happening.”
“I’ll make sure we’ve got video of the hallway by Petrov’s room,” Jim said as he stepped beside her unexpectedly, causing her to jump in surprise.
“You could give me a little warning,” she muttered, and shook her head. “Good grief, I must be tired.”
Jim cocked his head to the side and examined her. “Why do you say that?”
“’Cause if I weren’t, you’d never have been able to sneak up on me like that.” She dragged her fingers through her hair in exasperation.
“It’s nearly ten. Have you taken any kind of break today? Dinner?” His tone was distinctly paternal.
“No, Dad,” she kidded.
He didn’t even crack a smile. “Get some grub and grab a nap,” he ordered. “If we’re lucky, she won’t spend much time with him.”
“And if he’s lucky, she will.” Reaching to her side, she shut off her transmitter, pulled out her earpiece and slipped it into her pocket. “You’ll call me if something happens?”
“I will.”
With a nod, Kathleen headed off to the elevator bank. Although Alexander was still a bit on shaky ground, the information she had collected on Jim Reynolds indicated he was as by the book as they came. Everyone with whom he’d ever served or worked had the highest regard for him and spoke well of his honor. For that reason, she trusted him and his judgment.
The ride in the elevator was blissfully short and quiet, a welcome contrast to all the noise in the casino areas. Her ears still rang with the assorted dings and pings from the slot machines, and the screams signaling that good luck had paid a visit.
As the elevator reached the penthouse level, she once again caught sight of the open doors to Alexander’s office. Much like the night before, he was at his desk, but this time in darkness. All she could make out was the increasingly familiar silhouette of his head and shoulders against the backdrop of the city.
Her stomach grumbled. Her feet were sore and a dull throb at the base of her skull warned of an impending headache if she didn’t grab an hour or so of rest.
But somehow she found herself walking toward his office again, and wondering what had him sitting there alone in the dark.
…
Alexander heard the step at his office door, smelled the fresh citrusy scent she wore, and knew who stood by his desk before he even opened his eyes.
He rose and faced Kathleen. “We need to stop meeting like this.”
Her warm chuckle made his body stir, and he jammed his hands in his pockets to keep them out of trouble. It was she who reached over and snapped on his desk lamp, bathing them in a circle of intimate light.
In the warm glow, it was impossible to miss the tired droop of her eyes and the bruises of fatigue beneath them. “You look beat.”
“As do you,” she answered simply, and laid her arms across her chest, blocking his view of her generous breasts. Her stance was still slightly defensive.
Would she ever truly relax with him? Or trust him?
He walked around until he was beside her. “It was a busy day.” Leaning against the edge of the desk, he adopted a casual pose, trying to ease the unrest he sensed inside her.
“I saw you running around all day. Do you ever get a break?” She arched a brown-gold brow to emphasize her point.
“Occasionally. I could say the same of you.” Unable to resist, he skimmed his hand across an errant fringe of hair, brushing it back so he could see all of her expressive face.
She stepped back at his action, but dropped her arms and shrugged. “Part of the job.”
He imagined it was. He wondered why she had chosen such a path for herself, but sensed that to ask would only make her retreat from him once again. So instead, he said, “How is the job going?”
“Your friend Petrov just met with one of the women cashing the chips.” Her tone was blunt and slightly condemning. Anger awakened.
“I had hoped it was just coincidence. And for the record, Petrov and I are not friends.”
That
“I’ll make sure we’ve got video of the hallway by Petrov’s room,” Jim said as he stepped beside her unexpectedly, causing her to jump in surprise.
“You could give me a little warning,” she muttered, and shook her head. “Good grief, I must be tired.”
Jim cocked his head to the side and examined her. “Why do you say that?”
“’Cause if I weren’t, you’d never have been able to sneak up on me like that.” She dragged her fingers through her hair in exasperation.
“It’s nearly ten. Have you taken any kind of break today? Dinner?” His tone was distinctly paternal.
“No, Dad,” she kidded.
He didn’t even crack a smile. “Get some grub and grab a nap,” he ordered. “If we’re lucky, she won’t spend much time with him.”
“And if he’s lucky, she will.” Reaching to her side, she shut off her transmitter, pulled out her earpiece and slipped it into her pocket. “You’ll call me if something happens?”
“I will.”
With a nod, Kathleen headed off to the elevator bank. Although Alexander was still a bit on shaky ground, the information she had collected on Jim Reynolds indicated he was as by the book as they came. Everyone with whom he’d ever served or worked had the highest regard for him and spoke well of his honor. For that reason, she trusted him and his judgment.
The ride in the elevator was blissfully short and quiet, a welcome contrast to all the noise in the casino areas. Her ears still rang with the assorted dings and pings from the slot machines, and the screams signaling that good luck had paid a visit.
As the elevator reached the penthouse level, she once again caught sight of the open doors to Alexander’s office. Much like the night before, he was at his desk, but this time in darkness. All she could make out was the increasingly familiar silhouette of his head and shoulders against the backdrop of the city.
Her stomach grumbled. Her feet were sore and a dull throb at the base of her skull warned of an impending headache if she didn’t grab an hour or so of rest.
But somehow she found herself walking toward his office again, and wondering what had him sitting there alone in the dark.
…
Alexander heard the step at his office door, smelled the fresh citrusy scent she wore, and knew who stood by his desk before he even opened his eyes.
He rose and faced Kathleen. “We need to stop meeting like this.”
Her warm chuckle made his body stir, and he jammed his hands in his pockets to keep them out of trouble. It was she who reached over and snapped on his desk lamp, bathing them in a circle of intimate light.
In the warm glow, it was impossible to miss the tired droop of her eyes and the bruises of fatigue beneath them. “You look beat.”
“As do you,” she answered simply, and laid her arms across her chest, blocking his view of her generous breasts. Her stance was still slightly defensive.
Would she ever truly relax with him? Or trust him?
He walked around until he was beside her. “It was a busy day.” Leaning against the edge of the desk, he adopted a casual pose, trying to ease the unrest he sensed inside her.
“I saw you running around all day. Do you ever get a break?” She arched a brown-gold brow to emphasize her point.
“Occasionally. I could say the same of you.” Unable to resist, he skimmed his hand across an errant fringe of hair, brushing it back so he could see all of her expressive face.
She stepped back at his action, but dropped her arms and shrugged. “Part of the job.”
He imagined it was. He wondered why she had chosen such a path for herself, but sensed that to ask would only make her retreat from him once again. So instead, he said, “How is the job going?”
“Your friend Petrov just met with one of the women cashing the chips.” Her tone was blunt and slightly condemning. Anger awakened.
“I had hoped it was just coincidence. And for the record, Petrov and I are not friends.”
That
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