The Wrong Man by Delaney Diamond Read Free Book Online Page A

additional comment, but changed his mind and walked out.
    When the door shut, Talia’s shoulders drooped and she buried her face in her hands. With everyone treating her like a fragile piece of glass, she was starting to feel fragile. Work provided a refuge. It always had. And since she and Carter split, it had become even more important.
    The clock on her desk read almost lunch time. Maybe getting out for a bit would do her some good. She grabbed her purse and took the elevator to street level, but on the way down she changed her mind about eating in the building’s café.
    She went through the revolving door and right away experienced a burst of energy like she always did when she walked around downtown Atlanta. Workers traipsed along the busy sidewalk on their way to lunch with co-workers or ran errands during the short window of time before they had to return to work. Tourists snapped photos or fumbled with maps as they took in the sights.
    She kept walking, not sure where she was headed until she came to an intersection and realized she was on her way to a restaurant she hadn’t been to in a long time. As she waited for the light to change with a half dozen or so other people, she heard a voice behind her.
    “I couldn’t be so lucky again.”
    Warm ripples raced down her spine.
    Tomas stood behind her. Seeing his smiling face buoyed her spirits, but she didn’t bother to analyze the meaning of such a shift in attitude and fought the goofy grin that threatened to spread across her face.
    The sun glinted off the natural blonde highlights in his hair, and he ran his fingers through it, sending the silky strands rippling through his fingers as he pushed them back from his forehead, giving her a good look at his handsome face. A truly beautiful man—classically handsome with high cheekbones, a square jaw, and a prominent nose just the right size for his face. He seemed oblivious to the looks that came his way as they stood there, but she saw them. She couldn’t blame the women for staring and doing double takes. He exemplified the type of rugged perfection most women fantasized about, and she found it harder and harder to control this newfound attraction that burdened her each time they met.
    She’d been so caught up in his appearance she hadn’t noticed he wasn’t alone. Two men stood alongside him wearing similar clothing—jeans, T-shirts, and dusty work boots.
    Finally getting her bearings, Talia found the wherewithal to talk. “What are you doing in my neck of the woods?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be off somewhere pounding nails and cutting wood?”
    “We had business at the zoning office and thought we’d grab a bite to eat while down here,” Tomas replied. “Any suggestions?”
    The light changed and people started moving, steering around them since they blocked the crosswalk.
    “There’s plenty, but it depends on what you want. If you’d like sandwiches, there’s a great place in the building over there.” She pointed across the street. “Their Reuben sandwiches are to die for. They’re stuffed full of meat and a special sauce created by the owner. There’s also a pretty good Brazilian place a couple of blocks up on the right.”
    “Are you headed to lunch?”
    “Yes.”
    He spoke in Spanish to the men with him. They ogled her and used the word morena , which she knew could mean dark-skinned. That let her know they were discussing her, but she didn’t comprehend much else. Her high school Spanish was no match for their fast talking and advanced vocabulary.
    After the men walked away, Tomas turned to her. “Let’s go,” he said.
    “Excuse me?” Talia put a hand on her hip and cocked her head as if she didn’t hear him.
    “I’m going to lunch with you.”
    “I didn’t invite you.”
    “I know. I’m inviting you.”
    “Well, shouldn’t you wait for me to say yes?”
    He started across the street, and after hesitating in stunned silence, Talia hurried after him.
    “Where are