My Spy Read Free Page A

arm.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Getting you up to the house. After that, I'm doing something I don't do often enough.”
    Annie's brow rose. “Giving up leather pants?”
    “Very funny.” Taylor opened the door. “I'm going to take care of my baby sister.”
    “I'm no baby.” Annie took an irritated breath. “I told you I can't take time off right now.”
    Taylor examined the cuff of her silk shirt. “Too bad. As the co-owner of Summerwind, I would be bound to conclude that my manager needed a vacation. An
enforced
vacation.”
    Annie stiffened. “You wouldn't.”
    “Try me.”
    “That's cheap. No, that's rotten and low-down.”
    “Isn't it, though?” Taylor smiled coolly. “Now, are you coming or not?”

    “ LET'S HAVE THE DETAILS. ”
    Annie didn't turn as she searched for her house key. “About what?”
    “About that gorgeous man on the school bus. He's the hunk who moored his boat in the cove last month. You told me he was sailing down to Mexico.”
    The key trembled in Annie's hand. She didn't want to remember Sam's lazy grin or lean, tanned body. She didn't want to think about his first kiss or the moment it had raced out of control.
    “Last month?” She tossed down her coat, kicked off her shoes, and headed for the bank of windows overlooking windblown trees and brooding coast. “It did look like Sam, didn't it?”
    “Don't pretend it wasn't. I saw his face on the television and that's the man you described to me, the one who had just sold his company and was headed on a long, leisurely trip to Mexico and the Caribbean.”
    Annie opened one hand slowly on the cool glass. “Did I?”
    “I'm your sister, not one of your staff, for God's sake. I was gone, remember? So give me the details.” Taylor's eyes narrowed. “Were you lovers?”
    Annie closed her eyes and let her forehead sink against the cold glass. “I told you most of it, Taylor. He said he was off the clock for the first time in five years, and he was going to savor every second.”
    “And?” Taylor prompted.
    “He was nice and funny and we had fun together. I could see he was interested, but he didn't push things. When I had some problems with the new smoke detectors, he offered to take a look.” Annie smiled. “You wouldn't believe how fast he diagnosed the problem. He helped Reynaldo fix the wall below the rose garden, and the next day he repaired Dad's old motorboat in the cove. He was amazing.”
    “So the man was good with his hands.” Taylor's eyes narrowed. “Did you sleep with him?”
    Annie turned away from the twenty-mile panorama of wild sky and racing sea. “I'd rather not talk about it.”
    “Tough. I'm your sister and I want an answer.”
    Annie paced restlessly, avoiding Taylor's eyes. “He was off limits and I knew it. The man was in the middle of his dream voyage and I was swamped with work. We had a few pleasant strolls on the beach, traded a few tall tales and shared a few meals.”
    “What else?”
    “Okay, we spent two nights together. He was … incredible. That's the end of it.”
    Taylor's eyes narrowed. “I don't think so.”
    “Okay, I didn't
want
him to go.” Annie's voice broke. “I didn't want it ever to end, but it had to, and I felt like a complete fool for letting myself in for a fall. I mean, how stupid can you get? He was on a boat, leaving in a matter of days. I—I fell for him like a misty-eyed teenager.” She took a shaky breath. “But he never made any promises. Neither of us did. So that was that.”
    Taylor moved, blocking Annie's path. “Then why are you freezing? Why did you go bone white when you watched that replay?”
    “I'm not allowed to care? He was covered in
blood,
Taylor.” Annie sidestepped, hugging her chest. “Why is it so cold in here?”
    “Sit down while I light the fire. After that, you're having my special tea spiked with whiskey.”
    Annie sank into her favorite cozy wing chair. For a long time she didn't speak. “It doesn't have