Read Online Accidental Trifecta by Avery Gale - Free Book Online Page B

starkly out of place was the antique clock on the fireplace mantle. The ornately decorated black and gold timepiece was ticking so loudly it made her think of the beating heart in Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Tell Tale Heart . She felt an involuntary shiver race up her spine just thinking about the story that had given her more than its share of nightmares when she’d been a kid. When she shuddered at the memory, he smiled, “What is it about my grandmother’s clock that made you shudder, sweetness?”
    She grimaced because she certainly didn’t want to insult his grandmother or her clock, its place of honor in his office told her how important the piece was to him. And damn it, she knew better than react so overtly, handing a Dom any additional information was always dangerous because they’d use it ruthlessly. But there wouldn’t be any escape from answering so she’d just as well get it over with. “Well, Sir, the sound reminded me of a story I read as a kid that scared the bejeezus out of me. I had nightmares for a long time about that darned story.”
    He laughed out loud and Lara realized that it was a sound she hadn’t heard very often. Her expression must have given her away, but this time he merely raised a brow at her. “Sorry, it’s just that I realized I don’t hear you laugh that often and it was nice to hear. I’ve heard that Dr. Barnes is having a bit of a security challenge, and well, I just hope it is all cleared up soon and that you’ll be able to find more reasons to laugh.”
    *****
    People rarely surprised Cam. In fact, they rarely ever had. Hell, for the most part he found people in general to be boringly predictable. He’d admit that he’d been a bit surprised at the instant connection he’d seen between Carl and Cecelia, but Lara Emmons has just shocked him to his toes. The insightful sub had pointed out a fact he himself had only recently figured out, he’d become so focused on making Dark Desires successful he’d forgotten what was truly important in his life. He’d been toying with making some huge changes in his life and her words added to his commitment to fully explore all of the options.
    First things first though, he had an interview to conduct. If the plans that had been slowly solidifying in his mind worked out, little Chloe wouldn’t need a nanny here in Houston much longer. He wasn’t going to worry about that, because unless he was reading the situation entirely wrong, Lara wouldn’t be available much longer anyway. He’d seen the writing on the wall when he’d walked into the reception area. The Weston brothers were more than a little interested in the beautiful woman that had been standing nervously between them. Cam knew the two brothers hoped to find a woman to share, but their ability to hear the thoughts of others made long-term relationships difficult at best. One night after a particularly difficult evening at the club, he and Fischer had shared a bottle of A. H. Hirsch Reserve and his club manager had shared his grandmother’s advice on how to identify the woman meant for them. Judging by Fischer and Peter’s intense attention earlier, Cam was guessing Lara was that woman. The trick was going to be keeping her on staff long enough to put his dream into action.
    When she had first come to Dark Desires, Cam hadn’t been convinced she knew what she was getting into. A conservative young woman who had been raised by evangelical missionaries in some of the world’s most remote locations seemed like an unlikely candidate for Dark Desires. It had quickly become obvious the woman studied everything—with the exception of cooking—as if she planned to master each topic she encountered. He’d reviewed the resume the agency had forwarded and when he’d compared it to the one he had on file for her he’d been surprised at all she’d accomplished in just one year. Deciding the best way to find out what her long-term goals were was to simply ask, he smiled