Reckless Assignation by Denyse Bridger Read Free Book Online Page B

gaze stray to the woman he had known with
reluctant intimacy. He felt nothing for her, no regret. The choice had been
simple, for once black-and-white. He looked back at Cindi.
    “More than okay, sweetheart,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry.
This is what I fear all the time, that my past will get you killed. It almost
did tonight.”
    He scooped her up and carried her out of the room the same
way he’d brought her in. They were out of the hotel less than ten minutes
later, both breathing easier when they were inside Rick’s Jaguar and heading
for their apartment.
    “I’ll get the doctor over as soon as we’re home.”
    “It’s really not bad, Rick.”
    Rick didn’t bother commenting, and Cindi sighed as they
drove away from the ancient hotel. Halloween fun had turned deadly and
horrifying. Maybe it was time to retire for real, he thought darkly.
    * * * * *
    Two hours after they left the hotel, Rick was putting her
carefully into bed. Cindi grabbed his hand when he would have left the room.
    “Stay, Rick. We need to talk.”
    He looked down at her for a moment, undecided, then nodded
and sat next to her, holding her hand clasped between his.
    “I’m so sorry, baby,” he murmured. “There’s so much in my
life that puts you at risk every day. It’s not fair to you.”
    She shook her head and lifted their hands so she could kiss
his before she answered. “Rick, every day I live in ways that make me happier
than I ever thought possible. Because of you. I know the risks, and I wouldn’t
change us for anything.”
    “She almost killed you!”
    “Almost, sweetheart,” she said. “She was crazy, wasn’t she?”
The words whispered between them. “And not in a good way.”
    “She’s one of many, Cindi,” he replied with a sigh. “There’s
so much you don’t know about me. About what I was for so long.”
     
    Cinthya stared at him for a long time, memorizing the sharp
lines of his face, holding on to the image as if it were a lifeline. “Come to
bed, Rick. Please.”
    Minutes later he settled next to her and drew her into his
arms. She snuggled close.
    “How does this feel?” he asked, his fingers brushing lightly
over the bandage just above her waist.
    “Doesn’t hurt, the painkillers have kicked in. Besides, it
wasn’t as bad as it looked, you know that.”
    “She’s not the only one out there with a grudge, honey.”
    “I know, Rick. It’s okay, really. I know you and my dad
think of me as a kid, but I do understand what being with you means. The
good and the bad. I made my choice, stop trying to make me change my mind.”
    He kissed her, the caress slow, deep and loving. When she
drew back, she grinned up at him. “I have a question.”
    His eyebrow shot up and he eyed her. “And that would be?”
    “The Mayfair’s been deserted for about a thousand years or
so.” She laughed when his eyes rolled, then continued, “How in hell did we have
a hot bath in the place?”
    He laughed until they both shook, then kissed her again
before he answered. “That was one of the trickier parts of the whole thing. I
had to pay big bucks to have the plumbing fixed.”
    She frowned. “Why would you be allowed to do that?”
    “I bought the place, honey. It was the only way.”
    She laughed until she was gasping. “When you plan a
surprise, you don’t spare the expense, do you?”
    He shrugged. “Maybe we’ll renovate and I can retire and be
an innkeeper?”
    “What about the ghosts?” Silence for several minutes, and
she finally dared to look him in the eye. “You’re not telling me I’m crazy.
Why?”
    He didn’t flinch or laugh at her. “Something lives in that
hotel,” he admitted with care. “And whatever it is,” a pause, “ whoever it is…they held you in those seconds it took for me to reach you. You should
have had your throat at least partly cut. There’s not a mark on you.”
    “I wondered if you’d realize that,” she murmured. “It was
like someone was holding my