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Maybe they were hidden in the basement. Maybe they were in the boxes he was about to bring up...not before he searched through them, though.
And if that was the case, if he did indeed find the centuries old treasures, he could finally give back to his family what they’d been searching for.
He could also pursue Zara with his full concentration, because the way she’d been looking at him moments ago—yeah, she wasn’t over whatever they’d started, and he’d barely scratched the surface of all he wanted to do with her.
* * *
As soon as Braden was out the door, Zara blew out a breath. Mercy, but that man strutting around in his black boxer briefs was a sight to behold. He could easily put models to shame with that broad chest, those lean hips and those muscles...she’d felt every single one of them, and if she were totally honest, she wanted to again.
No matter what she told herself, no matter the common sense that normally kept her grounded, all she could think of was how amazing Braden would be if they actually took advantage of this situation and stayed in bed exploring each other.
But what would happen once the roads cleared and Braden went home? She’d work his party in a few weeks, and they’d be professional...sure. How could she watch him from across the room, knowing full well what an attentive lover he was while she should be focusing on the hors d’oeuvres and making sure the Riesling fountain kept flowing?
Zara closed her eyes and willed herself to gain some sort of control over her emotions before he came back. She needed to concentrate on sorting through these boxes. Who knew, with all of the antiques and treasures her grandmother hung on to, maybe Braden would be interested in some pieces for the auction house.
There. When he came back, they would focus on work and not the fact they were going to spend another night together. Granted, it didn’t matter whether it was night or not—they’d had sex in the middle of the day.
Day sex. That was new for Zara. Not that she had some big grand arsenal of partners and experiences, but she’d always been a night, dark room, vanilla type. Maybe that’s why she wanted to explore more with Braden. He’d awakened something in her, and she wasn’t sure she could ignore it now. What else could he show her? Braden O’Shea was a full-body experience, that was for sure.
Zara shook her head, hoping to clear some of these crazy thoughts. She reached into the box and pulled out another paper-covered object. As she unwrapped the oblong container, she wondered what could be in this tube she’d never seen before.
Zara set the paper to the side and concentrated on the silver caps on each end. She pulled on one, then the other. Either they didn’t open or they were seriously stuck. Whatever was in there was extremely light. She shook the tube, but nothing rattled.
“I forgot a flash—”
Zara turned toward the door just as Braden’s eyes zeroed in on the container she held.
“Don’t touch that.” One second he was by the door, the next he was kneeling at her side, taking the tube from her hands. “Did you look inside?”
Stunned at his reaction, Zara stared at him and shook her head. “The caps are stuck.”
He ran his hands over the outer shell as if he was dealing with the most precious of gems. She’d never seen this side of him. She could sit here completely naked, and he’d not even notice she was in the room. For a man who was hell-bent on seduction and succeeding rather well at it, he was completely focused on this container.
Which made her wonder, what the hell was in that tube, and why was he so mesmerized with it?
Eleven
Braden had no idea if he was actually holding one of the coveted scrolls. All he knew was he wanted to get inside this tube now, but he didn’t want to break anything or cause damage. This container was old, not as old as the scrolls themselves, but he had no idea what they would be stored in at this point. And with the way the caps were so secured, they’d obviously been in place a while. Which only added to that layer of hope.
Holding on to the tube, he glanced toward the box.
“Anymore like this in there?”
Zara reached in but only brought out a wrapped vase that was rather valuable with familiar etching. He’d worry about the other treasures later, because if he was truly holding a scroll that dated back to the time of Shakespeare, that meant the others could be in the boxes in the basement.
Braden lifted the tube and pulled gently on one of the caps again. It was sealed good and tight. While he was maneuvering as cautiously as he could, Zara got up and went out the door. He had no clue where she was going or what she was doing; all he knew was he needed to get in this compartment right now.
