She watched as he wandered over to the coffee table and picked up the stack of magazines
there. Her brow furrowed. “What are you looking for?”
He glanced at her. “Something that might give me a clue to where your sister may have gone.”
Taylor gave him a skeptical look as she walked into the living room. “By checking out what
magazines she subscribes to?”
Malone tossed the magazines back onto the coffee table. “If one of them was a travel brochure
from wherever it is that she went, then yes.”
“Did you find one?” Taylor asked, hurrying over to the coffee table to scoop up the magazines
and leaf through them excitedly.
“I said, if one of them was a travel brochure,” he told her dryly. “None of them were.”
She dropped the magazines back on the table and gave him annoyed look. “Well, why didn’t
you just tell me that, then?”
He shrugged. “I did.”
Taylor made a face at his retreating back as he walked into the kitchen. She wondered if the
two-hundred-and-fifty dollars a day she was paying him covered that dry wit of his or if he
threw that in for free.
In the kitchen, Malone had opened the door of the refrigerator.
“What are you looking for in there?” she asked.
“Some people throw out things like milk if they know they’re going to be away for a while.”
Taylor edged closer to get a better look and immediately spotted the container of skim milk
on the top shelf. “I was right! Tiffany didn’t throw out the milk, so that proves she must have
been kidnapped.”
He closed the refrigerator door. “Or it could mean that she just didn’t throw out the milk
before she left. It’s skim milk, after all. The stuff can barely be called milk in the first place, so
it’s not surprising that it lasts forever.”
Taylor had to bite her tongue as she watched him make his way around the kitchen, opening
drawers and cabinets, fingering through all kinds of things. She couldn’t imagine what he
possibly hoped to find, but she made no comment as he continued his search.
Finally done in that room, Malone left the kitchen and headed for the bedrooms, only to stop
and turn back to Taylor when she started to follow him.
“Maybe it would be better if you just sat out here on the couch and let me do my job,” he told
her.
Taylor bristled at the condescending tone in the private detective’s voice. Folding her arms,
she lifted her chin to look him squarely in the eye. “No way. I just met you a few hours ago. I’
m not about to let you go through my sister’s personal things without my being there.”
If she thought her words would insult him, Taylor was wrong. His expression barely changed
at all.
He regarded her coolly. “Ms. Cavanaugh, you hired me to find your sister and I can’t work
with you hovering over my shoulder demanding to know what I’m doing every second. If you’
ve reconsidered hiring me, just let me know and we can leave.” When she said nothing, he
continued. “I didn’t think so. Now, why don’t you do as I suggested and go sit on the couch?”
Taylor stared up at the handsome private investigator in stunned silence. How dare he order
her around like that? And in her own sister’s apartment, too! She should tell him to get the
hell out.. In fact, the words were on the tip of her tongue, but for some reason, she couldn’t
make herself say them. Right now, Austin Malone was the only option she had for finding her
sister. Was she prepared to let him walk out the door simply because he was an obnoxious
ass? She could put up with his arrogance if it meant getting Tiffany back safely.
“Fine,” she told him through gritted teeth.
Turning on her heel, she stomped over to the couch and threw herself down on it. Then,
folding her arms and crossing her legs, she gave him a glare.
Though Austin Malone scowled at her obvious show of petulance, he said nothing, but
instead turned and walked into Tiffany’s bedroom.
From her vantage point on the couch, Taylor couldn’t see much of the bedroom, but she
could hear Malone moving around in there. From the sounds of it, he was looking through
the dresser. An image of the private detective rifling through her sister’s panty drawer
suddenly popped into her head and she frowned. Without another thought, she jumped to her
feet and hurried into the bedroom.
Malone was standing beside the bed, a small, leather-bound book in his hand. Her brow
furrowed as she walked over to him.
“What are you reading?” she asked.
He looked up from the book to give her a frown. “I thought you were going to wait in the living
room.”
She shrugged. “I was, but I got curious. So, what are you reading?”
“Your sister’s diary.”
Taylor’s eyes went wide. “Her what? You can’t read that. It’s personal!”
But he only turned the page and continued to read. “Of course it’s personal. It’s a diary.
Which means it could give us a clue where she might have gone.”
“She didn’t go anywhere. She was kidnapped,” Taylor corrected. “And I really doubt you’ll
find an entry in there that says Get Kidnapped Before Lunch.”
Taylor didn’t know what infuriated her more, the fact that Austin Malone was still reading
her sister’s diary, or that he was ignoring her. Refusing to put up with it anymore, she
reached out and snatched the book from his hand. He gave her a scowl.
“What is your problem?” he demanded. “I’m a professional and could care less about your
sister’s personal life, except where it relates to her disappearance. I need to read that diary,
so give it back.”
Malone reached for book as he spoke, but Taylor jerked it away. “No! I told you that I don’t
want you reading my sister’s diary.”
His eyes narrowed as he took a step toward her. “Do you actually want your sister found, or
not?”
