Working With the Enemy by Susan Stephens Read Free Book Online Page B

addressing the bleached blonde with a confident air.
‘Heath Stamp,’ she murmured. ‘Is it really you?’
‘I need to see her,’ he said, ignoring the girl’s attempt to distract him.
‘I’m Colleen,’ the girl persisted. ‘Don’t you remember me? And this is Maisie—’
‘Where is she?’ he cut across her in an ominous growl.
‘A real charmer,’ Colleen murmured.
‘So what’s changed?’ Maisie agreed beneath her breath.
Both girls were staring at him warily now. So they remembered him. ‘Are you going to tell me where she is?’
‘I-in the lake,’ Maisie stammered.
‘In the lake?’ he said, swinging round.
‘Swimming,’ Colleen hurried to explain.
As he turned to look he saw something that had him storming across the lawn, tugging off his clothes as he ran.
    CHAPTER FIVE
S HE ’ D got trapped in the weeds. She’d been so traumatised by the truck invasion she’d blundered about in the water wondering what to do next and had got her leg caught. Throwing her arms around as she struggled to free herself, Bronte had attracted the very type of attention she had been trying to avoid. The long line of wagons and builders’ vans, led by a rugged Jeep with blacked-out windows, had parked up in front of the hall. Her heart jolted painfully to see Heath spring down from the lead vehicle. Having spoken to the girls, he turned to look at the lake at the precise moment she started thrashing about. Impossibly bronzed and muscular, Heath, having tossed his shirt away as he ran, was clearly intent on launching a one-man rescue. The only option left to her was to swim as fast as she could in the opposite direction.
Forget it, Bronte concluded, treading water. Her best effort wasn’t nearly good enough. Heath was streaking towards her with a strong, fast stroke and had soon cut off her escape route. Before she had chance to change direction he gathered her up like a rugby ball and kicked for shore.
‘Put me down!’ she shrieked the instant Heath found his feet and started wading. ‘I’m warning you, Heath—let me go. There’s no need for this.’
‘There’s every need for this.’ Heath sounded less than amused. Dumping her on her feet on the middle of the lawn, he stood back.
She had never seen anyone quite so furious. She hunched over, acutely conscious of her nakedness.
Heath seemed disappointingly unaware of it. ‘What did I tell you before I left?’ he demanded.
Bronte’s face flushed red. ‘I haven’t been near the old buildings—’
‘So you swim in the lake on your own? Brilliant.’
Heath’s expression was thunderous. All male. All disapproval. And the sight of his naked torso—powerful beyond belief, wet, tanned and gleaming in the sun—was an unnerving distraction. She jumped alert the moment she realised Heath’s narrowed gaze was roving freely over her naked body as if it were his to inspect. ‘Do you mind?’ she flared, covering herself as best she could.
‘What the hell did you think you were doing in the lake?’ Heath snapped as if they were both fully clothed.
‘Swimming,’ she said as if that were obvious. ‘And I know what I’m doing.’
Heath took one look at her. ‘That would be a first.’
‘Can’t you turn your back or something?’ He ignored this remark. ‘Never swim in the lake again on your own. Do you understand me?’
‘Perfectly.’ She was trying to edge towards her clothes, which wasn’t easy with her legs crossed. At last she managed to snag her leggings with the thong still tangled inside them. Snatching them up with relief, she held them in front of her. However ridiculous she looked, it was some sort of shield. All she could do now was to start moving backwards, away from him.
She should have seen the tree root coming. She should have known that lightning did sometimes strike the same place twice. The breath flew from her lungs as Heath dived to save her—by some miracle he managed to swing her around before she hit the ground, cushioning her