge. It should repel her, yet every time his expression allowed her to see it, she wanted more.
    “You’re losing sight of the very simple goals you set for yourself. Twenty minutes ago you were ready to scratch his eyes out. He feeds you a line of bullshit that you believed for all of two seconds and what did you do? Kiss his fucking beautiful mouth.” She groaned and rubbed at her face, knowing that was when things had changed. The covetous expression he hadn’t tried to hide had reeled her in like she was the easiest mark on the block.
    “What the hell’s wrong with you and your libido around this guy? Your feelings for him are derailing you, and you’re letting it happen. You have to go home,” she wailed under her breath, and wanted to slap herself for suddenly feeling anxious at the very idea because she now kinda-sorta wanted to stay.
    To stay with him.
    He was obviously hurting enough to have done something that could get him into a shit-ton of trouble. Maybe instead of bitching and moaning about going home, she could be his friend and try to help him through his grief.
    Okay. She straightened. She could do that. Consider it a vacay, like Sorin said.
    And, really, did she have any other choice? She was on the other side of the world with a powerful, obscenely wealthy man who was acting completely out of character. Or so she could only assume since she didn’t know him well enough to make a definitive judgment. Maybe this was him. Or maybe he was teetering on the edge because he’d just buried his murdered brother. Sympathy filled her as she absently took stock. She had no money, no passport, no ID at all…
    Her stomach cramped. Okay. She was completely at Lucian’s mercy. What if he—
    “All right. Stop it.” She shook out her hands. “Get out there and deal with it as it comes.”
    As she smoothed down her dress that had traveled well considering it was a thrift shop buy, she opened the door.
    Lucian was across the way. He wasn’t casually leaning on the wall, striking some lame pose. He was standing there, completely at ease, with his hands resting in his pockets and his head hanging forward. When she appeared, his eyes