Stolen Seduction by Elisabeth Naughton Read Free Book Online Page B

this resort was half a million dollars over budget and two months behind schedule. And it
    was also part of the reason she was up here now.
    Her brain flicked back over the scene she’d witnessed. Paused on Lucy Walthers. Whom neither one
    had mentioned yet.
    Shit. Should she tell them? No. Because then she’d definitely have to give up Billy. And she’d never
    do that.
    “It is,” she agreed in a quiet voice.
    She couldn’t help it. She flicked another look at Shane only to find his hard, dark eyes focused solely on her. He still hadn’t said a word, and aside from catching her before she’d gone down like a
    wussy female, he hadn’t touched her again. But the way he was watching her with those probing
    eyes set her on edge. They weren’t the soft, gentle eyes they’d been last night. These were cop eyes.
    The kind that looked all the way through a person and decided, Yep, she’s lying.
    Hailey had to look away.
    “Did you go by the house yesterday, Ms. Roarke?” Chen asked.
    Her stomach clenched. Now, how was she going to answer that one?
    Before Hailey could open her mouth, the phone on Chen’s hip went off. He looked down at the
    number, scowled and flipped it open. “I need to take this. Detective Maxwell can finish things up
    here.”
    He didn’t wait for an answer from her, simply lifted the phone to his ear and said, “Chen” as he
    strode for the exit.
    Okay. Finish up. At least that meant they weren’t going to arrest her. And it meant she wasn’t going
    to have to say a word about Billy. A shot of relief raced through Hailey, as strong as any triple
    espresso. Until the moment the door snapped shut and she was suddenly all alone with Shane.
    He stared at her with narrowed eyes. Didn’t say a thing. And in the silence between them, every one
    of her self-doubts came rushing back.
    She’d never been good enough for any man. Not for her father, not for her ex-husband, and definitely not for this burly detective she’d been thinking about for three long months. In the end, they’d all
    walked away from her for one reason or another.
    She took in the way he was studying her. This was not a man who was interested in her anymore.
    Not as a woman, at least. And definitely not as a possible lover. He was here right now only because
    she was a suspect.
    A suspect. Forget all that lovey-dovey crap. The only thing she needed to focus on now was figuring a way to keep her ass out of jail.
    Damn, Bryan. And damn my father, too.
    She squared her shoulders, refusing to be intimidated. And was just about to open her mouth and cut
    the silence when the bathroom door flew open and Billy walked out in a rush of steam and heat that
    poured into the room.
    “Babe, I thought you said there was coffee.” Her former brother-in-law was naked but for a pair of
    low-slung Levi’s and a towel he was rubbing through his light brown hair. “You know I’m no good
    before nine without some caffeine.”
    Shane’s gaze snapped from Billy’s bare chest to her white terry bathrobe. And in his eyes she saw a
    whole lot of What the fuck? He knew who Billy was. And he knew Billy’s reputation.
    Hailey closed her eyes and blew out a long breath. Yeah. Things weren’t looking up at all. And this
    was doing shit to keep her out of jail.
    Shane’s back tightened as Hailey quickly stood and turned away from him. “Billy. You remember
    Shane Maxwell, don’t you?”
    Billy halted and his head came up. Surprised, hazel eyes darted to Hailey’s face, then over her
    shoulder to Shane.
    Yeah. You keep lookin’ buddy. Shane’s jaw clenched. Billy was his sister Lisa’s new brother-in-law.
    Technically Shane supposed that made Billy some twisted form of family. Not that he was claiming
    the kid, though. What little he knew of Billy Sullivan could be summed up in one word: fuckup.
    In his mind’s eye, Shane saw the bruises all over Hailey’s face that had nearly stopped him cold
    when he’d stepped into the suite—the ones