She lifted her chin. “Of course I do. I just think it’s completely inappropriate for you to read
her diary, that’s all.”
His brows drew together. “I don’t have time for this. There could be something in there that
might put us on your sister’s trail.”
Taylor thought for a moment. She really doubted there would be anything relevant in her
sister’s diary. But if Malone was right and there really were something in it that could help
them find her sister...
“I’ll read through it and let you know if I find anything suspicious,” she finally conceded.
He gave her an impatient look. “I’m not going to sit here while you read that whole diary.
Besides, you’d probably miss anything important, anyway. Now, stop playing around and give
it back to me.”
When he reached for it again, Taylor backpedaled, putting the edge of the bed between them.
“I said, no.”
He swore under his breath. “Okay, that’s it!”
Before Taylor could even react, Austin Malone had closed the distance between them and
plucked the diary from her hand. Infuriated, she made a grab for the book, but he tossed it on
the bed. She immediately reached for it, but the bastard caught her arm and steered her away
from it. He was going to throw her out of the room, she realized.
“Hey!” she protested. “You can’t...”
But to her surprise, Malone wasn’t heading for the door. Instead, he sat down on the padded
bench at the foot of the bed and, with a yank on her arm, sent her tumbling headlong over his
knee. For a moment, Taylor was so stunned that she simply lay there with her head hanging
down and her ass up in the air. She regained her senses quickly enough though, and when
she did, she immediately tried to push herself up off his lap. She didn’t even get halfway up
before a strong hand on her back shoved her down and held her there.
Taylor had no choice but to put her hands on the floor to steady herself. Craning her neck,
she looked at him over her shoulder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she
demanded.
“Something someone obviously should have done a long time ago!” he ground out.
Her brow furrowing in confusion, she opened her mouth to retort, only to let out a startled,
“Oh!” when she felt his hand come down on her upturned bottom. Her blue eyes went wide.
Oh God, the jerk had actually just spanked her!
there. Her brow furrowed. “What are you looking for?”
He glanced at her. “Something that might give me a clue to where your sister may have gone.”
Taylor gave him a skeptical look as she walked into the living room. “By checking out what
magazines she subscribes to?”
Malone tossed the magazines back onto the coffee table. “If one of them was a travel brochure
from wherever it is that she went, then yes.”
“Did you find one?” Taylor asked, hurrying over to the coffee table to scoop up the magazines
and leaf through them excitedly.
“I said, if one of them was a travel brochure,” he told her dryly. “None of them were.”
She dropped the magazines back on the table and gave him annoyed look. “Well, why didn’t
you just tell me that, then?”
He shrugged. “I did.”
Taylor made a face at his retreating back as he walked into the kitchen. She wondered if the
two-hundred-and-fifty dollars a day she was paying him covered that dry wit of his or if he
threw that in for free.
In the kitchen, Malone had opened the door of the refrigerator.
“What are you looking for in there?” she asked.
“Some people throw out things like milk if they know they’re going to be away for a while.”
Taylor edged closer to get a better look and immediately spotted the container of skim milk
on the top shelf. “I was right! Tiffany didn’t throw out the milk, so that proves she must have
been kidnapped.”
He closed the refrigerator door. “Or it could mean that she just didn’t throw out the milk
before she left. It’s skim milk, after all. The stuff can barely be called milk in the first place, so
it’s not surprising that it lasts forever.”
Taylor had to bite her tongue as she watched him make his way around the kitchen, opening
drawers and cabinets, fingering through all kinds of things. She couldn’t imagine what he
possibly hoped to find, but she made no comment as he continued his search.
Finally done in that room, Malone left the kitchen and headed for the bedrooms, only to stop
and turn back to Taylor when she started to follow him.
“Maybe it would be better if you just sat out here on the couch and let me do my job,” he told
her.
Taylor bristled at the condescending tone in the private detective’s voice. Folding her arms,
she lifted her chin to look him squarely in the eye. “No way. I just met you a few hours ago. I’
m not about to let you go through my sister’s personal things without my being there.”
If she thought her words would insult him, Taylor was wrong. His expression barely changed
at all.
He regarded her coolly. “Ms. Cavanaugh, you hired me to find your sister and I can’t work
with you hovering over my shoulder demanding to know what I’m doing every second. If you’
ve reconsidered hiring me, just let me know and we can leave.” When she said nothing, he
continued. “I didn’t think so. Now, why don’t you do as I suggested and go sit on the couch?”
Taylor stared up at the handsome private investigator in stunned silence. How dare he order
her around like that? And in her own sister’s apartment, too! She should tell him to get the
hell out.. In fact, the words were on the tip of her tongue, but for some reason, she couldn’t
make herself say them. Right now, Austin Malone was the only option she had for finding her
sister. Was she prepared to let him walk out the door simply because he was an obnoxious
ass? She could put up with his arrogance if it meant getting Tiffany back safely.
“Fine,” she told him through gritted teeth.
