A Demon in Stilettos Read Free

and her skin was bland, wearing make-up would only delay her. Dressing in seventeen minutes, she had beaten her previous score. Grabbing her geek glasses and purse, Coy rushed out the door.
    * * * *
    With no time for a proper breakfast Coy stopped at The Donut Palace on her way to work.Clutching a jelly donut in her fingers, she drove across town. A dollop of cherry filling threatened to ruin her freshly laundered lab coat. Coy shoved the last of the treat in her mouth, licked her fingers, then rushed toward the security gate. Unfortunately, the cross-bar jerked quickly across the hood of her car.
    Dressed in his security guard’s uniform, Robert sucked his teeth, tossed his head to one side, folded his arms, and stepped from the booth. He glimpsed his watch, gave Coy the evil eye, then he waved her past. With his Barney Fife attitude, Robert took his job a little too seriously.
    Eight years at the research center had taught Coy much about life. Her accuracy was critical to someone’s life. Distractions like Dr. Lincoln Johns were wrecking her spotless record. Parking her car, she realized Johns’ chemistry was definitely in sync with hers.
    Erin, another lab tech, got out of her car. She stood beside Coy, then pulled on her lab coat. “Good morning, Coy. How was your weekend?” She yanked her blonde strands from beneath her collar. “Boring as usual?”
    Scowling at Erin’s offbeat comment, Coy shielded her brown eyes from the morning sun. “You should do stand-up.” Waiting for Erin to fasten the buttons on her coat, Coy secured her glasses, and then hoisted her bag upon her shoulder. “Actually, I found a few good attic sales.” She grinned and nudged Erin. “Found a killer pair of stilettos.”
    Meandering toward the modern brick building, Erin laughed out loud. “Stilettos! You in stilettos is like army boots on a butterfly.”
    “Really.” Coy nodded sincerely.“I do wear stilettos. Actually, I own several pairs.”
    “Speaking of army boots, did Hector call you? He said you were his next trophy. He’s going to nail you with his hot Hispanic body.”
    “Hector. That horny gorilla!” Coy pulled the handle on the glass door, and held it open for her friend. “The only thing Hector wants is sex—sex on a taco, sex suspended from a rope, or sex on an ant mound. I don’t have time for his overworked imagination.” Coy scanned her badge, then stepped aside and waited for Erin to complete the process.
    Suddenly, Erin raised her blue eyes to meet Coy’s. “Did you hear? Dr. Johns had a car wreck this weekend. Yeah. He’s driving a rental. Totally wiped out his ride.”
    Coy shot Erin a terrified look. “Did he get hurt?”
    “Not bad.” Looking up at Coy, Erin pressed the button on the elevator. “Just a flesh wound.”
    Coy held her chest and blew out tension. “I’m glad he’s okay. What happened?”
    “Yeah. A little boy riding a bike darted in front of him. The chain on the bike had broken, he totally lost control. When Johns jammed his brakes, some yahoo hit him from behind. Shh, here he comes now.” Erin painted a smile on her newly tanned face.
    Hearing male footsteps, both women turned. Sure enough, the topic of Coy’s discussion turned down their hallway. Each morning he walked past the elevators toward the cafeteria. With his lab coat wide open, Lincoln Johns shoved his hands deep inside his pockets. “Morning, ladies.”
    Coy cringed, then accidently stepped into the good doctor’s path. “Oh my!”
    He grabbed her by the waist and steadied her. “Whoa! You must have hit a slick spot on the floor. Better be careful—wouldn’t want to twist an ankle.”
    Surprised, Coy’s widened gaze met the doctor’s dark brown eyes. She blushed, pushed her glasses up her nose, and then tugged shyly on her earlobe. “I’m so sorry.” Though feeling clumsy, Johns’ touch was worth her lost dignity.
    Seeming concerned, Johns tightened his strong grip around her tiny waist. “Are you