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Back The Ringmaster Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  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. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

‘Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.’

‘And you’ve never married?’ His eyebrows shot up at the rather personal nature of the question. I’m not quite sure where it popped out from. Must have been the wine.

‘No. Does that seem so strange to you?’

‘No. Well, yes.’

‘Why?’

‘Come on, Paul – you make yourself out to be a bit of a ladies’ man, you’re always flirting with the girls. I mean look how you’re always joking around with me. I’d have thought a guy like you would have caught himself a dolly bird and settled down by now.’

‘And who said I was joking around?’

‘Right,’ I said, and laughed, then took another slug.

‘Anyway, I’m not going to answer your question. A man’s got to maintain an air of mystery, after all.’

‘Who do you think you are? James Bond?’

‘Taught him everything he knows.’ He leaned forward, even closer. ‘Maybe I’ve been biding my time, waiting for the right girl.’ He shot his eyebrows up in query and I spluttered on my wine.

‘Hey, don’t look at me, mister. I don’t date cops,’ I said, hoping he wouldn’t notice the full-on flush I could feel rising up my face.

‘So you say.’ He seemed amused at my reaction and took another leisurely sip of his wine. ‘So what about you? What vintage are you?’

‘What did I say before about that question?’

‘You said it was rude to ask a lady, so I figured it’s okay to ask you.’

‘Funny.’

‘Come on, quid pro quo. I told you.’

‘This isn’t an I’ll-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours competition.’

‘Are you offering?’

‘You should be so lucky. Okay, if it will make you feel better, I’m twenty-nine. My next birthday will be the big three-O and I’m planning how I can do something big to divert my attention from the fact I’ll be old.’

‘And you’ve never married?’

‘You’re starting to sound like my mother. No, I’ve never married. Come close, sort of. Well, you know all about Lockie. So far, my career’s been my focus. Yes, the career thing. Even more so now I’m on the detective path. I want to do it justice, be damned good, not just ordinary. So I guess I’ll be a swinging single for a bit longer.’

‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Sam, but there’s nothing even remotely ordinary about you.’ He delivered that with the kind of look and tone that created a warmth in my innards that was not entirely due to the Pinot.

Damn him.

47

A gentle snort eased me into semi-consciousness and I snuggled further into the warm arms wrapped around me.

Arms, warm, around, skin? Shit.

My eyes snapped open, my body tensed. What the hell was I doing here?

Dozy disorientation evaporated as memory flooded back. Me, Paul, oh shit.