Harbour of Refuge by Aliyah Burke Read Free Book Online Page A

Dubai?”
    “We did really well overall, thanks.”
    “Congrats. Was there something I could do for you?”
    He could think up a whole lot of things she could do for him that would make him an extremely happy man. Couldn’t say them though. Not right now.
    “How are you?” He opted for a safe question.
    “I’m doing fine. And yourself?”
    “Good.” Take the bull by the horns. “I’m in Oregon.”
    Silence. “Your race isn’t for a week yet.” She paused. “You did say you had family there. Are you visiting them? How are they?”
    “You know when my race is?”
    “Mila takes great pains to remind me daily that the man I shagged in Monte Carlo would be coming here soon.”
    “So you’ve not been watching the schedule.”
    “I’ve checked it a time or two. I had plans to go down and see if I could see you.”
    He would like that. “You said ‘here’, are you close to where the race will be?”
    “You could say that. Same town.”
    She was close, so tantalisingly close. He bit back a groan and reached out to stroke a knuckle down the cheek of the little girl watching him.
    “Go on a date with me,” Enzo blurted out.
    “When?”
    He was a bit surprised she agreed so quickly. “Tonight?”
    “I can do that. Do you know the town very well?”
    “No, but I can ask my brother where things are.” So focused on how he’d be seeing her soon, he almost missed the name of the restaurant she gave him. “Is it formal?”
    “No. Simple fare. I can be there about seven.”
    “Sounds good. Am I keeping you from something?”
    “I’m at work actually, and was on my break when you called, so I have to get going. I’ll see you tonight, Enzo. I’m…really glad you called.” She hung up.
    He stared at his phone and sighed. “I’ve got it bad, Cynzia. Really bad.”
    She grinned at him, babbling as she played with the dry cereal on the tray before her.
    “Thank you,” he said when she offered him one. He crunched it and looked up to see his brother standing there. “Yes?”
    “Just thinking how much fun it’ll be when you have kids of your own.”
    “Not for a while yet, thank you very much.”
    “Do we get to meet her?”
    “Always to the point, big brother.” Gio shrugged. “I’m having dinner with her tonight.”
    “Bring her here for dessert.”
    “How do you know she’s here?”
    “Because you’re not hightailing it out of here.”
    With a wink for his niece, he got to his feet. “I need some directions from you.”
    “Gonna stake out the place and wait for her to arrive?”
    He flipped his brother off and walked to the kitchen, where Jaydee was cutting up an apple. She gave him a smile but left him to his own thoughts.
    That was good, because where his thoughts were headed, his sister-in-law did not need to accompany him.
     
    * * * *
     
    Halyn was on edge for the rest of the day. Time seemed to slow and barely tick by. Yes, she was watching it furiously. Who wouldn’t, knowing they had a date with Enzo Cassano later on that night?
    Finally the work day finished and she headed out of the store to her car, dialling Mila on the way.
    “Hey!” her friend said when she answered.
    “He called.”
    Mila didn’t say anything for a few seconds then screamed into the phone. Halyn held it away from her ear. “Oh my God. I told you, I told you, he wanted more than just that one night with you. Details, now. And can I just say I hate you.”
    Laughing, Halyn filled her in on the short call. She didn’t tell her where they were going—she knew Mila would show up—and as wrong as it might be, Halyn wanted him to herself as much as possible.
    Once home, she showered and changed into a pair of well-worn jeans and a plum T-shirt. She put on some slip-on shoes and grabbed her purse before heading back to her car. Work had run on and she had to hustle so she wouldn’t be late.
    The music blared in her car as she drove through the coastal city, but it didn’t do much to calm her nerves. At