Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak Read Free Book Online Page B

Seattle with her. Although Evelyn could see why he might feel as if she’d played favorites when she left him behind, he’d told her it wasn’t the abandonment that bothered him as much as the fact that he hadn’t known he had a sibling, let alone a twin, until he turned eighteen and received a call from Jason. “When’s the last time you heard from her?”
    â€œShe called a couple of months ago.”
    â€œFrom Seattle?”
    â€œI couldn’t tell you. I didn’t pick up.”
    â€œAnd you didn’t call back?”
    â€œI’ve been busy.”
    â€œYou mean you can’t forgive her.”
    â€œIt’s not that. She hated Alaska, was miserable here. I can understand why she might leave. Everyone has the right to find their own happiness and all that. I can even understand why she’d think it was fair to take one son and leave the other. But she’s been gone for twenty-seven years. And we had no contact until Jason reached out. I don’t know her that well, so it makes for an awkward conversation.” He yawned, checked his watch and stood. “It’s late. We’d better get to bed. If the storm lets up, tomorrow will be a hell of a day.”
    The way he’d handled her questions about his mother told Evelyn he didn’t care to talk about her. “Because of the cleanup?”
    â€œAnd whatever damage it leaves in its wake.”
    â€œWhat if it doesn’t let up?” She almost hoped it wouldn’t. She may have told him she didn’t want a relationship, but the attraction she felt hadn’t gone anywhere. She couldn’t say she’d be disappointed by the prospect of spending another day here, with him.
    â€œThen we put everything off until it does.”
    She finished the last of her wine. “Thanks for taking me in.”
    He extended a hand to her, and she let him pull her up. “You’re a pretty onerous houseguest, but I’m managing. And you did provide dinner.” A flash of teeth told her he was smiling, but shadow obscured the finer details of his expression.
    He started to let go of her, but she curled her fingers through his, and he hesitated as if her response surprised him. It surprised her, too. She’d indicated she wasn’t a good romantic option.
    Looking down at their entwined hands, he moved his thumb over her palm in a seductive circle. “You realize you’re giving me conflicting signals.”
    â€œI do,” she said, but couldn’t seem to let go. Despite how she’d discouraged him in the past, she was suddenly burning with the desire to be touched by him.
    He stared into her eyes for several seconds. Then he bent his head and pressed his lips against hers. She could tell he was taking it one second at a time, didn’t have a lot of hope she’d allow him to kiss her very thoroughly, but she was pretty sure she felt what any normal woman would feel when being kissed by a man she found so attractive. No fear. No desire to flee. Just a heady euphoria, as if his mouth was twice as intoxicating as the wine.
    Was it because she was already drunk? If so, she didn’t care. Not if it made this possible.
    His lips moved so lightly over hers she found herself leaning into him for something deeper, more satisfying, but he seemed to be holding himself on a very tight leash.
    â€œI like that,” she whispered.
    Emboldened by the compliment, he parted her lips and touched her tongue with his as if he couldn’t quit without a taste. Then he stepped back and let her go. “You’ve had too much to drink. Let’s get you into bed.”
    *   *   *
    A noise woke Evelyn. At first, she thought it had to be the weather. The storm still raged. Huge gusts of wind whistled through the eaves, bending the trees against the house, making just as much racket as before. Ensconced in Amarok’s spare bedroom, which smelled like her aunt