Midnight Action by Elle Kennedy Read Free Book Online Page A

were
spectacular
.”
    “And what do you think now?”
    She was teasing him, and damned if his heart didn’t do a childish little somersault.
    “I think you’re perfect.” His voice came out thick and gravelly.
    “I’m not perfect, Jim. Nobody is.” Her warm breath heated his neck as she sighed. “I try to be...I don’t know...
good
, I guess. I try to be the person I know I should be. But sometimes, when I’m lying in bed, late at night...I think very bad thoughts.”
    His fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head so he could see her eyes. The fierce look in those pale blue depths startled him.
    “What kind of thoughts?”
    “I fantasize about all the ways I would kill my stepfather.” Guilt flashed on her face. “Isn’t that sick?”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “It’s human nature to want to strike back against the people who’ve hurt you.” Morgan hesitated. “He hurts you, doesn’t he, baby?”
    Her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. “Yes.”
    “What does he do to you?” Although he voiced the question, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.
    “Everything,” she whispered. “He does everything.”
    Anger torpedoed into his chest, and if he hadn’t been lying down, the force of it would have knocked him right off his feet.
    Head in the game, man. You’re not here to protect her from Laurent. Focus.
    He choked down his rage, took a deep breath. Enough. He had to quit letting his emotions rule him. Otherwise he’d blow this entire mission.
    “He’ll get what’s coming to him,” Morgan said quietly. “Evil men always do.”
    Noelle’s loose red sweater rustled as she disentangled herself from his arms. “I don’t want to talk about René anymore. He’ll be out of my life soon enough.” She checked the expensive silver watch around her delicate wrist. “Actually, I should probably go. My mother doesn’t like it when I stay out late on school nights.”
    “I’ll drive you home,” he said immediately, and the surprise that filled her gaze made him chuckle. “What?”
    “You’ll drive me home, just like that?”
    “Of course. Did you think I’d make you walk?”
    “No, but...” She looked sweet and innocent as she nibbled on her lower lip. “I thought you’d be upset that I’m not...that we won’t...”
    “Have sex?” he said knowingly.
    She nodded.
    “This is our first date.” He grinned at her. “I don’t put out on the first date, baby.”
    Her melodic laughter wrapped around him like a warm blanket. “I didn’t expect you to be such a gentleman.”
    “No?”
    “You told me I was beautiful. And then you invited me to have dinner at your hotel.” A cynical note crept into her voice. “Other men would have tried to seduce me.”
    Shrugging, he hopped to his feet and held out his hand. “I’m not other men,” he said lightly.
    “No, I guess you’re not.” After a beat of hesitation, she took his hand and stood up. “You’re one of the good ones, aren’t you, Jim?”
    This time, it was impossible not to have an emotional response—and the emotion that seized his chest was pure and total guilt.
    You’re one of the good ones
.
    God. Fuck. No, he certainly wasn’t. He was not a good man at all.
    And Noelle Phillips would discover it much sooner than later.

Chapter 4
    Present day
    They’d been in the air for eight hours. Eight long hours and not a single word had been exchanged. Granted, Noelle had been asleep for most of that time, but Morgan had stayed awake, checking databases on his laptop and calling various contacts for intel on Gilles Girard, the lawyer who’d solicited Noelle’s services. He’d struck out at every turn, and his frustration had grown with each dead end.
    All he’d managed to glean was that Girard was an estate and tax lawyer, an upstanding citizen, and a lover of eighteenth-century architecture. He wasn’t linked to any shady characters, hadn’t been red-flagged by any government agencies, and had never been