Love With A Stranger Read Online Free Page B

starved, and I need a cup of coffee desperately. Thanks.”
    Peter nodded and said, “I’ll see you downstairs in…say about twenty minutes?”
    “Perfect. Make the coffee strong; I need the caffeine.”
    “You best go easy on it or you’ll be awake all night.”
    “Were there any problems at the seafood company or theelectronics firm?” she queried him about two of Tom’s eight businesses, as the remaining six were in other towns and states.
    “Just minor ones and I handled them. We’ll talk more while we eat. I’m starved, too; I skipped lunch and just ate a pack of crackers.”
    After Peter left the room, Cass noticed her luggage sitting on the floor, still waiting to be unpacked from her trip to Los Angeles. She recalled why that chore wasn’t done and why she had been so upset and taken the tranquilizer. She wondered if the police had gone to see Peter today after speaking with her; if so, it seemed odd that he didn’t phone her or rush home afterward to see what they had asked and what she had answered. Even if the detectives hadn’t seen Peter today, surely, Inez would have told him about their visit and her reaction, one that she was embarrassed and baffled to recall. No doubt Peter was planning to discuss the matter tonight and that was his reason for awakening her.
    As Cass showered and dressed, the shocking episode was replayed in her head like a videotape. True, the men had been rude and insensitive and their timing was lousy, but she couldn’t imagine why she had behaved so rudely, almost as if she had freaked out. But wasn’t that natural under those circumstances? After all, they had implied Gretchen Lowrey was Tom’s… There was no way that could be true. And they had speculated that Tom had been…murdered. Surely that wasn’t true, either; it couldn’t be. What was worse was they sounded as if she were a suspect; that was absurd and frightening. She didn’t want their private lives invaded by those two slugs, based on…On what?
    Cass hurriedly brushed her long brown tresses and went downstairs to the breakfast room, dismissing the troubling thoughts.
    Peter glanced up from his cooking and smiled. “Now you look like yourself. For a minute there, you had me worried, Cass.”
    “I’m sorry; it wasn’t intentional. Now, what can I do to help?”
    “Pour your coffee; I already have a cup. And you can start the toast. It should be ready when this second omelette is done.”
    After she finished those tasks, she asked, “What’s next?”
    “See if I’ve missed putting out anything. If not, take a seat and get prepared to have your tummy filled with a real treat.”
    She passed her gaze over the table to find that it was completely set with dishes, silverwear, placemats, and napkins. All of the needed condiments were there, too: salt, pepper, sweetener, butter, and jelly. Peter had positioned them across from each other at the beveled glass ring that was supported by a large square ivory pedestal with floral gold-leaf accents on all sides. Four Louis XVI-style chairs with golden tortoise finishes on Italian beechwood surrounded it; their seats, rounded backs, and a section of the armrests were covered in an ivory fabric with gold pinstripes and self-welting. It was lovely, but too formal, she felt, for a breakfast room; she would have preferred something more casual, but an interior decorator whom Tom had hired had chosen it, just as the man had selected everything else in the house, including most of the accessories and artwork. When Tom had brought her “home” for the first time, the house was ready for immediate occupancy, down to perfectly landscaped and manicured grounds. Even the walk-in pantry, freezer, and refrigerator were stocked; and Inez already was employed.
    Cass wished she could have had a say in decorating the house, but Tom had wanted to surprise her by having it finished and ready to enjoy. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the decorator’s excellent taste, but