he’d just pulled out. “I didn’t say anything. Are you about done? I want to get this evidence to the lab.”
“Yes. The fact that the files didn’t go up saves me a lot of time and trouble. I need Deirdre to run an audit after we’ve dealt with this other mess. I’m hoping things look solid enough for me to scout around and open a branch in Denver.”
The little flutter under his heart wasn’t easily ignored. “Denver? Are you going to be moving back to Colorado?”
“Hmmm …” Satisfied, she tucked the paperwork in her briefcase. “It depends. I’m not thinking that far ahead yet. First we have to get the stores we have off the ground. That isn’t going to happen overnight.” She swung the strap of her briefcase over her shoulder. “That should do it.”
“I want to see you.” It cost him to say it. Even more to admit it to himself. “I need to see you, Natalie. Away from all this.”
Her suddenly nervous fingers tugged at the strap of her briefcase. “We’re both pretty swamped at the moment, Ry. It might be smarter for us to concentrate on what needs to be done and keep a little personal distance.”
“It would be smarter.”
“Well, then.” She took one step toward the door before he blocked her path.
“I want to see you,” he repeated. “And I want to touch you. And I want to take you to bed.”
Heat curled inside her, threatening to flash. It didn’t seem to matter that his words were rough,blunt, and without finesse. Poetry and rose petals would have left her much less vulnerable.
“I know what you want. I need to be sure what
I
want. What I can handle. I’ve always been a logical person. You’ve got a way of clouding that.”
“Tonight.”
“I have to work late.” She felt herself weakening, yearning. “A dinner meeting.”
“I’ll wait.”
“I don’t know when I’ll be finished. Probably not much before midnight.”
He backed her toward the wall. “Midnight, then.”
She began to wonder why she was resisting. Her eyes started to cloud and close. “Midnight,” she repeated, waiting for his mouth to cover hers. Wanting to taste it, to surge under it.
Her eyes sprang open. She jerked back. “Oh, God. Midnight.”
Her cheeks had gone white again. Ry lifted his hands to support her. “What is it?”
“Midnight,” she repeated, pressing a hand to her brow. “I didn’t put it together. Never thought of it. It was just past twelve when we got here last night.”
He nodded, watching her. “So?”
“I got a call when I was dressing for dinner. I never seem to be able to ignore the ring and let the machine pick up, so I answered. He said midnight.”
Eyes narrowed, Ry braced her against the wall. “Who?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t recognize the voice. He said— Let me think.” She pushed away to pace out into the hall. “Midnight. He said midnight. The witching hour. Watch for it, or wait for it—something like that.” She gestured toward the charred and ruined carpet. “This must be what he meant.”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Because I just remembered.” Every bit as angry as he, she whirled on Ry. “I thought it was a crank call, so I ignored it, forgot it. Then, when this happened, I had a little more on my mind than a nuisance call. How was I supposed to know it was a warning? Or a threat?”
He ignored that and took his notebook out of his pocket to write down the words she’d related. “What time did you get the call?”
“It must have been around seven thirty. I was looking for earrings, and rushing because I’d gotten held up and was running late.”
“Did you hear any background noises on the line?”
Unsure, she fought to remember. She hadn’t been paying attention. She’d been thinking of Ry. “I didn’t notice any. His voice was high-pitched. It was a man, I’m sure of that, but it was a girlish kind of voice. He giggled,” she remembered.
Ry’s gaze shot to her face, then back
“Yes. The fact that the files didn’t go up saves me a lot of time and trouble. I need Deirdre to run an audit after we’ve dealt with this other mess. I’m hoping things look solid enough for me to scout around and open a branch in Denver.”
The little flutter under his heart wasn’t easily ignored. “Denver? Are you going to be moving back to Colorado?”
“Hmmm …” Satisfied, she tucked the paperwork in her briefcase. “It depends. I’m not thinking that far ahead yet. First we have to get the stores we have off the ground. That isn’t going to happen overnight.” She swung the strap of her briefcase over her shoulder. “That should do it.”
“I want to see you.” It cost him to say it. Even more to admit it to himself. “I need to see you, Natalie. Away from all this.”
Her suddenly nervous fingers tugged at the strap of her briefcase. “We’re both pretty swamped at the moment, Ry. It might be smarter for us to concentrate on what needs to be done and keep a little personal distance.”
“It would be smarter.”
“Well, then.” She took one step toward the door before he blocked her path.
“I want to see you,” he repeated. “And I want to touch you. And I want to take you to bed.”
Heat curled inside her, threatening to flash. It didn’t seem to matter that his words were rough,blunt, and without finesse. Poetry and rose petals would have left her much less vulnerable.
“I know what you want. I need to be sure what
I
want. What I can handle. I’ve always been a logical person. You’ve got a way of clouding that.”
“Tonight.”
“I have to work late.” She felt herself weakening, yearning. “A dinner meeting.”
“I’ll wait.”
“I don’t know when I’ll be finished. Probably not much before midnight.”
He backed her toward the wall. “Midnight, then.”
She began to wonder why she was resisting. Her eyes started to cloud and close. “Midnight,” she repeated, waiting for his mouth to cover hers. Wanting to taste it, to surge under it.
Her eyes sprang open. She jerked back. “Oh, God. Midnight.”
Her cheeks had gone white again. Ry lifted his hands to support her. “What is it?”
“Midnight,” she repeated, pressing a hand to her brow. “I didn’t put it together. Never thought of it. It was just past twelve when we got here last night.”
He nodded, watching her. “So?”
“I got a call when I was dressing for dinner. I never seem to be able to ignore the ring and let the machine pick up, so I answered. He said midnight.”
Eyes narrowed, Ry braced her against the wall. “Who?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t recognize the voice. He said— Let me think.” She pushed away to pace out into the hall. “Midnight. He said midnight. The witching hour. Watch for it, or wait for it—something like that.” She gestured toward the charred and ruined carpet. “This must be what he meant.”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Because I just remembered.” Every bit as angry as he, she whirled on Ry. “I thought it was a crank call, so I ignored it, forgot it. Then, when this happened, I had a little more on my mind than a nuisance call. How was I supposed to know it was a warning? Or a threat?”
He ignored that and took his notebook out of his pocket to write down the words she’d related. “What time did you get the call?”
“It must have been around seven thirty. I was looking for earrings, and rushing because I’d gotten held up and was running late.”
“Did you hear any background noises on the line?”
Unsure, she fought to remember. She hadn’t been paying attention. She’d been thinking of Ry. “I didn’t notice any. His voice was high-pitched. It was a man, I’m sure of that, but it was a girlish kind of voice. He giggled,” she remembered.
Ry’s gaze shot to her face, then back
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