Turning on her heel, she stomped over to the couch and threw herself down on it. Then,
folding her arms and crossing her legs, she gave him a glare.
Though Austin Malone scowled at her obvious show of petulance, he said nothing, but
instead turned and walked into Tiffany’s bedroom.
From her vantage point on the couch, Taylor couldn’t see much of the bedroom, but she
could hear Malone moving around in there. From the sounds of it, he was looking through
the dresser. An image of the private detective rifling through her sister’s panty drawer
suddenly popped into her head and she frowned. Without another thought, she jumped to her
feet and hurried into the bedroom.
Malone was standing beside the bed, a small, leather-bound book in his hand. Her brow
furrowed as she walked over to him.
“What are you reading?” she asked.
He looked up from the book to give her a frown. “I thought you were going to wait in the living
room.”
She shrugged. “I was, but I got curious. So, what are you reading?”
“Your sister’s diary.”
Taylor’s eyes went wide. “Her what? You can’t read that. It’s personal!”
But he only turned the page and continued to read. “Of course it’s personal. It’s a diary.
Which means it could give us a clue where she might have gone.”
“She didn’t go anywhere. She was kidnapped,” Taylor corrected. “And I really doubt you’ll
find an entry in there that says Get Kidnapped Before Lunch.”
Taylor didn’t know what infuriated her more, the fact that Austin Malone was still reading
her sister’s diary, or that he was ignoring her. Refusing to put up with it anymore, she
reached out and snatched the book from his hand. He gave her a scowl.
“What is your problem?” he demanded. “I’m a professional and could care less about your
sister’s personal life, except where it relates to her disappearance. I need to read that diary,
so give it back.”
Malone reached for book as he spoke, but Taylor jerked it away. “No! I told you that I don’t
want you reading my sister’s diary.”
His eyes narrowed as he took a step toward her. “Do you actually want your sister found, or
not?”
She lifted her chin. “Of course I do. I just think it’s completely inappropriate for you to read
her diary, that’s all.”
His brows drew together. “I don’t have time for this. There could be something in there that
might put us on your sister’s trail.”
Taylor thought for a moment. She really doubted there would be anything relevant in her
sister’s diary. But if Malone was right and there really were something in it that could help
them find her sister...
“I’ll read through it and let you know if I find anything suspicious,” she finally conceded.
He gave her an impatient look. “I’m not going to sit here while you read that whole diary.
Besides, you’d probably miss anything important, anyway. Now, stop playing around and give
it back to me.”
When he reached for it again, Taylor backpedaled, putting the edge of the bed between them.
“I said, no.”
He swore under his breath. “Okay, that’s it!”
Before Taylor could even react, Austin Malone had closed the distance between them and
plucked the diary from her hand. Infuriated, she made a grab for the book, but he tossed it on
the bed. She immediately reached for it, but the bastard caught her arm and steered her away
from it. He was going to throw her out of the room, she realized.
“Hey!” she protested. “You can’t...”
But to her surprise, Malone wasn’t heading for the door. Instead, he sat down on the padded
bench at the foot of the bed and, with a yank on her arm, sent her tumbling headlong over his
knee. For a moment, Taylor was so stunned that she simply lay there with her head hanging
down and her ass up in the air. She regained her senses quickly enough though, and when
she did, she immediately tried to push herself up off his lap. She didn’t even get halfway up
before a strong hand on her back shoved her down and held her there.
Taylor had no choice but to put her hands on the floor to steady herself. Craning her neck,
she looked at him over her shoulder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she
demanded.
“Something someone obviously should have done a long time ago!” he ground out.
Her brow furrowing in confusion, she opened her mouth to retort, only to let out a startled,
“Oh!” when she felt his hand come down on her upturned bottom. Her blue eyes went wide.
Oh God, the jerk had actually just spanked her!
| Austin Malone, Private Eye |
| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler and ABCD Webmasters, 2011
Austin Malone stood in the entryway for a moment,
surveying the apartment. Though small, it had all the
amenities, including a living room, dining room,
kitchen, bath and two bedrooms. Even though she’d
hated the idea of Tiffany moving out, Taylor had to
admit it was a cute apartment. And Tiffany’s
scholarship easily covered the cost.
“Does anything look out of place to you?” the private
investigator asked as he walked into the living room.
Taylor shook her head. “No.”
She watched as he wandered over to the coffee table
and picked up the stack of magazines there. Her brow
furrowed. “What are you looking for?”
surveying the apartment. Though small, it had all the
amenities, including a living room, dining room,
kitchen, bath and two bedrooms. Even though she’d
hated the idea of Tiffany moving out, Taylor had to
admit it was a cute apartment. And Tiffany’s
scholarship easily covered the cost.
“Does anything look out of place to you?” the private
investigator asked as he walked into the living room.
Taylor shook her head. “No.”
She watched as he wandered over to the coffee table
and picked up the stack of magazines there. Her brow
furrowed. “What are you looking for?”
| Available from Blushing Books! |