"Angels- 01 - A Season Of Angels" - читать интересную книгу автора (Macomber Debbie)

Dennis touched the tip of his hat. УHeТll leave you alone now, miss.Ф With that he strolled away.
УYou arenТt going to leave, are you?Ф
УTrust me, sweetheart, heТs got better things to do than listen to you making a fuss over nothing. This is a public sidewalk, thereТs nothing Dennis can do but ask me to move on, which heТs already done.Ф
УWhy do you insist upon doing this?Ф Monica demanded, straightening her shoulders. She forced herself to look directly ahead of her and away from him, because looking at Chet caused her stomach to flutter as if she were coming down with the flu.
УHey,Ф he said, raising both hands, УIТm paying you back for what you did the other day.Ф
УI was trying to help you.Ф
УYou were a major pest. Now you know how it feels.Ф
УIf youТre looking for me to apologize, thenЧФ
УNo, thanks.Ф He walked all the way around her once more, then stood directly in front of her, hands on his hips. УYou know, you might really be something in the looks department if you ever decided to wear makeup.Ф
Monica ignored the comment.
УA little blush and eye liner arenТt tools of the devil, you know.Ф
She pursed her lips to restrain herself from chastising him the way he deserved.
УMy oh my, look at that sour puss. I was right the first time.Ф
УAbout what?Ф she demanded before she could stop herself.
УWhat you really need is to be kissed, and sweetheart, IТm the man to do it.Ф

Four
Chet never intended to kiss Monica. HeТd taken delight in teasing her and she was easy game. Her face flushed with color, brightening her cheeks, and her eyes snapped with outrage, challenging him. Chet was ready to laugh and walk away when a Metro bus came rushing down the street, the thick tires spraying the sidewalk with a shower of icy, muddy water.
Monica, standing as close to the curb as she was, would receive the brunt of the spray. Thinking quickly, Chet caught her by the shoulders and whirled her around. The bus passed and the muddy water sprayed him against the back of his legs. He grimaced as the icy liquid soaked through his trousers at his calves.
УWhat are you doing?Ф Monica demanded.
Her back was against the brick building and she was breathing hard. Her breasts rose up and down and her hands clenched at the lapels of his trench coat as though to push him away. When she moistened her lips as if she fully expected him to follow through with his threat, it was his undoing. He felt as if a fist had been plowed into his gut. He didnТt want to kiss her any longer, he needed to.
УNo, please,Ф she blurted out, sounding as if she were near panic.
УRelax,Ф he whispered coaxingly. УThis isnТt going to hurt in the least.Ф
She jerked her head to one side but he caught her by the chin. By all that was right he should have released her then, but the temptation was too strong, too sweet and piercing to ignore.
Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers with the confidence of years of experience. His lips cut off her gasp of protest, and the strong pressure of his mouth opened hers to him. She tasted good, damn good, a hell of a lot better than he expected. When his tongue entered her mouth, her nails dug into his coat, and then she amazed him and quite possibly herself with a soft, womanly sigh of pleasure. Under his tutelage her mouth opened further, and unwilling to let this opportunity slip past him, Chet slanted his head and kissed her with months of pent-up passion.
He didnТt mean to be so demanding, but he couldnТt stop himself.
With effort, Chet forced himself to break off the intensity of the kiss and wean himself away from her with a series of short, nibbling ones. With a reluctance he didnТt dare question, he lifted his mouth from hers. He would have enjoyed continuing this experiment and given the opportunity, a hell of a lot more.
MonicaТs chest was heaving and her eyes were closed. Her head was slightly lowered but not enough to disguise the soft, feminine look about her. He noticed that half the pins were missing from her hair so that it fell haphazardly over one shoulder. Hell, he didnТt even remember doing anything more than plowing his hands into the thick fullness and positioning her head so he could kiss her properly.
Her eyes slowly opened and she looked slightly dazed and definitely pale. She gazed at him steadily for just a moment and then quickly lowered her eyes. Her slender throat moved up and down as she swallowed and it seemed that she was getting ready to speak.
УI .а.а. wish you hadnТt done that.Ф
УNo, you donТt,Ф he returned, sounding far more cocky than he intended. Insolence was part and parcel of his job. He didnТt like it in himself, but he didnТt know how to stop.
УPlease, will you leave me alone now?Ф
УIs that what you really want?Ф
She nodded, but refused to meet his eyes.
He stepped away from her and she immediately went about tucking her hair back into place, her hands trembling so badly that Chet had to resist offering to help.
УIt was just a kiss,Ф he said in a weak effort to comfort her, although he was beginning to feel he was the one who needed reassurance. This woman was completely unaware of what a powerful punch she packed. SheТd felt good in his arms, damn good, as if that was where she was supposed to be. The thought didnТt sit well with Chet. Nor was he keen on admitting how difficult it was to walk away from her.
УI .а.а. think it would be best if you left,Ф she said, struggling valiantly to compose herself. She refused to look up at him.
ChetТs mind was sluggish and his pulse still hadnТt returned to normal. He nodded, unable to think of anything more to say. As he moved away from her, he found the small, silver bell sheТd dropped on the sidewalk. Stooping, he retrieved it for her.
УThank you,Ф she whispered.
УYouТre sure youТre all right?Ф
She nodded and Chet stepped away from her, walking backward. He bumped into a lamp post, his shoulder hitting hard enough against the steel column to jar him. Sucking in a deep breath, he rubbed his hand over the tender spot, turned, and walked away.
He didnТt want to think about what had just happened. HeТd kissed a woman who, for all intents and purposes, was living the life of a nun. It shouldnТt have been this good. One taste should have been enough to cure him of ever thinking about her again. He could tell right now that it wasnТt going to happen that way.
By the time Chet returned to his office, he discovered he was shaking like a leaf. HeТd faced danger a dozen times, hell, more than that, but no encounter with life or death had left him so jittery that he needed to sit down. It took a morally uptight missionary intent on saving the world to reduce him to this.
а
УOh, Leah, look,Ф Pam Hewitt said, holding up a thick cable-knit sweater the color of winter wheat. УDoug would love this.Ф She checked the price tag and then slowly shook her head. УUnfortunately I canТt afford a hundred bucks for a sweater.Ф
УI thought we were shopping for a party dress for you,Ф Leah reminded her friend. TheyТd known each other since university days and kept in close contact although they werenТt able to get together often. Pam had temporarily traded in her nurseТs uniform to be a full-time housewife and mother to her three youngsters. Leah loved each one, but Scotty, the just-turned three-year-old, held a special place in her heart. The baby Andrew and she were to have adopted had been born around the same time. Somehow Leah had transferred to Scotty all the love she had for the child that was to have been hers. She gave PamТs three children gifts every Christmas and invented excuses for outings with them, but it was Scotty who ruled her heart.
УI hate Christmas parties,Ф Pam muttered, folding the sweater and setting it back on the table. She ran her hand over the top and sighed expressively. УI was thinking IТd cut down the fancy maternity dress I wore a couple of years ago andЧФ
УAbsolutely not,Ф Leah insisted. УWeТre going to find you a dress that will make you feel like a queen for DougТs Christmas party.Ф
УThat will take some doing,Ф Pam muttered. УTwo years at home with the kids and IТm afraid IТve lost it.Ф
УLost what?Ф