Still Waters by Debra Webb Page B

come into contact with each of them somewhere. What places or people did they have in common? Mrs. McCorkle hadn’t been able to provide much in the way of places her daughter frequented. She had promised to talk to some of Kimberly’s friends and get back with Amber.
    Now if she could just get an appointment with the Petties tomorrow.
    Sean checked the street before allowing Amber out of the car. He ordered her to wait in the living room while he checked the rest of the house no matter that the security system had been armed. Honestly, she didn’t see how celebrities lived like this. She would lose her mind.
    “Clear,” he announced as he returned to the living room.
    “Great.” She needed to think. A cup of tea and some quiet time would hopefully go a long way in making her feel a little more in control of her life. “I’m having tea. You want anything?”
    “I’m good.” He peeled off his jacket and tossed it over the arm of the sofa.
    Yes, she mused, he was very good.
    “I have wine,” she offered as she lit the flame under the teakettle.
    “No drinking while on duty.” He reached up and plowed his fingers through his hair. “I’ll just take a quick shower while you have your tea.”
    She shifted her attention to preparing her tea and tried her very best to block the images of him naked beneath the hot spray of water. She was tired and confused and plenty worried. There was no other explanation for her sudden inability to think straight.
    While the water boiled she went to her closet and put her shoes away. She stripped off her clothes and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a tee. It felt good to simply relax. She washed her face and dabbed on her nightly moisturizer. Her mother had taught Amber from an early age how important the nightly rituals were. Her father had been the one to insist she set and maintain a workout routine. Her parents were health nuts, and she was glad. So many of her friends struggled with finding the time to take care of themselves in their busy lives. The routines her parents had instilled had become part of her day, so she didn’t have to make time.
    The whistle of the kettle drew her back to the kitchen. She gave herself a pat on the back for only hesitating a mere second or two in front of the hall bath door. The sound of spraying water had ceased. She could imagine Sean in there toweling off that muscular body. She sighed. Maybe she just needed the relief of thinking about anything else besides her current fears. Or maybe it had been too long since she’d bothered with a personal life. So many of her colleagues had the same problem. There just wasn’t enough time to establish an upwardly mobile career and to have a life, as well. A few, like her, had abandoned the idea of marriage and children for the foreseeable future. Most, however, went the other way. She had no idea how people like Jess Burnett and Lori Wells juggled such demanding careers while raising children. Maybe it was time she asked.
    While her tea steeped, she prowled through the cupboards until she found a package of her favorite cheese straws. With her teacup and snack ready, she settled on the sofa with her notes. Sean wandered into the room, but she kept her attention on the notes. From the corner of her eye, she noticed he’d donned the same trousers and his shirt was only partly buttoned. She refused to look directly at him. She certainly didn’t need to see any part of that body uncovered.
    She sipped her tea and nibbled on the cheese straws. A short list of potential places where she and McCorkle may have run into each other was easy enough to make. A few boutique shops that catered to the professional woman. The dry cleaner. The municipal building. As an architect, McCorkle would likely be in and out checking property lines and zoning ordinances. Amber followed court cases. She spent a good deal of time at or around the city offices. Town hall meetings.
    The same possibilities were true of