Deadly Aim by Patricia H. Rushford Page A

enough.”
    He stopped and turned her toward him. Cupping her face in his hands, he lifted her head, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I love you, Angel.”
    “I...” Before she could finish, Brandon kissed her again. Angel was glad he hadn’t let her finish. He thought she was going to say “I love you too,” but she wasn’t; she’d never been able to say it. She definitely cared for him, maybe loved himin a way; she just wasn’t certain it was the kind of love that would sustain them in a permanent relationship.
    Brandon released her. “Let’s go inside.” His key easily fit in the lock, as though he’d been opening the door for some time.
    “Belongs to a friend of yours, doesn’t it?”
    “In a way.” He laughed. “Come on. You have to see this.”
    The alarm system beeped when they entered. Brandon punched a series of numbers into the panel near the door and closed it. He turned on the entry light, revealing a magnificent tiled floor in cream-colored shades. He took her coat and tossed it on the curved banister that wound up wide carpeted stairs, then grabbed her hand, pulling her to the great room. Light from the entry flowed into the spacious living area. A huge kitchen with granite counters was off to the right. The kitchen alone was almost as big as her entire apartment. “Wow. My mother would love this kitchen.”
    “Yeah, she would. Can’t you see her making one of her great pasta dishes in here?”
    She nodded her head. “This place is awesome. But it’s so big and elegant and...” Expensive . But then, cost probably wasn’t an issue. He was, after all, a Lafferty.
    To the left was a living area with a three-sided fireplace and a built-in large-screen television and stereo system. There was no furniture, but Angel could picture two sofas and two chairs with ottomans. They’d have to be natural—maybe white or cream, with colorful pictures on the wall and accent pillows. Or maybe something informal like rattan with tropical prints.
    Brandon left her in the center of the room and went to click on a switch at the far wall. The huge fireplace burst into flames. He came around and stood behind her then directed her toward the sliding glass doors. There were five sets, actually, spanning the entire front of the house. All of the doors opened to a deck, offering an unobstructed view of the river. The alarm beeped again as he opened one of the sliding glass doors and stepped outside. “Come here. You have to see this.”
    As they stepped away from the house, the light dimmed, allowing her to see the inky black water and the lights ofhomes surrounding the bay. Several boats moved along the waterway, one of them the popular stern-wheeler that took guests out for dinner cruises.
    “What do you think?” He took hold of her hand.
    “Oh, Brandon. It’s beautiful.”
    “I’ve always wanted to live in a place on the bay.”
    So he was thinking of buying it. “Then you should, Brandon. This is nice.”
    “Do you really like it?”
    Angel shrugged. “Sure. Who wouldn’t? I haven’t seen the rest of the house, but I’m sure it’s great.”
    “Well, the rest of the place is nice. But the view is my favorite part—and the fact that it’s so close to the water. You can’t see it very well right now, but there’s a dock and a motorboat.”
    “So are you going to buy it?”
    Brandon wrapped his arms around her. “I already did.” He kissed her again and drew her back inside. “I want you to see the rest of it.”
    Angel had enjoyed the evening, but the day’s events were taking their toll on her. She was exhausted. Even so, she dutifully followed Brandon up the stairs, making appropriate comments as he showed her the oversized bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and shower for two. She was mildly impressed with the huge his-and-her walk-in closets and the bedroom that looked like it could easily accommodate fifty kids on a sleep over. She liked the balcony that overlooked the living room and