Immortally Theirs [Legends & Myths] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Online Free Page B

Her money wouldn’t last forever, but she knew it wouldn’t need to. As long as it lasted until Mark found her, she would be fine. But if the money ran out before he tracked her down, she was going to have to figure out a way to survive when it was gone.
    She shifted her weight onto her left foot as the ache in her right leg became more pronounced. The thought of spending another night in the cramped car made her want to cry. Maybe she could find a place to spend one night in a nice bed and then figure out what to do from there. As long as it wasn’t too expensive, it might be worth spending the money. She would be able to think much more clearly if she wasn’t in so much pain, and a good night’s sleep would go a long way toward helping in that regard.
    She looked over at the bar lining the back of the room, where the bartender laughed with customers as he served them. She swallowed her irrational fear of the white-haired man who still watched her and walked to the bar. She felt the gazes of the two men on her, but she tried her best to ignore them. She veered to her right as she approached the bar, closer to the friendlier-looking blond-haired man, rather than the side closer to his intimidating companion.
    “What can I get you, hon?” The bartender smiled and walked over to her. He was an older man who reminded her of her grandfather. A familiar ache gripped her heart as she thought of him. It had been three years since his death and she still felt pain slice her heart every time she thought of him.
    “Um, just some information, if that’s okay?” She cringed, hating the timid tone of her voice. She hadn’t always sounded so unsure of herself and, to be honest, she was tired of it.
    “Sure, hon. What do you need?” The bartender leaned on the bar across from her.
    “Is there a hotel nearby, something really inexpensive, where I might be able to get a room tonight?” She had seen several beautiful bed-and-breakfast establishments as she’d walked around the Historic District that afternoon, but she knew they would be way out of her budget. She needed something along the lines of a cheap chain motel. Even though the jewelry she’d sold was expensive, the owner of the pawn shop hadn’t given her much for it. She realized it would have been easy for him to pick up on her desperation and she would bet he low-balled his offer. If she stayed at any of the nice places she had seen, she would be lucky if her money lasted a week.
    The bartender glanced to Claire’s left, toward the blond-haired man, and then back to her. He fidgeted with the dish towel he held. “Cheap, huh? Well…there’s a small motel a few blocks away, but it’s a little run-down, and if you’re here alone…”
    “Miss?” Claire jumped at the warm voice to her left, not realizing the blond-haired stranger had moved closer. He extended his hand to her. “Christian de la Fuente, ma’am.”
    Claire stared at his extended hand before reaching out. She shook his hand for the briefest of moments and then withdrew it and tucked it into her pocket. “Um, hello. I’m Claire Mor—um, Jernigan. Claire Jernigan.” Claire felt her pulse quicken at her near slip of using her married name. She had rehearsed the last name she would use, her grandmother’s maiden name, over and over again in the car. How could she have been so stupid as to almost blurt out her married name the first chance she got? If she kept this up, Mark would be able to track her down in no time.
    The man’s expression didn’t change. Maybe he hadn’t noticed her slip. “I didn’t mean to startle you, Miss Jernigan. I just couldn’t help but overhear. I run a bed-and-breakfast right around the corner and I’d be happy to set you up in a room for the night.” His golden eyes were as warm as his voice and it made Claire want to sink into their honeyed depths.
    She struggled to think, trying to remember why she couldn’t go to one of those enticing establishments that