Secrets and Lies (Crimson Romance) by Shay Lacy Read Free Book Online Page B

Roles don’t get cast based on who wants to be an actor the most.”
    “But you were good!”
    “Thanks for the support. I need to retrieve this sculpture so I can get back to California. Would you see if you can locate it?”
    Juliana sensed something beneath Charlie’s easy smile. The Charlie she’d grown up with wouldn’t have let overwhelming odds stop him. But she followed his lead and picked up the photo. A picture of a large white house filled her mind. It was a mansion surrounded by palm trees, which described a lot of properties in Florida.
    “It’s a very large white house, two stories at least, maybe three. There’s a large pool in the back, shaped like a four leaf clover, a pool house or guesthouse, lots of property.” She tried to see more details.
    “Can you get an address?” Charlie asked.
    She shook her head and laid the photo on the coffee table. “It doesn’t work like that. I’ve got a map of Miami. I’ll try to pinpoint it for you.”
    “If you had a picture of the house, could you tell?”
    “Maybe. You have a photo?”
    He nodded. “In the car. I’ll be right back.” Charlie rose and slipped out the door.
    Juliana almost wished it wasn’t this easy to find the sculpture. She’d like more time to get to know this sexy man again. But he was itching to return to his life in California. She had no right to hold him back. What they’d shared was in the past. Puppy love didn’t last.

CHAPTER 5
    Excitement urged Charlie back to Juliana’s apartment with his file folder of precious photos. If she could pinpoint the sculpture’s location, he might be home by tomorrow, away from his family . . . and her.
    That little white top she wore bared a delectable midriff. And the long crinkled melon-colored skirt draped low enough on her abdomen to give him carnal ideas about pulling it down her hips. He wondered what she wore underneath it, if anything. The desire to run his hands up her shapely calves and thighs to find out drove him wild.
    He thanked God he’d worn loose black pants; otherwise his hard-on would make it painful to move. He shouldn’t make love with her again. That wasn’t his reason for being here. He should stick to business.
    Juliana looked up when he stepped through the door and all his good intentions dived straight toward hell. Her dark eyes were nearly all pupil. His cock hardened even more. It made him hot to see a woman who desired him as much as Juliana did.
    Charlie sucked in several breaths as he fought the urge to pull her down onto his cock. Surrounded by the warmth and color of Mexican fabrics and homemade pots, she burned with Latin life and passion. He needed that passion.
    Focus, man
.
    He approached the couch where she sat watching him like a cat watched its next meal. Careful not to touch her, he sat down and laid the three grainy black-and-white prints from the Internet on the coffee table in front of her.
    Juliana reached out, and her palm hovered over the first photo. With her other hand she picked up the photo of the stolen sculpture. She placed her palm on the photo. Charlie held his breath. He noticed by her outthrust breasts that Juliana did, too.
    A little frown creased her forehead. “I don’t get anything from this one.”
    She lifted her hand and moved it to the next photo, where she repeated her performance. He held his breath again. “Not this one either.”
    Juliana moved her hand to the final photo, where she hesitated. “I don’t always get something from photos.”
    “I understand.”
    Still she hesitated, and he glanced up. Juliana looked at him, not at the pictures. “Charlie, what are you going to do if I tell you it’s at this last house?”
    “Get it back.”
    “You mean steal it?”
    He smiled. “How can it be stealing when the sculpture doesn’t belong to them?”
    “Charlie, I mean it. I’m a cop’s daughter. I can’t help you break the law.”
    “How is helping me different from helping the police?”
    “You’re