I’m not implying a damn thing, other than I want every scrap of paper having to do with this job and I want it now."
Glen stiffened. "I see." She closed her eyes briefly, before refocusing on Kayla. There was nothing she could do. If Kayla quit now, Mr. Keith’s trust in her would be shattered. She had no choice. "You’ll have it tomorrow."
God, I’m already tired of this. "Thank you." Kayla breathed an inward sigh of relief. "And as far as my report for the house, you’ll get as soon as its finished. Just like always."
Glen swallowed her anger and ducked her head. "Of course."
Kayla made a conscious effort to soften her tone. "Do you have the other files I asked for?" She gestured towards the briefcase.
The small woman held up it up in front of Kayla’s face, her brightly painted nails standing out against the dark leather. "The interviews with the housekeeper and her daughter are all here. Though I’ve already briefed you on what you’ll find. Time is of the essence. That’s why I conducted them while you were off play—" she paused and swallowed, "—while you were still in the States."
"Humor me."
"Don’t I always?"
Kayla fought the urge to smile. "You’ve always done right by me, Glen. I don’t want you to think I’m hinting otherwise. But there’s something odd here…"
Glen’s pulse quickened. "Odd? How?"
"I don’t know," Kayla replied honestly. "But I do know that we need to talk."
"Sadly, I can’t stay." But her coal-black eyes didn’t reflect a hint of disappointment. "I have a late dinner appointment."
"You’re going to be late, Glen."
Glen could hear the challenge in Kayla’s voice and wisely backed off. For now. "I guess they’ll have to wait." She glanced around the empty room. "There’s a pub down the street. And I’m hardly dressed to sit on the floor. Okay?"
Kayla glanced at her watch. "Yeah. Let’s go."
* * *
Liv sat on a soft blanket on the beach, listening to the waves roll in. The lights from the houses lining the sea and the soft twinkle of stars above provided enough light so that she felt safe in her surroundings. When she’d asked Mrs. Thicke, their B&B proprietress for a blanket she could use, the woman was only too happy to oblige her. She also gave her a thermos of mulled apple cider to ward off the chill.
The linguist took a long sip of the sweet liquid, letting it slide down her throat and warm her guts. Then two long arms wrapped around her, heating her from within in ways the cider never could. Soft, warm lips landed on her throat and kissed her tenderly before nudging Liv’s chin upward for better access. Her skin was slightly salty and cold from ocean spray.
Liv reached up and threaded her hand through thick, dark hair. "Mmm… That’s nice. But you’d better hurry up, my girlfriend was due here an hour ago." The lips stilled for a long, charged second, then dipped playfully, biting Liv’s throat. She squealed and laughed, but didn’t try to dislodge her phantom attacker.
"Your girlfriend is a very lucky woman." Kayla plopped down alongside Liv so that they were facing each other. "Are you sure I can’t convince you to forget about her?"
Liv looked into eyes that shone silver in the moonlight. "What girlfriend?" she mumbled dreamily.
Kayla snorted. "I’ll have to remember that." She leaned forward and brushed her lips against Liv’s, tasting the spicy tang of the cider. "Mmm. That makes me even more hungry," she growled, moving to deepen the kiss. A hand on her chest stopped her.
"Hold your horses."
Kayla froze immediately and Liv grinned, letting her know this was no rejection. "I’m glad you’re hungry," Liv said. "Because I’ve got tons of food up in our room that is getting cold." She reached up and tugged on a strand of Kayla’s gently blowing hair. "I was starting to worry."
"Sorry about that. I had an unexpected visitor about an hour after you left."
Liv’s eyebrows disappeared behind wind-blown bangs. "A
Glen stiffened. "I see." She closed her eyes briefly, before refocusing on Kayla. There was nothing she could do. If Kayla quit now, Mr. Keith’s trust in her would be shattered. She had no choice. "You’ll have it tomorrow."
God, I’m already tired of this. "Thank you." Kayla breathed an inward sigh of relief. "And as far as my report for the house, you’ll get as soon as its finished. Just like always."
Glen swallowed her anger and ducked her head. "Of course."
Kayla made a conscious effort to soften her tone. "Do you have the other files I asked for?" She gestured towards the briefcase.
The small woman held up it up in front of Kayla’s face, her brightly painted nails standing out against the dark leather. "The interviews with the housekeeper and her daughter are all here. Though I’ve already briefed you on what you’ll find. Time is of the essence. That’s why I conducted them while you were off play—" she paused and swallowed, "—while you were still in the States."
"Humor me."
"Don’t I always?"
Kayla fought the urge to smile. "You’ve always done right by me, Glen. I don’t want you to think I’m hinting otherwise. But there’s something odd here…"
Glen’s pulse quickened. "Odd? How?"
"I don’t know," Kayla replied honestly. "But I do know that we need to talk."
"Sadly, I can’t stay." But her coal-black eyes didn’t reflect a hint of disappointment. "I have a late dinner appointment."
"You’re going to be late, Glen."
Glen could hear the challenge in Kayla’s voice and wisely backed off. For now. "I guess they’ll have to wait." She glanced around the empty room. "There’s a pub down the street. And I’m hardly dressed to sit on the floor. Okay?"
Kayla glanced at her watch. "Yeah. Let’s go."
* * *
Liv sat on a soft blanket on the beach, listening to the waves roll in. The lights from the houses lining the sea and the soft twinkle of stars above provided enough light so that she felt safe in her surroundings. When she’d asked Mrs. Thicke, their B&B proprietress for a blanket she could use, the woman was only too happy to oblige her. She also gave her a thermos of mulled apple cider to ward off the chill.
The linguist took a long sip of the sweet liquid, letting it slide down her throat and warm her guts. Then two long arms wrapped around her, heating her from within in ways the cider never could. Soft, warm lips landed on her throat and kissed her tenderly before nudging Liv’s chin upward for better access. Her skin was slightly salty and cold from ocean spray.
Liv reached up and threaded her hand through thick, dark hair. "Mmm… That’s nice. But you’d better hurry up, my girlfriend was due here an hour ago." The lips stilled for a long, charged second, then dipped playfully, biting Liv’s throat. She squealed and laughed, but didn’t try to dislodge her phantom attacker.
"Your girlfriend is a very lucky woman." Kayla plopped down alongside Liv so that they were facing each other. "Are you sure I can’t convince you to forget about her?"
Liv looked into eyes that shone silver in the moonlight. "What girlfriend?" she mumbled dreamily.
Kayla snorted. "I’ll have to remember that." She leaned forward and brushed her lips against Liv’s, tasting the spicy tang of the cider. "Mmm. That makes me even more hungry," she growled, moving to deepen the kiss. A hand on her chest stopped her.
"Hold your horses."
Kayla froze immediately and Liv grinned, letting her know this was no rejection. "I’m glad you’re hungry," Liv said. "Because I’ve got tons of food up in our room that is getting cold." She reached up and tugged on a strand of Kayla’s gently blowing hair. "I was starting to worry."
"Sorry about that. I had an unexpected visitor about an hour after you left."
Liv’s eyebrows disappeared behind wind-blown bangs. "A
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