Haze of Heat by Jennifer Dellerman Read Free Book Online Page B

as she went back out to lock the slider, draw the blackout curtain, and check the front door of the suite. Wanting a quick cleanup before taking a nap, she gathered what she would need and showered the day away.
    As she lay in bed, watching the ceiling fan go around and around, she thought about her latest story. She’d been unable to write for more than two weeks and knew she needed to get back on the wagon, so to speak. Soon or she would miss her deadline.
    With a sigh, Rachel turned on her side and thought about what would happen next with Reed and Evangeline, and found herself thinking of Porter instead.
    Porter , her cat purred.
    Oh great. Rachel groaned and thumped her fist on the pillow. Here we go again.
    Safe . The single word was accompanied with a soft head butt. Her feline’s attempt at reassurance. Hopeful that she had done the right thing by coming here, Rachel shut her eyes.
    Two minutes later she was fast asleep.

Chapter Five
    When Rachel woke twelve hours later, she decided against seeking Porter out. She wasn’t on a real vacation and desperately needed to get some work accomplished. Now that she was hopefully hidden from her stalker, she should get her mind back on her writing.
    Then she turned over onto her stomach and fell back asleep.
    Three hours later, she sat in her sleep shorts and tank, staring blankly at her laptop screen. Her elbow was on the table, her chin in her hand. The other was curled around a glass holding life-giving iced coffee, thanks to the single tray of ice cubes located in the tiny freezer compartment of the mini-fridge.
    She’d been in the same position for some time, staring at the bottom of the screen as the minutes ticked by.
    Eight thirty-five.
    Absently, Rachel scratched the underside of one foot with the toes of the other, and thought. Porter hadn’t said anything to her about her car when she’d spoken to him from the balcony. Had he helped Rome check it out? Was it clean? She was undeniably curious, and since she didn’t know how to get a hold of Rome—
    By eight forty-five she’d brushed her teeth, dressed in a pair of jeans, a deep pink short-sleeved scoop-neck T-shirt, and sneakers. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, the rioting curls tamed by the braid that dangled to her nape. Though she was pleased to note she no longer looked like a poster child for the living dead, she slapped on sunscreen, a bit of powder, blush, a slick of lip gloss, mascara—so people could tell she really did have lashes—snatched her key card, and headed for the stairs.
    At the dining room entrance she paused, taken aback at the sight of a dark-haired woman slouched in a chair at the expansive table, staring at her phone. Her coloring was almost as dark as Porter’s and Rome’s, yet with a red undertone rather than the men’s deep honey. A slight dent gave her chin an intriguing look and the midnight swath of her hair was pulled back in a long, thick braid that draped over her left shoulder and down her chest. A thin gold band wrapped around the third finger of her left hand. A discreet inhalation informed Rachel this female was all human.
    When the woman looked up and smiled in greeting, Rachel noticed her eyes were nearly as dark as her hair and slightly slanted. While not beautiful, all those amazing features created an exotic combination that made Rachel a little envious. To make matters worse, the other woman didn’t seem to have an ounce of makeup on and still appeared stunning.
    “Good morning, Rachel. I’m Gwen and you’re just in time. Annie was about to take away breakfast.” She nodded at several chafing pans that sat on a sideboard along the wall behind one end of the long table. “Grab some while you can and have a seat.”
    Though Rachel wasn’t exactly starving—she’d eaten the bag of chips and banana with her coffee—the scent of bacon was tempting. After a tentative hello back, Rachel spooned up scrambled eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes,