Mystery Man. Diana Palmer. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Diana Palmer
Издательство: HarperCollins
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Современные любовные романы
Год издания: 0
isbn:
Скачать книгу
they gained the top of the steps, a vivacious brunette about Janine’s age came up to them with a champagne glass in her hand. She beamed at Canton until she saw him holding hands with the other woman. Her smile became catty.

      “There you are, Canton. I don’t believe I know your friend, do I?” she asked pointedly, glancing at Janine.

      “Probably not. Janine Curtis, this is Missy Elliger. She’s the daughter of one of my oldest friends.”

      “You’re not that old, darling,” she drawled, moving closer to him. She glared at Janine. “Do you live here?”

      “Oh, no,” Janine said pleasantly. “I live in a commune in California with several men.”

      The other woman gaped at her.

      “Behave,” Canton said shortly, increasing the pressure of his fingers. “This is Janine Curtis. She’s here on vacation with her little brother. That’s him, over there with Karie. His name’s Kurt.”

      “Oh.” Missy cleared her throat. “What a very odd thing to say, Miss…Curtsy?”

      “Curtis.” Janine corrected her easily. “Why do you say it’s odd?”

      “Well, living in a commune. Really!”

      Janine shrugged. “Actually it wasn’t so much a commune as it was a sort of, well, labor camp. You know, where they send political prisoners? I voiced unpopular thoughts about the government…”

      “In America?!” Missy burst out.

      “Heavens, no! In one of the Balkan countries. I seem to forget which one. Anyway, there I was, with my trusty rifle, shooting snipers with my platoon when the lights went out…”

      “Platoon?”

      “Not in this life, of course,” Janine went on, unabashed. “I believe it was when I was a private in the Czech army.”

      Missy swallowed her champagne in one gulp. “I must speak to Harvey Winthrop over there. Do excuse me.” She gave Canton a speaking look and escaped.

      Canton was trying not to laugh.

      Janine wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Not bad for a spur-of-the-moment story, huh?”

      “You idiot!”

      She smiled. He wasn’t bad at all. His eyes twinkled even when he didn’t smile back.

      “I’m sorry,” she said belatedly. “She’s really got a case on you, you know.”

      “Yes, I do,” he replied. He brought up their linked hands. “That’s why I’m doing this.”

      All her illusions fell, shattered, at her feet. “Oh.”

      “Surely you didn’t think there was any other reason?” he mused. “After all, we’re almost a generation apart. In fact, you’re only a year older than Missy is.”

      “So I’m a visual aid.”

      He chuckled, pressing her fingers. “In a sense. I didn’t think you’d mind. Enemies do help one another on occasion. I’ll do the same for you, one day.”

