BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

He didn’t usually mind when the heat of the furnace and the afternoon sunshine combined to take the temperature in his shop to over one hundred degrees, but today he pulled his T-shirt off over his head, used it to wipe the sweat off his forehead and wished Elle was here to appreciate his buff, damp body by running her tongue over...

Enough of that. He was using an iron mallet. He didn’t need his cock sticking out there asking to be hammered.

He checked the clock on the wall. An hour and twenty-two minutes. Eighty-two minutes total.

That couldn’t be right. She’d been gone longer than that.

He checked his watch. There. He knew it. Eighty-three minutes!

It was going to be a very long afternoon.

50

AT 4:02 P.M., ADAM GAVE UP. He put his shop in order and sprinted into his outdoor shower, holding a change of clothes, to do a fast cleanup.

Mistake! Memories filled the space: the day he’d found Elle, given her a shower, seen her body, caressed her—

No. He had not caressed her. He had behaved like a civilized, compassionate human being and washed the poor, injured woman.

He looked down at his dick which didn’t remember the civilized part at all, only the feel of her boobs beneath his palm. Thank God that mallet remained on the workbench in the shop, although he did need to be careful he didn’t bump into anything. Like the far wall.

By 4:23, he was dressed, in the ATV and headed for Madame Rune’s as if the place was on fire. He parked and hopped out, took a breath and casually sauntered in.

When Elle saw him, she smiled, but she was talking to Clarice’s acting coach, Faith Moore, expounding on the large geode Faith held in her hand. She peered at Elle intently, listening, nodding, not smiling. She didn’t seem a very cheery sort of woman.

Gregoire and Sarcha were there, too, each holding a staff while discussing the various ways they could be used to take out an attacker.

Clarice stood in the back corner, holding her arm close to her chest. She neither looked at Adam nor spoke, and when he called out a greeting, Gregoire broke off his discussion to tell him, “She’s not allowed to speak to anyone. It’s an important part of her role preparation.”

“Huh.” Adam stuck his hands in his pockets. That was stupid, but he supposed Clarice had agreed to that stipulation when she took on the job.

Elle led Faith over to the cash register, rang up her purchase and thanked her for her business. When the Hollywood gang had filed out, Elle grinned at Adam. “Rune is going to be so pleased, and so will Hartley and Sadie. That was an amethyst geode, the largest one they ever found, and it is one expensive rock!”

Yay. “You’re having fun?”