Free Lying Eyes by Toni Noel Page A

back. "Finding you in tears earlier made my stomach ache. My mother cried easily and far too often. Seeing you distraught over something beyond my power to fix struck me like a sucker punch and nearly brought me to my knees."
    "May I ask you something?"
    "Sure, what?"
    "Would you kiss me again? I was too stunned to enjoy the first one."
    His hesitancy made her heartbeat skip.
    Would he deny her bold request, she wondered.
    He stepped in close again and fitted his now soft lips to hers, no longer taking but giving her exactly what she'd hoped for, a gentle, sensual kiss.
    She clasped her hands behind his neck, pulled him close and closer still. Fitting her soft curves to his hard body, she prayed the passionate kiss would never end.
    It had to, though. She needed to report to her venue, prepared to speak in fifteen minutes.
    Carlo must have realized it, too. He stepped back, his gentle hands sliding possessively along her rib cage and hips as he studied her.
    "That was—"
    "Incredible," she said before he could ruin the most promising kiss she's ever experienced.

Chapter Ten
    ––––––––
    Y ou failed again."
    "How did you—?"
    "You forget. I have eyes and ears everywhere."
    *****
    C arlo halted their progress as he noticed the crowd gathered outside The Garden Room. Grasping Allison's arm, he shoved her behind him. "I don't like the looks of this."
    "What's going on?" he asked a man standing in the back of the impatient mob waiting outside her venue.
    "Someone in charge refused to open the doors, said it's because the room won't hold this crowd."
    "I'll be damned," Carlo murmured.
    Allison began politely working her way to the closed door. "Excuse me. I'm sorry," she said repeatedly, while Carlo dragged his feet, trying to hold her back.
    "Allison, it's not safe for you to mingle in a crowd."
    "Relax, Carlo. These are my workshop attendees, hopeful writers with no reason to harm me."
    "Someone else may." He tugged her arm again. " Wait. "
    "No, I can't. I have to get to those doors and resolve this issue."
    "No, you don't. You need to go back upstairs and—"
    "No, Carlo, I need to get inside this room and do something about this impasse."
    "How? Wave a magic wand and suddenly make your venue larger? Last time I looked you didn't have a wand. It's time for you to throw in the towel and go back to the room. I'll even let you throw something else in the safety of our room, if that's what you feel like doing."
    "Is my safety all you ever think about? What about my career? I can't possible disappoint all these people who have come to hear me speak."
    She tried to jerk her arm free of his grasp. "Let me go."
    "I can't. It's my job."
    "To keep me safe. Not to interfere with my conference duties. You heard the Captain."
    She intentionally stomped the toe of Carlo's shiny shoe as she surged past him.
    "Ouch! Hey, come back here."
    She stopped to reach for her phone, allowing Carlo to catch up with her. "I'm calling the room hostess.
    "Jenny, it's Allison Marble," she said and paused to listen.
    "I know. I'm right outside. Please open the door and let me in. I have a possible solution to your problem."
    She pocketed her phone. The door opened a crack.
    "Allison?" Jenny called.
    "I'm right here."
    She turned to the waiting crowd. "If you'll all step aside for a moment and let me go inside, it's my fervent hope this workshop will start in a matter of minutes."
    Carlo unwillingly followed her inside.
    "How can we resolve this impasse?" she asked a young man wearing a Staff Event badge.
    "This room is too small for your audience. The Fire Marshall will shut us down if we let the room fill past its limit."
    "Is there a vacant room available that will hold the crowd?" Allison asked.
    Carlo said, "You can't just—"
    "Watch me and learn."
    The staff guru pulled out his phone, spoke into it for a moment. His eyes lit. Smiling at her, he ended the call.
    "The Terrace Room is twice this size. Staff is testing the speaker system