Mischief 24/7 Read Online Free

exertion. “Good for you. And you want me to leave your hotel.”
    “No, I’m pretty sure I want to marry you. Which means we probably should get to know each other a little better. We could do that here, or up in my suite. There’s a fantastic view of the city skyline, including City Hall. Billy Penn’s wearing a Santa hat. You should see it.”
    “That’s sacrilege—on all counts—and he is not.”
    “How do you know? You haven’t looked As for the first part, yes, I am. Going to marry you, that is. Would you like me to go down on one knee? I mean, I’m game if you are.”
    She didn’t move. She also didn’t look awayfrom him. He imagined she had learned every inch of him and committed it all to memory.
    “I saw Sam trying to avoid me. I’ll assume you’re related to him.”
    Court took a single step forward, not quite invading her space, but close enough to smell her perfume. “His cousin. And you’re Jolie’s sister. Consider us destined, if you want. You. Me. This time. This place. Not Harvey, though.” He lost his smile. Whatever works for you, Jade Sunshine.”
    Something moved through her magnificent sherry-colored eyes. A decision made? A bridge crossed?
    Her voice took on a new huskiness. Low and intimate. “This isn’t a good idea, Court Becket.”
    “I’ve had worse.”
    “Nothing’s going to happen, you know.”
    “You don’t believe that any more than I do,” he said, holding out his arm to her.
    She slipped her arm through his. “You saw me take Harvey down.”
    “I’ll consider myself warned,” Court said before they walked out of the bar in silence, toward the last elevator on the right side of the lobby, the one that served only the penthouse.
    The first hairpin dropped to the carpeted floor of the elevator almost before the doors had whispered shut….

SUNDAY, 11:42 P.M.
    “W HAT’S WRONG ? Court? Court blinked, then rubbed his eyes. “Excuse me?”
    “You… I think you groaned,” Jade said, looking at him. “Is it something in that file?”
    “No,” he said, looking adorably confused, or at least as confused as an intelligent man could look. “I was just…my mind was wandering, that’s all. Sorry.”
    “And you tell me I need sleep?” Jade took the file that was still closed on his lap and frowned at it. “This is the Vanishing Bride case. It’s already solved.”
    “Really? I guess I didn’t notice.”
    Jade looked at him again, and she was surprised she could resist putting a hand to his brow to check him for a fever. “You’ve been sitting here for nearly forty-five minutes looking at a solvedcase?” She put the file on the coffee table and stood up. “Come on, let’s go.”
    Court got to his feet. “To bed? Would it be too tacky to say that your wish is my command?”
    “Yes, and we’re not going to bed. You’re coming to the kitchen with me. I think you need food.”
    “Sustenance of some sort would probably be helpful, yes,” he said as she led the way into the large kitchen. “What are you going to cook for me?”
    “Cook for you? Are you crazy? It’s nearly midnight,” Jade said, her head half inside the large refrigerator. “You’ll get whatever I can find in here and like it.” She heard her own words and bit her lips together, turned to look at him. “Sorry. I just had a flashback, I think. Suddenly you were Jess or Jolie, demanding to be fed long after I’d cleaned up the kitchen for the night. I had to keep reminding them that I wasn’t their servant.”
    “Did it work?” Court had sat himself on one of the stools at the large granite island.
    “Not in my memory, no,” Jade said, making a face. “They always asked, and I always gave in. For one, Jolie was too skinny, anyway. And Jess? She’d just look at me with those big puppy dog eyes, and I’d melt.”
    “You’re their sister. You sound like their mother. Where was your childhood, Jade?”
    She turned back to the refrigerator. “PB and J on white bread,”