Free Pages of Passion by Dara Girard Page A

with several excuses for him. Perhaps they’d stayed on the deck too long or he’d grown tired of her fussing over him. He’d been brusque when she’d offered to help him back to his cabin. Maybe he’d taken pain medication and fallen asleep. She sensed an attraction, but wasn’t exactly sure what it meant.
    At times he looked at her like an indulgent uncle and she half expected him to pat her on the head like an adult would a child. But then there were the moments when his eyes burned and she felt as if he were melting her clothes away. The second she saw him waiting outside the restaurant, Noreen knew it was going to be one of those latter moments and her heart pounded from relief and anticipation. She was a little late becauseArlene would be. She smoothed her hair to appear more composed than she felt.
    “You look like a man who wants to skip dinner and go straight to dessert,” she said then stared at him, surprised by her own boldness.
    “Are you a mind reader?”
    “Sometimes.”
    “Then I’d better guard my thoughts.”
    “Don’t.” She grinned, looping her arm through his. “I like them.”
    They walked inside and waited to be seated. “Then you know I think you look sensational,” he said.
    “I like to hear you say it. The outfit was a gift.”
    “From a male friend.”
    Noreen looked up at him. “Why do you say that?”
    “Because no female would give her friend that outfit.”
    “Why not?”
    “She couldn’t stand the competition,” he said then followed the maître d’ to a table.
    The dinner that evening consisted of grilled turkey with a glazed honey-mustard sauce served over rice pilaf; on the side were a generous helping of seasoned green beans with pineapple bits and freshly baked wheat rolls. While they ate, they watched several couples dancing on the dance floor.
    Michael caught her glance. “Sorry, I can’t dance. I don’t think I’m up to it yet.”
    “That’s okay,” Noreen said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
    Once dinner was over, Noreen excused herself andwent to the restroom. She touched up her lipstick then stared at her reflection in the mirror. Arlene stared back. She wore an extravagant headband, dangling earrings and glittering eye shadow. “Okay, what do I do now?” The evening was still young and she’d never discussed what would happen next. Did she let him walk her to her cabin or did she go to his? You worry too much, she could hear her sister say. Just play it by ear.
    Noreen nodded. That’s what she would do. She took a deep breath and began making her way back to their table. She weaved around the dance floor and was close to where Michael was sitting when a man grabbed her arm and pulled her into a dancer’s embrace.
    Noreen stared at him, more outraged than frightened. He didn’t smell of alcohol, so he couldn’t be drunk, but there had to be a reason for his strange behavior. He was middle-aged with small, gray eyes and a receding hairline that didn’t take away from his looks. She tried to pull away. “Let go of me.”
    He strengthened his hold. “Give me a minute. I have a message.”
    Noreen stopped struggling. “A message?”
    “Yes. Watch yourself.”
    He had to be drunk or high. She sniffed him but he only smelled of cheap aftershave and steak. “What are you talking about?”
    “You’re one of Harris’s girls, aren’t you? You don’t have to answer that. I already know the answer.”
    Harris’s girls? Had she fallen into a B-level James Bond spoof? “Is he spying on me?”
    “No, I’m one of Erickson’s men. You’re the delivererand I’m the insurance. I make sure the transaction goes through.”
    “Why would he need you as insurance? I’m just delivering a ring. Besides I know how to take care of myself and will complete the job.”
    “Erickson doesn’t want any interruptions.”
    Who was this man and why was he threatening her?
    “Well, there won’t be any interruption,”