A Deal With the Devil Read Online Free Page A

she stepped out. “Shall we?”
    *     *     *
    Kate tried to stop her hands from trembling as she followed him into the shop. What the freaking hell was she doing? It was one thing to pry and eavesdrop and spy, but another thing altogether to agree to be his woman for the whole night, with company too. And to add another layer of lies … a nurse? A nurse ? Where in hell had that come from? But then she’d nursed her mum for so long until she’d died, and then Jake when he came out of hospital, she might as well have been one.
    And yes, so it put her in pole position for getting closer to Doyle, but now she was there, she didn’t think it was such a great idea. From the first moment she’d seen him she’d been weirdly affected by this walking, talking bundle of uncoiled testosterone who appeared to have no qualms at trampling over everyone in a bid to get his own way. She wanted to believe she could meet him spar for spar—and she was good at playing the part. Too good. Combative words seem to fall from her lips whenever they discussed anything, but to her horror she’d enjoyed it. She was someone else, someone with an edge. It bordered on dirty flirting.
    Therein lay the problem: he had a sharp wit and a keen observant eye, but he was also strangely enigmatic in a rough, savage way and that seemed to enthral her on some deep level. She had to see past the man to the monster she knew him to be.
    “Good evening, Nancy.” He gave the officious-looking shop manager a smile as they walked in to what was the most peaceful, sophisticated, beautiful shop she’d ever seen. The displays were simple but stunning; gold and silver dresses hung from racks suspended from the ceiling, red silks, black velvet, a dress for every occasion and every one more lovely than the last. There were birdcages, feather stoles, silk shoes … she wanted to run her fingers across every item to feel its exquisite quality, imagining being able to afford this, to be in this shop for real, choosing a dress for a night out with a man she loved. Someone who loved her right back.
    Rey’s voice broke through her reverie. The fairy tale screeching to a sharp halt like a scratched vinyl record—there’d been no fairy tales in Kate’s life. “My friend here is looking for a dress for an event tonight, could you help her, please?”
    Nancy looked from him, to Kate, taking in her Doyle’s uniform, and back again. “Friend?”
    “Yes. Whatever she wants, charge it to me.”
    The older woman almost sneered over her gold-rimmed glasses, but she patted her over-coiffed hair and gave a thin smile. “Certainly, Mr Doyle.”
    He glanced towards a rack of silk dresses. “Something oriental inspired?”
    As Nancy went into the back room he looked as if he was going to sit down. No way was he going to watch this. Kate walked over to him and hissed. “It’s okay, you can go now. I can manage perfectly well on my own, I know my body and what suits me.”
    “I was going to stay—”
    “Don’t pull that Pretty Woman crap on me. I can choose my own clothes and pay for them too. I’ll meet you back in the VIP room.” She didn’t want to feel indebted to him, that he had bought her. She didn’t want him to choose her clothes. She was doing this for a damn good story—and for Jake—not because she wanted to be Rey’s woman in any shape or form.
    “I said I’d pay for your time and whatever you need to wear.” That smirk again. “If I get to pay, I get to choose.”
    As he spoke Kate flicked over one of the price tags on a simple-looking cornflower blue day dress. How freaking much? Trebled wages wouldn’t be nearly enough. “You seem to have forgotten that you need me here, so be careful not to demand too much, Rey. I suppose, if you insist, you can pay half. Equal stakes. But I choose.” She looked up at him and glared, was she really trying to do a deal with the devil? “Trust me, it’ll all work out fine.”
    As she said the