Free VANISHED, A Romantic Suspense Novel (Edgars Family Novel) by Suzanne Ferrell Page B

where she sat cross-legged, working on her own computer, one brow raised in question—both at his comment and the edge of anger he couldn’t quite keep out of his voice.
    Because seeing you in them and your painted toes peeking out at me is way too distracting .
    “Because they’re dangerous. You could need to move fast and being agile might be a matter of survival for you. Wear the sneakers next time.” Forcing himself to relax, he kicked off his own shoes and sat on the edge of the bed bedside her. “Scoot over.”
    “You can sit on the other bed or at the desk.” Her brows drew down in that stubborn way that made him want to grab her and either shake the expression away or kiss her. Either action would probably get him a gun muzzle in the side again.
    “I could, but then I can’t see what you’re working on and you can’t see the faces of the men on my screen.”
    “Oh, that makes sense,” she said, the stubborn look gone so fast he almost laughed.
    That was the practical Abby he knew.
    She scooted over, rearranging her computer and the pillows behind her to make space for him. With his back against the headboard he stretched out his legs, one thigh pressed against hers. Not since his senior year in high school had he been so self-conscious sitting on a bed with a woman.
    “I already sent hoodie guy’s photo to your phone,” she said, clicking away on her keyboard, reminding him they were there to work.
    “Is that what we’re calling him?”
    “Until you can come up with his real identity.” Stopping her typing, she picked up her phone and glanced at the face of it, then set it aside again.
    He pulled out his phone and forwarded the image to his laptop. “Are you still working on filling in your copy of your friend’s day planner?”
    All movement beside him ceased at his question.
    He turned to see what the problem was. She sat with her fingers frozen on the keyboard, her eyes wide as she stared at him and she’d pulled her lower lip between her teeth in a worried fashion.
    How could that one little act make her look vulnerable and sexy all at the same time? It roused the need to claim her and protect her simultaneously. Problem was, who was going to protect her from him?
    “What?” he asked, focusing on her worried green eyes, instead of that mouth he’d happily sampled throughout lunch.
    “How did you know?”
    “How did I know you’ve got a photographic memory?” He tapped her computer screen. “I saw that last night. You might be a novice in the field, but you wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the police finding your friend, so I knew you hadn’t secreted her datebook out of the condo. That much detail on your computer, meant you had a good memory.”
    She continued to worry her lower lip with her teeth. He needed her to stop doing that. Pronto.
    “Does it bother you that I know about your ability, Abby?”
    Like clockwork the nickname drew her up straighter, more focused. “No, of course not. I just don’t go around advertising it, so was surprised you’d figured it out.”
    “Putting two and two together is a requirement for working in the Treasury Department, sweetheart.”
    “You don’t need to keep doing that,” she said, breaking eye contact and focusing on her laptop once more.
    “Doing what?”
    “Using endearments. No one is here. No need to fake any intimate relationship between us.”
    There wasn’t anything fake in the heat and sizzle simmering between them. No matter how hard she tried to avoid it. No matter how much he needed to ignore it.
    “It will keep me in practice, sweetheart ,” he said just to watch her lips purse. “And as I was saying, not only am I good at addition, but I know someone who not only has a photographic memory, he has a phonographic one, too.”
    “Who?”
    “My nephew, Nicky. Before my sister and her husband adopted him, the kid was used as a walking, talking numbers black book for Russian mobsters down in Columbus.”
    “Good