Courting Trouble (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 3) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Kathy Carmichael
felt her heart sink down to her knees. The man sure had sensitive skin.
"Dammit, Diedra, I have a meeting with an important client this afternoon. I can't meet the woman covered in hives!"
"You want me to call and have your secretary reschedule the meeting?"
"No. I mean, yes. I mean, get rid of these spots. Now."
At least now he was more panicked than angry. Handling his panic was easier than the sinking sensation she experienced when his voice took on that quiet, hard tone.
"Okay, okay. Just calm down, Alec. I'm sure there'll be some sort of remedy in Aunt Lilith's book."
"I don't want to calm down. I want to put my hands around your little neck. And don't call me Alec!"
There was no way on earth she'd ever be able to call him something as pompous-sounding as A.C. He'd ruled out Third. Maybe his middle name would be more acceptable. "Don't get me excited, Chuck. You don't know what might happen. I could trip again and this time the whole building might fall in on us."
"Get you excited, Diedra? I'm excited and you don't know how dangerous I can be when I'm excited."
"Remember the vacuum? I don't want anything else to happen to you."
He clutched his hair and turned back to the mirror. "This must be a nightmare. I'm still asleep and this is all a bad dream." His eyes met hers in the mirror and she could feel a jolt, even though it was just a reflected image. "Right?"
What on earth was he asking? "What?"
"This is a dream, right?"
She didn't know what to say. Even she wished it was a dream. But it wasn't. She'd been through this sort of thing all her life and she still had no good answers. She should have known better than to add an unknown herb to the ointment.
"Diedra, please make the spots go away."
"Why don't you go to the washroom and try washing them off with soap?" She tried to sound reassuring and certain it would work. If only it would. But with the way things were going, she doubted it. "Maybe it's just residue from the smoke?"
"Good idea."
She led him to the washroom, where he promptly slammed and locked the door. She scrambled behind the counter where Tommy sat washing his paw.
Diedra grabbed the book of remedies. If she had any luck left at all, she'd find something about bumps. Thumbing through the index as quickly as possible, she didn't see anything under that heading. At last she found: Red Spots, Removal. That should help.
She read down the page. Apply rubbing alcohol. And a number of gross-sounding liniments if that didn't work. The alcohol sounded easy and like something even she couldn't screw up. She was pretty sure she'd seen a bottle on a nearby shelf.
This time luck was with her. She found the rubbing alcohol right away. She put the bottle and some cotton balls on the counter. Within seconds, Alec stormed out of the washroom. He looked as handsome as ever, but just a wee bit more desperate—and spotted.
"I found something I think will work." She pointed to the chair. "Sit."
He took a seat, muttering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He gave her a stern look. "This had better work."
"Oh, I'm sure it will." Diedra sent up a silent prayer that she'd told the truth. She dabbed a little of the rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and applied it to his nose. She was almost afraid to look. Slowly, she pulled back the cotton. The swelling had gone down and the spot was barely visible.
"It's working. Stop worrying." She said a prayer of thanks and got on with scrubbing his face.
Chapter 3
A.C. generally enjoyed being responsible and looking after the interests of others. It was one of the reasons why his law firm was exceptionally successful.
But there were limits.
He looked after his mother, his cousin and his clients. Diedra Palmer desperately needed someone to take care of her, but she was not his responsibility. No retainer fee would be large enough to add her to the list of people he protected.
He kept his eyes closed and gave himself a mental shake. After what he'd
"Dammit, Diedra, I have a meeting with an important client this afternoon. I can't meet the woman covered in hives!"
"You want me to call and have your secretary reschedule the meeting?"
"No. I mean, yes. I mean, get rid of these spots. Now."
At least now he was more panicked than angry. Handling his panic was easier than the sinking sensation she experienced when his voice took on that quiet, hard tone.
"Okay, okay. Just calm down, Alec. I'm sure there'll be some sort of remedy in Aunt Lilith's book."
"I don't want to calm down. I want to put my hands around your little neck. And don't call me Alec!"
There was no way on earth she'd ever be able to call him something as pompous-sounding as A.C. He'd ruled out Third. Maybe his middle name would be more acceptable. "Don't get me excited, Chuck. You don't know what might happen. I could trip again and this time the whole building might fall in on us."
"Get you excited, Diedra? I'm excited and you don't know how dangerous I can be when I'm excited."
"Remember the vacuum? I don't want anything else to happen to you."
He clutched his hair and turned back to the mirror. "This must be a nightmare. I'm still asleep and this is all a bad dream." His eyes met hers in the mirror and she could feel a jolt, even though it was just a reflected image. "Right?"
What on earth was he asking? "What?"
"This is a dream, right?"
She didn't know what to say. Even she wished it was a dream. But it wasn't. She'd been through this sort of thing all her life and she still had no good answers. She should have known better than to add an unknown herb to the ointment.
"Diedra, please make the spots go away."
"Why don't you go to the washroom and try washing them off with soap?" She tried to sound reassuring and certain it would work. If only it would. But with the way things were going, she doubted it. "Maybe it's just residue from the smoke?"
"Good idea."
She led him to the washroom, where he promptly slammed and locked the door. She scrambled behind the counter where Tommy sat washing his paw.
Diedra grabbed the book of remedies. If she had any luck left at all, she'd find something about bumps. Thumbing through the index as quickly as possible, she didn't see anything under that heading. At last she found: Red Spots, Removal. That should help.
She read down the page. Apply rubbing alcohol. And a number of gross-sounding liniments if that didn't work. The alcohol sounded easy and like something even she couldn't screw up. She was pretty sure she'd seen a bottle on a nearby shelf.
This time luck was with her. She found the rubbing alcohol right away. She put the bottle and some cotton balls on the counter. Within seconds, Alec stormed out of the washroom. He looked as handsome as ever, but just a wee bit more desperate—and spotted.
"I found something I think will work." She pointed to the chair. "Sit."
He took a seat, muttering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He gave her a stern look. "This had better work."
"Oh, I'm sure it will." Diedra sent up a silent prayer that she'd told the truth. She dabbed a little of the rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and applied it to his nose. She was almost afraid to look. Slowly, she pulled back the cotton. The swelling had gone down and the spot was barely visible.
"It's working. Stop worrying." She said a prayer of thanks and got on with scrubbing his face.
Chapter 3
A.C. generally enjoyed being responsible and looking after the interests of others. It was one of the reasons why his law firm was exceptionally successful.
But there were limits.
He looked after his mother, his cousin and his clients. Diedra Palmer desperately needed someone to take care of her, but she was not his responsibility. No retainer fee would be large enough to add her to the list of people he protected.
He kept his eyes closed and gave himself a mental shake. After what he'd
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