Slow Burn by Ednah Walters Read Free Book Online Page A

crossed. Then he removed his jacket, gave it to his
driver and went to stand in front of her car.
    “What are you doing?” she asked when he
removed his cuff links and started to roll up his sleeves.
    “Getting ready to inspect your car.” He
loosened his tie with his left hand, his gaze alternating between
her and the hood. “It’s the thing to do when a car stalls. Did it
stop by itself or just refuse to start?”
    “No. No please.” Ashley gripped the dashboard
and pulled herself up until she could rest one knee on the driver’s
seat. “It’s not the car. I…uh…” She thought of a way to explain the
situation without appearing even more pathetic. “I got something in
my eye, and I pulled over to, you know, take care of it. But I’m
okay now.” When he squinted and continued to study her, she nodded.
“Really. I’m fine.”
    “If you’re sure.” He stopped fiddling with
his tie and shoved his hands in his pockets.
    “Thank you for the use of your hanky, though.
It was kind of you.” She wasn’t sure whether to give it him or
offer to mail it after washing and ironing it.
    “My pleasure.” He flashed another boyish
smile and moved closer to her. “May I at least know your name?”
    “Ashley. Ashley Fitzgerald.” Surprise flashed
in his eyes, but it happened so fast she could have been
mistaken.
    “Vaughn Ricks.” They shook hands. Instead of
letting hers go, he held on to it and added, “It’s a pleasure to
meet you, Ms. Fitzgerald.”
    Ashley grinned. “Oh no. The pleasure is mine.
It’s not often someone charges to my rescue with handkerchief in
hand.”
    “Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?” He laughed,
sounding even younger than she’d thought.
    “Excuse me, Mr. Ricks,” the driver
interjected. “Beg your pardon, ma’am. You’ll be late for the
meeting if we don’t leave now, sir.”
    “I know, Manning,” he answered without taking
his eyes off Ashley. But he finally let go of her hand. “I hope our
paths cross again.”
    He was nice, but she doubted that would
happen. “Is there a way I can send this back to you?” She waved his
handkerchief.
    He shook his head. “Keep it.” There was a
pause as though he was debating with himself. “Or you can give it
to me when we meet again.” He smiled again, pivoted on his heel and
started for the limo.
    ***
    Ron paused in mid-stride to stare at the
security booth in disbelief. He changed directions and hurried
toward the gate. “What are you doing, Johnson?” he asked the
guard.
    The man jerked and turned to face him. “Just
doing my job, sir.”
    He indicated the high-powered binoculars the
guard was holding. “Spying on the neighbors is now part of your
duties?”
    “Mrs. Noble asked me to watch the activities
at the house down the street.”
    What the hell was his mother up to now? Ron
glanced at the envelope with photographs he still held in his hand
and grimaced. Things were complicated enough without antagonizing
her with questions about binoculars and spying on her
neighbors.
    “Put it away,” he instructed the security
guard. “I’m sure there’s a law somewhere against doing that sort of
thing.”
    “What do I do if I notice any funny business
at Mr. Doyle’s residence?”
    A frown crossed Ron’s brow. “Doyle?”
    “Yes, Ryan Doyle. Your mother said something
about not liking him living too close to her. Wanted to know what
he and his son were up to.”
    When did Doyle buy a house in the
neighborhood? After his father died, Doyle had tried to hit on his
mother, appearing everywhere she went and stopping by the house
uninvited. The man even tried to use Ron to get to her. Ron wasn’t
sure what Nina told him, but Doyle disappeared from their lives.
“Regardless of what my mother told you to do—”
    “But it’s a good thing I did too, sir. I saw
the lady who just left…Ms. Fitzgerald…talking with Doyle’s son only
a few seconds ago.”
    “What? Are you sure?”
    “She pulled up a little past