      “I’m not that much in demand,” she said, feeling stiff and uncomfortable now that she understood his odd behavior. “But you can have anyone you like. I read it in a magazine article.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEAYABgAAD/4RVORXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAABgAAAAAQAAAGAAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDE0OjA5 OjI2IDEyOjU4OjIwAAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAQABAACgAgAEAAAAAQAAAfSgAwAEAAAAAQAAAxcAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAAUIAAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAf/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAUQMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAb/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AOIpIsc1zqn742AFjtvEewx6e16avFuyH+pRRZeWuLfQpa6yyD7HWkQ/axu7 9H++9WMPNY+r0mg3bTD2PI1b+fYHf+T/APA10XQGn1uo24lprDuk5rWhsthwYxwc5zSHN92x3/TT BKizmFi7twKsK7DDcbJqdTlNaLH0PrdW8VgnZa8X7He792tXqcHEta6z6dbwDzpvkWe5v71PsZ/4 G9WMPquW22rpvVGXZPTXuYMmm+x9pq1c0ZuDkW73UW4rXOsb6FnpXV+rVcxaeR0ezBrzMdu5p6VA 9IMEXB1rafV3bx6XqeuzJd/Opk7Mo0dyyY64ZAjYPNvrc1x3SWnUeMqVdZJ1Hy4PzlatHS7b6822 vR2DR9pc2Jlu8MdDp9myvdb9H8z01DEwWX4GVlUvLrcNzPXoc3X0nnZ9rps3/pa2W/o7q/T/AEP8 4pr0a4Grj3YjHuc8ggtINhB5aP8AyLVDZWAwuI2WHYx51aXD6Df3msc7/CNW3j4wdk42I72NyLWU us2gx6j217/Tlu76f7yy/sVp+sGN0mk7K8u5mLXbsLtjHvfSH+lub7WOd6z2ep/gWfpE0m/2LhGt e27lspDCaSQ2zHBLnE+10nc6tj2fR9P/AAf+kUch7XNrfsJLAHgAOPtJ93v1+l/LVi7E6lS203WC uyux1VzCNfY4tfuf/wAYEM32ub6BaGCxujmgNa5wg++fobf5aaTZZYQoa6Xto0YH+hH+a5JE9HK/ 4T/PP96SSeCX7r//0PNMawMbazQB7SD4u4exn/bjGrqvqCS67qMuBYOmZgcNAZLGnRn7i5mvHDGO O1xe9oNL26tkgO1j6Dmrpfqk00P6oI0Z0bOOh1H6Ouezfz2bkwssbdRldToD26EOaLByGkbnD97Y 9b2VdUHZYt4t6bgWWOJ5c+zGo5/lemxc70yx2c7Gxmnffmba6mgEvL3A7jYAPayprXOe/wCh+j9V XutZrLqfrC7DeA2vHxqcZ7XCwOpZkYmNVc327f0jWepsUcYjr1Z5S1vt/wB9F1OmYzWOx8d/8xn3 20WEau9M0Pw2f+D5zv8AttUek2WYddmQKxYW1NbdSYi2p9ldWVQ6f9LW5/8A17YjdFu9DC6fjXsy LsinFqyzki1gAc9326unbZTZZ6rK7af6618jp9dWRm0tA2lxLQeNrrabmf8ARekSR9P+9WDhN3et f9JyGdKdT1XG9N/q43rUX0ZBEF9Lnsfjv1Dfdt/R2bm/z3qIT+l0OtycjaTbj05AqfOrXXb8SmP5 bX5Xs/qLoMKj3V4gndU8X4re5G9r82j+z/Sqmf8AhhBdXS2m91jHObdaGhrHhkhm613ufXc1/usp UZJsEGhqQuExqKvYHxeV+vOC1+Rbn0OOzIsqvYCBtDMhrb33/vbq3uWQ3BoxWXi5zciskAYTQA9z 2bvSyfTDQ30aqdz/ANH6nrLvM+uq7GwrGNLWip9Aa9wc4Ghzq2B9jGN/wdzP8EuHy8anEtbXfU52 VUxrqK22ONQsn22usb6bttf85XV/hLEOMkmP+Fp2l6lwOgNf1TfePpaX23pX/cg/9s/+ZpK16HUP +5Vv+ZX/AOk0k7Tv+P8A6Av4595f4v8A68f/0eIxKRZfQwsLDkNdDKmEvtI2vrYxv5rrH+m3b/o/ +MW9jMyvq5b9py6Dt6g12He/NxMpg9K6PtAbX+q77m10+/0smz/gq1R6Rg1WVzQ/e5jwLnNMOpg7 mD9L/OV3bdjti0uo9UZgfXLqOPd+m6dmdRNHU8d241vqtcddrS3Zk4kevjX1/pqcj6D1DuerZ2B2 r+WzFnV6bG1YtV2BhYeYDXcMCm5ttzS+t32PIvyXXZNePd/hvSsp/R/o/f8Azat4eNdVi5dVF2M+ vL21XbqbdrWhzciuqr0dn0PTr3+2/wBjFHo