Tainted Hearts Read Online Free Page A

she was four days old. She’s
been attended by a nurse, round the clock, from the moment of her
birth. Eight years! Elise is eight years old and she’s not yet
begun to live.”
    Tuesday had to look away from the agony in
his gaze. It shredded her defenses and stomped past her resentment
to tug unmercifully on her heartstrings. She walked across the
room, fighting back tears. Damn him. Regardless of what he was
suffering, kidnapping her was not the answer. Forcing her to use
her influence at CPT would only…
    “Open blinds.”
    In response to his voice command, the
louvers concealing the windows smoothly rotated. Sunlight flooded
the room, making her squint. Her troubled thoughts withered beneath
the grandeur of the scene. Rugged, snow-capped mountains cut into a
brilliant blue horizon. Only on video screens had she seen such
beauty. She’d always meant to go, to spend time at one of the
Nature Preserves, but there had always been something to interfere,
some deadline or unexpected crisis.
    He touched her shoulder and she gasped.
She’d been so transfixed by the tranquil beauty she hadn’t heard
him come up behind her.
    “I started a pot of coffee. Do you want an
omelet, toast, a sandwich?”
    “I want to go outside.”
    He chuckled. “Are you always this hard to
feed?”
    “Hardly,” she grumbled. “As you can plainly
see, I have a very healthy appetite.”
    “Fishing for compliments?” He flashed his
sexy smile. “You stood in the sunlight this morning and that filmy
little dress showed us all exactly how well-proportioned your
appetite has made you.”
    She took a quick step away from the windows.
He’d say anything, do anything, if he thought it would win points
with her. He was using her. She couldn’t let herself forget it.
    “You’re a beautiful woman, Tuesday. Are you
going to try to convince me no one has ever told you before?”
    Embarrassed and uncomfortable with the
topic, she ignored his question and turned back to the majestic
view.
    “Tell you what,” he began. “If you suffer
through my cooking, I’ll take you outside when we’re done
eating.”
    She considered the proposal for only a
moment. “Fine. Is this pot of coffee free from whatever you put in
the last?”
    Resting his hand lightly at the small of her
back, Marc led her across the lodge. “I’ll drink from the same mug
if you like. I’ve no reason to sedate you now.”
     
    The gauzy material of her dress teased his
fingers. He’d experienced the smooth heat of her bare skin and his
fingers ached to continue the exploration. He wanted to slide his
palm across her torso and higher, to cup the fullness of her breast
and feel her nipple gather under the flick of his thumb.
    He bit back a groan. If he kept this up, he
wouldn’t be able to walk, much less cook.
    After pouring her a mug of steaming coffee,
he slid it across the counter toward her. She sat again at the
breakfast bar, following him with her gaze as he moved about the
kitchen.
    “Is your daughter’s mother in the
picture?”
    Emma’s face materialized in his mind and his
fist closed around the egg. It cracked, oozing slimy streamers
between his fingers. “No.” He tossed the mess into the sink and
quickly rinsed his hand. “Reliving the past isn’t going to change
the future. Your only concern is Elise.”
    Silence stretched between them as he worked
on their meal. He could hear her shifting on the stool and taking
an occasional sip from her mug, but she didn’t say anything more.
Smart woman. Knew when to back off.
    “What was your role in the Methuselah
Project?”
    Unbelievable.
    “I’m not stupid Mr.…” He heard her
frustrated sigh. “What’s your middle name? Surely you can give me
something.”
    “Marc. Just call me Marc.” Marc was his
middle name. Edward Marcus Sinclair, just like his father. But his
father had been Edward or Ed, so even as a boy, Marc had been
called by his middle name.
    “All right, Marc. The only reason your
daughter