LEAD ME ON by Julie Ortolon (find a book to read TXT) 📕

“For a book?” Her face lit up.

“Yep.” He stopped dancing to explain. “Basic premise, a group of young underwater archeologists are invited to a secluded island to search for sunken treasure. There’ll be a mansion owned by the villain, who’s pretending to be their gracious host. Only the archeologists learn he’s using the island as a base for his band of modern-day pirates. Drugs, arms, you name it. Once his cover’s blown, the drug lord holds some of the archeologists hostage and forces the others to keep searching for the treasure, planning to murder all of them once it’s found.”

She frowned at him. “Didn’t you do something similar in your first book, Ghost Island!”

“No, that was kids and art thieves. This will be different. Adults, male and female. More room for some interesting relationship twists. Lots of stuff to work with. But finally, I have an idea!” He cupped her face and gave her a hard kiss on the mouth that was too quick to give her time to react, but too long and full to be mistaken as a platonic peck. “Oh yes, lots of room for interesting relationship twists. I need to write this down while it’s all still there. Will you help Chloe get settled in her room?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Chloe, I’ll expect that paper first thing in the morning, so have Allison show you the work station in the music room.” He gave Allison another quick kiss. “Thanks.”

“But...” She watched him stride out the door. The room fell silent as if all the energy had gone out with him. She turned and saw Chloe’s disgruntled smirk.

“Great.” The girl planted her fists on her hips. “If I’d wanted to be ignored, I could have stayed home.”

Allison bit her lip, wondering what to say. She had no experience with adolescents since she’d spent the last ten years avoiding children. “Would you like for me to help you carry your bags to your room?”

“Might as well.” Chloe gave a long-suffering sigh. “Lord knows when Uncle Scott will return to earth. Once he starts a book, it’s like his brain is living on another planet.”

Allison frowned at that. If Scott was holed up in his room writing, who would take care of Chloe for the next two weeks?

Chapter 14

When Scott entered the dining room the next morning, Allison was the only one there. “Where is everybody?” he asked.

She turned from the sideboard, where she was setting up the buffet. “You’re up early.”

“Am I?” He glanced at his watch and realized she was right. “Oh. Well, got any coffee ready?”

“I’m brewing some now. I can bring you a cup when it’s done.”

“That’d be great.” He grabbed a chair and opened the legal pad he’d brought down with him. The story churning in his brain had kept him up half the night and woken him at dawn. Clicking the pen, he started scribbling out the next scene in the cryptic shorthand he’d developed over the years. Later, he’d transfer it to the computer, fleshing it out as he went.

Lost in the flow of action and dialogue, he barely registered the sounds of Chance and Aurora helping Allison set out breakfast. Guests filed in and out, but he ignored the buzz of conversation and the clatter of dishes. A writer didn’t survive in the French Quarter without learning to focus even if a Dixieland jazz band were marching down the street.

Oddly, it was the quiet that finally distracted him. He looked up to see he and Allison were once again the only people in the room, only now the remains of breakfast lay strewn across the table, like the carnage of a well-fought war.

“Welcome back.” She smiled at him, clearing away the dirty dishes. “Can I get you a pastry or something to go with that coffee?”

His gaze shot to the sideboard, and he saw that most of the food had been taken away. “Man, I missed breakfast.”

“I’ll get you a Danish,” she said, clearly amused as she headed for the basket of pastries.

“Thanks.” He stretched to work a kink out of his back. “Although I also came down to check on Chloe.” He frowned, wondering if she’d come and gone while he’d been off scuba diving in South America. “Did I miss her?”

“No, she hasn’t been down yet.”

He glanced toward the stairs, wondering if the girl was sulking in her room, or just sleeping late. She’d certainly sulked last night when he’d taken a break to check on her. He’d found her in the music room watching a movie. Since she’d been the only guest in the room, he’d turned the set off and told her no TV until she finished the assignment he’d given her. Then he’d suffered through her protests as they headed into town to grab dinner.

Deciding to just wait her out, he started to turn his attention back to his writing when she came clopping down the stairs in baggy jeans and T-shirt, her ball cap pulled down nearly over her eyes.

“Well, speak of the devil.” He flipped the legal pad closed. “You’re finally up.”

“Up and starving,” she said enthusiastically.

“Did you finish your paper?”

“All ten pages.” She handed it to him with a flourish. “Am I too late for breakfast?”

Allison set the Danish next to Scott. “We put away the hot dishes, but there’s plenty of cereal, fruit, and yogurt. Help yourself to as much as you want.”

While Chloe headed for the sideboard and piled a plate with pastries, Scott read her paper. She’d written a paragraph or essay, then launched into a list of one hundred bad things that could have happened, spacing each item out to be sure the list filled ten sheets of paper. Okay, so maybe that was cheating a bit, but he nodded in approval that she’d included worrying her mother, worrying him, getting hurt, kidnapped, or even killed. As he continued down the list, though, he couldn’t help but chuckle. By the time he reached the bottom,