Unexpected by Lori Foster Read Free Book Online

sense.
    Straining her ears to hear, Ray could just make out Eli’s voice, quiet but firm and determined. There was silence, then more whispering—and the unmistakable sound of a soft female moan.
    That bastard.
    Ray didn’t hesitate. She slipped out of bed and, not bothering to dress properly, cracked her door open to eavesdrop. She couldn’t see down the hall but she no longer needed to. Eli had a female guest, and he was obviously being romantic.
    Indignation hit her like a slap in the face.
    Hadn’t he been overwhelmed with concern for his baby brother only hours before? Hadn’t she forced herself to offer comfort when she was so lousy at doing so?
    She should have known the truth. Despite seeming different, Eli was wealthy and the rich never concerned themselves long with anything other than their own pleasure.
    She knew she wasn’t being fair, but damn it, she’d lain awake for over an hour trying to get him out of her mind, trying to reconcile just how different he really was from the other men who’d hired her.
    Trying to dredge up that damned focus she’d bragged about.
    Ray was tired and suddenly quite irritable. They had a job to do in the morning and they both needed their rest. If he’d wanted a last-minute romp, he could have at least been quiet so she could sleep through it.
    Having made up her mind, Ray flipped her disheveled bangs off her forehead, pulled her thin olive green men’s undershirt down so it covered her panties, and strolled nonchalantly down the hall. Stealth was her middle name; her bare feet made no sound on the plush carpeting and her compressed lips ensured that even her breath was silent.
    She slipped into the room without either of them noticing, giving her a chance to observe. Immediately, she realized that Eli wasn’t quite the participant she’d imagined. He tried valiantly to disengage himself from the clinging woman. His success was nominal.
    Though the female looked small and delicate—a deliberate affectation, no doubt—she had the tenacity of a cat determined to get attention. She rubbed herself against Eli the same way a cat curled around your legs.
    Ray observed her with objective criticism and had to admit she looked classy. And definitely moneyed. Her pale blond hair, styled to skim her shoulders with each move of her head, had professional streaks. Her simple tan dress was tailored but still managed to emphasize her boobs and backside to draw masculine attention.
    Narrowing her eyes in disgust, Ray leaned one shoulder against the wall, crossed her ankles, and folded her arms over her breasts. With a discreet “Ahem” she finally and quite suddenly drew their attention.
    Eli pulled free of the woman’s hold and his gaze zeroed in on Ray like a beacon.
    The woman was speechless for several seconds before she gasped. “Eli, who is this person?”
    Eli’s attention never moved from Ray. But it did move all over her, slowly, thoroughly, from the top of her rumpled head to the tips of her bare toes. Ray could feel that look scorching her, touching on her like a heated breath. Strangely, though she wasn’t cold, goose bumps rose on her exposed skin and she became suddenly, severely aware of just how little she wore.
    The undershirt concealed every part of her body that proclaimed her a woman, but still, it clung to her, the neck scooped low, the armholes wide so that the tops and sides of her breasts were visible. It molded over her upper thighs, stopping just short of revealing her panties. Used to being in predicaments where modesty had no place, Ray was surprised to feel her cheeks heating in concordance with Eli’s rapt observation.
    Of course, he noticed. The flare of heat in his eyes told her so. His slight, nearly imperceptible smile told her so. His carefully drawn in breath told her so.
    To regain her equilibrium, Ray said to him, “Who am I, Eli? It’s up to you.”