Operation Sheba Read Free

over her head. His thumbs bore into the center of each wrist, crippling her hands, and the gun dropped to the carpeted floor with a muffled thud. She refused to cry out but struggled beneath the weight of his body, kicking at him as best she could. He continued to hold both of her arms over her head, shifting them into his left hand while wrapping his right around her neck.
    “You missed.” He chuckled softly in her ear.
    Her body went utterly still at the sound of his voice. She drew a sharp breath as her gaze snapped to his. Confusion and then crystal clarity made her swallow hard. He took a deep breath, as though immersing himself in her scent. Releasing his grip of her neck, he stroked her jaw line with the tip of his finger. “Julia,” he murmured, the husky voice caressing her.
    Julia held her breath, refusing to blink as she stared at the apparition hanging an inch from her face. Was this another of her horrible dreams? She automatically did a mental inventory of his face—the short dark hair, the eyebrows so soft to the touch, the fringe of dark lashes around his eyes, the straight line of his lips…
    “Who are you?”
    Another quiet chuckle from him. “The man who would love to kiss you.”
    Oh God, those words. She had brought Conrad to his knees over those words. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her head of the images that flooded her memory, trying to clear the nightmare she was experiencing now. But when she opened her eyes again, the apparition hadn’t disappeared. It was no ghost. The man she was staring at was alive.
    Her heart definitely pounding too hard, she whispered, “The price of a kiss is your life.”
    He released her arms and gently touched her lips with his. “I’ll gladly pay it.”

    Conrad glanced at his watch and back to Julia’s face. Light was seeping into the room, lifting the shadows as the sun rose higher. He had five minutes before Stone would return. The timer on his watch gave him three to clear the house.
    Julia’s face was unreadable, her previous pain and shock veiled behind her unwavering gaze. She was sitting on the edge of the bed now, knees drawn up to her chest, hair spilling between her breasts and thighs as she hugged her legs. She was wearing a tight-fitting white T-shirt and a loose pair of men’s boxer briefs that looked vaguely familiar.
    Conrad raised an eyebrow. “You’re wearing my underwear?”
    “I didn’t think you’d care since you were dead . Apparently, I was wrong on all counts. However, if you don’t explain yourself this minute—and it better be one hell of an explanation—I will kill you right where you stand.”
    “Sheba, you’ve never killed anyone.”
    “First time for everything, Solomon.”
    He locked eyes with her, his humor fading. “I’ll explain my actions later. I know you’re confused right now, but I need you to trust me. I need your help.”
    Her full lips parted to let a bitter laugh escape. “Trust you? Trust is a gray area with you. I don’t work in gray areas anymore. Put it in black and white. I want a clear-cut explanation.” She dropped her legs and sat forward. “Why did you do it? Where have you been? And how in the world did you manage to get into Michael’s house without alerting security?”
    He smiled at her interrogation. She always, always had more questions than he was willing to answer. Glancing at his watch again, he rose from the chair. “You need to stay at your place tonight.” He reached out to touch her, but let his hand drop to his side when she narrowed her eyes at him. “Expect me sometime after midnight. I’ll explain everything then.” He turned away from her, skirting the bed and heading for the door.
    Her voice, barely more than an accusatory whisper, stopped him. “How could you? How could you do this to me?”
    He hesitated for a moment as he stood in the doorway. That question he could easily answer. Because I’m a mean son of a bitch. Turning to look at her over his