didn’t
identify myself as an investigator. More like a nosey client.”
Sam snorted. “Did you ever stop to think maybe
this was her way of getting you to back down? Maybe she’s afraid she’ll
draw attention to herself if she flat out refuses your help. But, hey, blame it
on the lawyer, and she has the perfect excuse.”
“Shit.” He couldn’t believe it. He’d been subtly
conned by the con. Damn, she was good.
His friend laughed. “Now you understand why we’re
having such a hard time with her. She’s a master. She’s got this innocent
routine down pat. She’s very careful and doesn’t mess up. Must have learned it
from her papa.”
Xander’s pride stung from her deception. It only
made it worse that he felt like he needed to defend her to Sam and explain she
hadn’t really had much of a relationship with her father. But there it was. “I
guess that means I’m going to have to bust my ass a little more. Think you can
get me a copy of that video showing her in the building? I’m supposed to be
working with a friend to help find clues about the real culprit. Maybe if I
review it with her, it will nudge her, or she’ll say something she shouldn’t.”
“Yeah. No problem. Good luck, man. We’re doing
everything we can to bust her from this side, too.”
“I know. Thanks.”
Xander ended his call and slowly swiveled in his
chair, letting his gaze roam over downtown Portland and the Willamette River
below as a soft rain left everything in a cloudy mist. The same kind of mist
that she’d cast over him. Soft, pleasant, but it distorted his view of the real
world, the real woman.
He’d thought their relationship had made it
beyond the first stage, that they’d progressed into at least some sort of
friendship. Maybe not the greatest trust, but a version of it. Yet, she’d
called and lied straight to his face.
Then again, what did he expect? That she’d
actually fallen for him? It seemed he wasn’t the only one playing a game.
But he would be the only one winning.
Chapter Ten
When Nicole opened the door to her apartment, the
mouth-watering scent of roasted beef hit Xander with the force of a strong
easterly ripping through the Gorge. An engaging smile turned her lips as Stormy
barked and danced at her feet. “Hello,” she said, her simple greeting sounding
more like a siren’s call.
Her first assault left him slightly disoriented,
and the loud rumblings emanating from his stomach scattered his plans of attack
for the evening. He’d meant to come, get an inside look at his prey’s personal
space and conquer, but it was quite obvious to him now things would not be that
easy.
“Hi there.” Xander released Apollo when his pup
jerked on his leash, trying to get closer to Stormy. The two dogs sniffed each
other a moment before deciding they could be friends, and then they ran off
into another room.
He rested a forearm against the doorframe, the
whole domestic scene not lost on him. He still wore his work clothes, only
stopping by his house long enough to load Apollo into the car. It wasn’t hard
to imagine driving home from a long day of clients and numbers to walk into a
cozy home and be greeted by a sexy woman with heavenly smells tempting his
taste buds.
It was even easier to imagine the sexy woman
being Nicole. Easier, but not smart. She was doing her best to draw him into
her web, and he was fine going as long as he remembered why he was there.
“It’s good to see you.” Nicole launched her
second assault when she leaned in for a hug, her soft and clingy white sweater
caressing his hands as the sexy-sweet scent of her perfume stole his attention.
Unable to resist, he wrapped his arms around her,
molding her soft curves against him. He’d meant it as a friendly gesture, but
his body recognized a tantalizing potential mate and responded. An unintended
mutter of appreciation escaped him.
She leaned back, capturing him with her
bewitching eyes.
“Good to see you, too.” He
identify myself as an investigator. More like a nosey client.”
Sam snorted. “Did you ever stop to think maybe
this was her way of getting you to back down? Maybe she’s afraid she’ll
draw attention to herself if she flat out refuses your help. But, hey, blame it
on the lawyer, and she has the perfect excuse.”
“Shit.” He couldn’t believe it. He’d been subtly
conned by the con. Damn, she was good.
His friend laughed. “Now you understand why we’re
having such a hard time with her. She’s a master. She’s got this innocent
routine down pat. She’s very careful and doesn’t mess up. Must have learned it
from her papa.”
Xander’s pride stung from her deception. It only
made it worse that he felt like he needed to defend her to Sam and explain she
hadn’t really had much of a relationship with her father. But there it was. “I
guess that means I’m going to have to bust my ass a little more. Think you can
get me a copy of that video showing her in the building? I’m supposed to be
working with a friend to help find clues about the real culprit. Maybe if I
review it with her, it will nudge her, or she’ll say something she shouldn’t.”
“Yeah. No problem. Good luck, man. We’re doing
everything we can to bust her from this side, too.”
“I know. Thanks.”
Xander ended his call and slowly swiveled in his
chair, letting his gaze roam over downtown Portland and the Willamette River
below as a soft rain left everything in a cloudy mist. The same kind of mist
that she’d cast over him. Soft, pleasant, but it distorted his view of the real
world, the real woman.
He’d thought their relationship had made it
beyond the first stage, that they’d progressed into at least some sort of
friendship. Maybe not the greatest trust, but a version of it. Yet, she’d
called and lied straight to his face.
Then again, what did he expect? That she’d
actually fallen for him? It seemed he wasn’t the only one playing a game.
But he would be the only one winning.
Chapter Ten
When Nicole opened the door to her apartment, the
mouth-watering scent of roasted beef hit Xander with the force of a strong
easterly ripping through the Gorge. An engaging smile turned her lips as Stormy
barked and danced at her feet. “Hello,” she said, her simple greeting sounding
more like a siren’s call.
Her first assault left him slightly disoriented,
and the loud rumblings emanating from his stomach scattered his plans of attack
for the evening. He’d meant to come, get an inside look at his prey’s personal
space and conquer, but it was quite obvious to him now things would not be that
easy.
“Hi there.” Xander released Apollo when his pup
jerked on his leash, trying to get closer to Stormy. The two dogs sniffed each
other a moment before deciding they could be friends, and then they ran off
into another room.
He rested a forearm against the doorframe, the
whole domestic scene not lost on him. He still wore his work clothes, only
stopping by his house long enough to load Apollo into the car. It wasn’t hard
to imagine driving home from a long day of clients and numbers to walk into a
cozy home and be greeted by a sexy woman with heavenly smells tempting his
taste buds.
It was even easier to imagine the sexy woman
being Nicole. Easier, but not smart. She was doing her best to draw him into
her web, and he was fine going as long as he remembered why he was there.
“It’s good to see you.” Nicole launched her
second assault when she leaned in for a hug, her soft and clingy white sweater
caressing his hands as the sexy-sweet scent of her perfume stole his attention.
Unable to resist, he wrapped his arms around her,
molding her soft curves against him. He’d meant it as a friendly gesture, but
his body recognized a tantalizing potential mate and responded. An unintended
mutter of appreciation escaped him.
She leaned back, capturing him with her
bewitching eyes.
“Good to see you, too.” He
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