The Price Of Secrecy by Ravenna Tate Read Free Book Online Page A

in?”
    This
information wasn’t public knowledge or he was certain she’d have already found
it, but he couldn’t discuss his family with her. That was off limits. So
instead he winked. “I have my secrets, too.”
    “Ah,
I see. Forgive me for prying.”
    “You
weren’t prying. It’s simply not a topic I discuss.”
    “Okay.”
She went back to her salad, finishing it in three bites. “Delicious. I wish I
knew how to make dressing like this. My mother is the cook in our family. She
can make a rock taste good.”
    He
tilted his head slightly. “Does she also speak Italian like you do?”
    She
drained her wine glass, and he refilled it for her. “She taught me. We still
speak it to each other to keep up our skills. It’s like our secret language.”
    He
watched her face blanch and knew she’d just said something she’d never meant to,
but why should it matter that she and her mother were bilingual? Or was she
thinking of the obvious lie she’d told him earlier about the college roommate?
He decided not to call her on it because he wanted her to keep talking.
    “It
helps her at her job. As a medical coder. To be able to speak another language.
Actually she speaks several. She studied them in school.”
    He
sensed that wasn’t a lie, but the
tone of her voice and the nervous way she played with the corner of her napkin
told him she was trying to recover, and that tugged at his heart. What the hell
was this girl hiding in her life that had her so damn frightened to spill even
a tiny part of it accidentally?
    She
had no dating or sex life. That much he’d deduced. Which meant she kept people,
and men especially, at arm’s length. The only reasons he could imagine why
someone would do that included fear, or a secret that was life and death. “Do
you also speak other languages as well?”
    “A
bit here and there, but the only one she taught me was Italian. The rest I’ve
picked up listening to her. When I was still in school, she would do extra work
at home dictating discharge instructions into charts for non-English speaking
patients.”
    “I
see. So it’s always just been you two?”
    A
quick flash of terror swept across her face, but then it was gone. “Yes. Just
us.” He heard the subtle change in her voice and knew she’d just told him
another big fat lie.
    Dominic
hadn’t gotten this far not being able to read people, but he be damned if he
had any idea what was going on here. It unnerved him, but he was now fairly
certain this girl wasn’t out to hurt him or his company. She was definitely
terrified of something or someone, and he certainly understood that from an
insider’s view. He’d lived with that kind of fear all his life.
    When
their entrees arrived, he changed the subject once more to work-related issues,
and his heart skipped a beat when he noticed how she visibly relaxed. Her voice
no longer held that note of hesitation. She was on solid ground where her work
skills were concerned, so whatever had her afraid had nothing to do with school
or her degrees. He was determined to uncover it, but he was also fighting his
hormones with each passing minute.
    She
was so easy to be with when she was relaxed like this, laughing and smiling.
Her warm, smoky voice sent shivers down his spine as he imagined listening to
it in a dark room, their bodies covered in sweat and the air scented with the
remnants of hot sex. He longed to pamper her and show her how much fun sex
could actually be, because he doubted anyone had ever been able to get that
close.
    The
wine bottle was empty by the time they finished, and she declined dessert. “I
swear if I try to eat one more thing I’ll burst. That was seriously the most
delicious meal I’ve ever had. Thank you.”
    “You
are very welcome.” He signaled for the check. “Now if only we didn’t have to
work.”
    She
giggled, and instead of annoying him, the sound was endearing. His cock was
rock hard, and he had no idea how he’d walk. “I might fall