Free DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS by Mallory Kane Page A

watching it drip. After a couple of moments, he looked back at her. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
    “Shouldn’t I—” Laney drew a deep breath. Although the vestiges of the dream in which Ethan heroically saved her from the black-clad monster in the hotel room still lingered, she couldn’t remember for the life of her what had made her think that it would be romantic to be rescued by him. He was arrogant, impatient and rude. In fact, she was sure if he had the occasion to rescue her, she’d never hear the end of it. She cleared her throat. “I thought I’d have a cup of coffee first,” she said coldly.
    “Okay,” he said. “Good idea. Where are your mugs?”
    “Here,” she said, pulling one from the cabinet and edging past him to pour it full of coffee. She turned and handed the steaming mug to him. “Please,” she said with a smile. “Keep it. Drink the coffee on your way to work.”
    He looked at her in mild surprise, gave her that same little smile he’d shown her earlier, lifted the cup in a coffee salute, then turned on his heel and left her house, stopping to salute her one more time at the front door.
    Laney poured herself a mug of coffee, although what she wanted to do was slide back down under the warm covers and go to sleep again. She knew, however, that by the time she did something with her hair, dressed and drove to the police station, she’d be lucky if it wasn’t after ten.
    She headed to her bedroom to put on underwear and clothes, but first, before she took off the terry cloth robe, she looked at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. Had Ethan known that she had no clothes on under her robe? She’d thought the thick cotton was the best thing to cover her, but now, trying to see what he’d seen, she realized with embarrassment that a fluffy white bath robe and wet hair said nothing so much as I’m just out of the shower and didn’t bother to dress.
    * * *
    B UDDY D AVIS , FOUNDER and pastor of the Silver Circle Church on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain and owner of the Silver Circle Broadcasting Network and Circle of Faith Ministries, sat in the interview room with his wife and business partner, Benita. The two of them had their heads together and Benita seemed to be doing most of the talking.
    Ethan watched them through the two-way mirror in the viewing room. Maria Farrantino stood at his side.
    “You sent me out there to get them on purpose, didn’t you?” she asked.
    “What? Me?” Ethan said innocently. “Nah. I’d have gone yesterday, but they were up in Jackson. Thanks, by the way, for bringing them in.”
    “He practically groped me, right there in front of his wife. And she acted like I was coming on to him. ”
    “He does have that reputation. Remember when that female deacon in his ministry accused him of sexual harassment?”
    “ You’ll be accused of sexual harassment if you do anything like that again.”
    “I apologize for his actions, Farrantino, but you know you’re going to have to take them home, too. I’ll call you when they’re done.”
    “Oh, no. No. No. No. Their chauffeur followed us. He’s waiting for them in their limo. They do not need a ride home.”
    “They’ll need to be escorted from the building,” he said teasingly.
    “Don’t push it, Delancey.”
    “Seriously, I didn’t mean to put you in that situation,” he said. “I’m planning to walk them out.”
    “I can do it,” she retorted. “Don’t think I can’t handle him.”
    Ethan shook his head. “No. I want to do it. I’m working on a theory.”
    “Hey, fine. Do what you want. I’d be happy if I never saw that skinny Richard Petty wannabe again.” She left the room.
    Ethan turned his full attention back to Davis. He did look like a pale copy of the legendary NASCAR race driver in his black cowboy shirt, tie, leather jacket and jeans, and sporting a graying mustache. Against all the black, the signature silver belt buckle he