AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Adria zipped her huge purse shut, then closed her eyes and rotated her head, straightening the kink that had tightened between her shoulder blades. She’d learned a lot about the history of the Danvers family. They were powerful and influential and had been for over a hundred years. Some of the scandals had been reported to the press, others had only been hinted at, but she felt as if she’d made progress. She had names and dates and more information than she’d ever found in Montana.
She’d started her search in 1974 at the time of the kidnapping and worked backward and forward, learning as much as she could. She wasn’t finished; the Danvers name littered the newspapers before and since the kidnapping, but she needed a break. Gathering her papers, she left her table by the window on the second floor.
Outside, the sun had won the weather battle. Beams reflected off the puddles on the sidewalk and the breeze had died. A few clouds drifted over the sky, but the day, for winter in the Pacific Northwest, was mild. She decided to walk south to the Galleria, an old department store that had been converted to several stories of shops.
She found a café on the first floor.
She’d just picked up the menu when she spied Zachary and her breath caught at the base of her throat. Without a word or an invitation, Zachary picked up the chair opposite hers, turned it around, set it back down, and straddled it.
In the few hours they’d been apart, she’d forgotten how imposing he was. Dressed down in faded Levi’s, flannel shirt, and jacket, he was formidable nonetheless. He hadn’t bothered to shave and his features bordered on harsh. He seemed distinctly displeased as he folded his arms over the back of the chair and glared at her.
“You lied to me.”
“Did I?” she asked as she ignored the sexy slope of his jaw.
“Big time. You didn’t stay at the Benson.”
“Is that a crime?”
“I really don’t give a damn where you stay, but the rest of the family seems to think it’s important.”
“Then I must worry them.”
“Appears so,” he drawled, his gray eyes cloudy.
“What about you? If you don’t ‘give a damn,’ then why are you here?”
“I got elected.”
She wasn’t buying it. She didn’t think that Zachary was the kind of man who let anyone talk him into doing something he opposed.
“How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t hard.”
She had to hold onto her temper. “You followed me.”
He shrugged and the tense little smile that touched the corners of his mouth infuriated her.
“How?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m here to extend you an invitation.”
She eyed him suspiciously, but a waitress, dressed in a white blouse, black skirt, and bow tie, appeared to take their order and the conversation lagged for a few minutes.
“You weren’t invited here,” she told him once the waitress turned her attention to the next table.
“Just like you weren’t invited last night.”
“Why are you following me?”
“You make some members of the family nervous.”
“You—do I make you nervous?”
He hesitated and stared at her with such scrutiny that she wanted to squirm out of his range of vision. Cold, assessing gray eyes searched her face. “You bother me,” he admitted, tilting his head back, “but you don’t worry me.”
“You still don’t believe me.”
