Tidewater Lover by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page B

that he found a great deal of humor in the situation.
    As she started to pour the coffee, a sobering thought occurred to her. Whoever the woman was, she believed she had a right to an explanation from Cole. And Lacey realized that she had no idea whether Cole was married or not.
    Good lord! What if the woman was his wife? She nearly dropped the coffee pot, the color rushing from her face.
    "You haven't answered my question, Cole," the blonde whom Cole had addressed as Monica reminded him in an icily enraged tone.
    "I didn't think you really expected an answer," he replied in a deadly low voice. "I was certain you had it all worked out for yourself."
    The cup clattered rather noisily in its saucer as Lacey carried it into the living room to Cole. Her complexion was unnaturally pale, her color not completely regained from the shocking possibility that had occurred to her.
    The three were still standing, Cole and Monica eyeing each other with almost open hostility. Lacey came up to Cole's side, offering him the coffee she had poured. The cup ceased its rattling the instant he took it from her hand to set it on the nearest table.
    "Aren't you going to introduce us, Cole?" the sandy-haired Vic prodded, gazing intently at Lacey.
    A muscular arm curved lightly and possessively around the back of her waist, and she stiffened in resistance to Cole's touch. Her gaze flashed to his, meeting the bland glitter of his unusually dark blue eyes.
    She heard the other woman's savagely indrawn breath, which resembled a cat's hiss, her green eyes glowing with hatred. And she realized that Cole was deliberately goading the woman, further incensing her with his action rather than trying to smooth her ruffled fur.
    "You haven't formally met my roommate, have you?" His steel blue gaze swung to the couple, his arm tightening around Lacey's waist when she would have drawn away.
    He had referred to her as his roommate last night in a joking sense, but his use of it now was provoking and suggestive. He propelled her stiffly resisting figure a few steps forward.
    "Lacey, I would like you to meet Monica Hamilton and her brother Vic Hamilton." He identified them only by name without any explanation as to his relationship to either of them. "This is Lacey Andrews."
    Monica merely gave Lacey a green look of hatred, but her brother reached to shake her hand. "It's definitely a pleasure to meet you, Lacey," he murmured.
    He retained his hold of her hand. The look he gave her made Lacey feel as if she were wearing a black negligee instead of being so fully covered by long pajamas and her housecoat.
    "Back off, Vic," Cole ordered quietly.
    Lacey's hand was released as Vic smiled mockingly from her to Cole. "I see, private property—no trespassing, is that it?"
    "That's it," Cole agreed with a curt nod.
    "Don't you think," Lacey suggested stiffly, "that you should explain to your friends the exact circumstances for my being here, Cole?" As far as she was concerned this farce had continued much too long already.
    He glanced at her, seeing her rigid with anger. "Don't think Monica is interested in learning how you came to be here, Lacey," he replied drolly. "Nor a description of what happened between us last night. She's seen all the evidence with her own eyes and filled in all the sordid details with her imagination."
    "Tell her," Lacey insisted.
    With a mild shrug of acquiescence, he swung his gaze to Monica. "Despite the way it looks, this is all perfectly innocent," he told her. "As a matter of fact, Lacey and I slept in separate beds."
    "Before or after?" Monica snapped.
    There was an I-told-you-so glint in his eyes when he glanced back at Lacey, and she acknowledged silently that Monica was beyond listening to any explanation at this time. And Cole was to blame for that.
    There was a challenge in the set of his jaw when he again reverted his attention to Monica. "You haven't mentioned why you're here."
    "We came to invite you to dinner and arrange an