Ineffable by Sherrod Story Read Free Book Online Page A

about dinner with your daddy later?”
    “I spoke with my lawyer today.”
    “Ah. We’re ignoring daddy. Cool. Let me guess. Someone’s embezzled three million dollars of your money away. No wonder you’re looking so tight around the grill.”
    Nori scoffed. “No.”
    “Okay. Then someone’s died and you’ve inherited three million dollars, upon which, you just found out you have to pay a hefty inheritance tax.”
    Now he laughed outright. “No. What’s with you and three million dollars?” Was everyone he met today going to play the crazy question game?
    Margot shrugged. “It’s a nice round number. I can’t seem to think of you in connection with a small denomination.”
    “Thank you, but no. No one’s left me anything, or stolen anything. My lawyer, who I consider my best friend – since we’ve known each other for more than two decades, and he’s saved my ass one more than one occasion – staged an intervention of sorts.”
    “You mean he warned you off me.”
    “He did not. Indeed, he has appointed himself your champion. Thinks you’ve gotten a bad rap, and pointed out that lately you’ve been staying out of the press. He also suggested that I marry you. It’s my father who thinks if I don’t distance myself from you it could hurt business.”
    She took back the joint, but she didn’t look at him as she asked, “And will you?”
    “Will I what?”
    “Distance yourself from me. You have to admit it’s sound advice.” She took a sip of wine, and passed him her glass with a wink as she whispered, “I do have a small reputation,” she pinched two fingers close, “for being a troublemaker.”
    “Yes, you do, and no, I will not.”
    “I bet your lawyer-friend wasn’t happy to hear that.”
    “No, I told you Lado likes you.”
    “Yeah?”
    Nori nodded. “Said if I needed him, to call.”
    She took another sip of wine. “Good lawyer-friend.”
    Nori took the half empty glass and set it aside, then pulled her into his arms. “Yes.”
    “So, my problem is your daddy.”
    “Your problem,” he corrected. “Is that you haven’t made love to me in hours.”
    “Since this morning,” she said solemnly. “What should we do about that?” she asked, blinking liquid brown eyes before spoiling the effect when she had to pick out an eyelash.
    Nori withheld a grin. “The real question is, what am I going to do with you?”
    Margot slung both slender arms around his neck, and he felt her slightly boozy breath wash his lips as she leaned in to whisper, “I don’t know, honey. What do you want to do with me?”
    Everything, he thought, but he said, “I’m tired of people trying to keep us apart. For all they know you could be my good luck charm.”
    “True,” she said, rubbing her nose against his. “But you and all your friends know it’s more likely I’ll be your bad luck charm.”
    He tightened his arms when she would have moved away. “That’s not true. How do you explain us meeting except the best kind of luck?”
    Margot winked at him. “That’s sweet, doll, but luck didn’t bring us together. My talent brought you to me.”
    Touché, he thought, watching hungrily as she left his arms and moved toward her work basket to pick up a small pair of pliers. It was always a mess, that basket, unlike the rest of her home, but she never failed to retrieve exactly what she wanted from it. Even when she was sorting through a bowl full of seemingly random beads she could lay her hands on what she wanted right away. He often felt the same surety when she touched him.
    He rose and sat next to her on the couch, pulled her legs on top of his. She never really stopped working. He wanted to take her little mesh necklace and toss it across the room.
    He pouted. He’d learned by accident how effective it was on her. He’d pouted more since he’d met her than he had as a child.
    “Come on with the lip already.” She ran her finger over the curve of his bottom lip.
    “I’m in a bad