Her Sweet Talkin' Man Read Free Page A

crowd.” She looked toward the darn buttons.
    â€œSoon,” he said. “You’ll be in front of the crowd soon. Would you like me to call again?”
    He could tell that she wanted to say no, that she wanted to appear strong. “Yes, please,” she said in a very small voice.
    â€œAny word on our condition?” Ace asked the security guard on the other end. “Ten minutes?” It wasn’t long, but the lady was clearly hoping for something more like ten seconds.
    â€œI’m okay with that,” she assured him rather unconvincingly. “And my name is Crystal. Crystal Bennett.” Her words came out in a rush.
    Ordinarily he would have offered his last name, too, but today wasn’t a day for the ordinary ways. And revealing his last name to Crystal Bennett would fill her with questions that would probably take her mind off their situation, but would simply complicate other things. The Carsons had supplied a fair share of the money for the new wing. He’d heard that from every gas-station attendant and convenience-store clerk he’d spoken to in the course of getting directions around the city. The largest donors to the new wing and the hospital’s chief fund-raiser would, out of necessity, have a good relationship. Revealing his identity to Crystal would only lead to questions about his intent, and that just wasn’t a good idea right now.
    â€œCrystal’s an exceptionally pretty name,” he said, instead, meaning it.
    Another blush kissed her cheeks. Ace couldn’t remember ever spending time with a woman who actually blushed. The women he consorted with were completely foreign to the concept of innocence, and pretty much nothing embarrassed them. He ought to view this as a sign. A huge red stop sign.
    â€œHow long have we been in here, do you think?” she asked.
    A few minutes, but he knew what she meant. It seemed longer, and it was beginning to seem longer still when Ace looked down at the shining crown of her hair and breathed in deeply. The floral scent of her hair mingled with something that smelled suspiciously like soap. Whatever it was, it was sexy as hell, and suddenly he was very aware that she was all soft skin and big trusting eyes. Oh, yes, that was trust he was seeing there.
    â€œWe’ll be out soon,” he said again, fighting to keep the husky note from his voice.
    She nodded and bit her lip. “I wish I’d borrowed someone’s cell phone. I promised my son I would come and see him before the ceremonies began. He’s in the day-care center. He’s too young to tell time, but once things get started, he’ll hear the music and know that things are starting.”
    â€œYou have a son.” Ace forced the words through his lips. She had a son. And no husband. This probably wasn’t something he wanted to know.
    For the first time he surprised a genuine no-holds-barred smile from her lips. “Timmy,” she said, and it was clear from that one word that her entire world circled around her little boy. “He’s just three.”
    â€œDoes he look like you?” Ace asked. Anything to keep that light in her eyes.
    â€œNo, like his father.” She dug into her purse and found a picture. She handed it to Ace. There, smiling back at him, was the cutest little dark-haired, big-eyed munchkin he’d ever seen.
    â€œYou’re wrong,” he said. “He has your eyes.”
    â€œWell, maybe,” she conceded, “but nothing else.”
    â€œYou’ll give him other things,” Ace said with the confidence of a man who knew what he was talking about. “Does his father live nearby?” Why had he asked that question?
    A question he obviously shouldn’t have asked, since the smile on Crystal’s lips died. “Timmy’s father never wanted to be a part of his life. He took off as soon as he knew the baby was on the way.”
    A knifelike and familiar pain