At last, she relaxed and her gorgeous smile bloomed across her face. “Yes, you do.”
Her lips were warm and willing, tempting him to toss her over his shoulder and carry her right back to bed. Or boost herup onto the counter… He got control of himself and studied her. “So why are you upset?”
“Because I’m not the cook in the family. Eggs can go from yummy to awful in a blink. If you’re sleepy, maybe you won’t notice my failings.”
“You could just ask me to take over,” he suggested, nudging her aside.
“No.” She gave him a hip bump. “Not a chance. You can’t have all the points.”
“Are we keeping score?” He didn’t see the need. They were getting along so well and whether they had another month or just today, he didn’t want to spoil a single minute.
“Not exactly,” she said. “Balance is important.”
“Tell that to Picasso.”
She sucked in a breath, her eyes going wide as she started giggling. “Brilliant.” She laughed some more. “You keep me on my toes.”
“Same goes.” He caught her chin and pressed his lips tenderly to hers. “I’m sure the eggs will be perfect. And I’m sure we should schedule another date. Soon.” He moved away just long enough to pour a cup of coffee and get the first hints of caffeine into his system. He needed the formality of a specific date to give their time together some boundaries. He wasn’t sure she realized that he would be her shadow until research gave him actionable intel on Royer, Corey, and any other local connections.
“I can do soon.” Natalie gave the eggs in the bowl another stir and then poured them into the hot skillet. “But I have a bunch of work to get done between now and then.”
“Me too.” He rested his hands at her waist, unable to resist the contact. “As long as we don’t let things slide into later,” he teased. “Do you like being out on the water?”
“Definitely!” She monitored the eggs as if the fate of the world depended on it. “Can you start the toast, please?”
“Sure thing.” He dropped bread into the slots and pushed the lever. “I was thinking about renting a boat today, maybe puttering around the island.”
“That’s always a fun day,” she said without altering her focus.
“Would you like to come with me?” he asked. “I’ll check the weather. Make sure it is supposed to rain.”
“That would be great.”
He managed to smother the laugh. Obviously, she wasn’t listening at all. “Good. I’ll set it up.”
“Uh-huh.” She sprinkled cheese over the scrambled eggs, watching it melt. “Let me know.”
He moved the plates closer, anticipating her request. And when the toaster popped, he put a slice on each plate.
As they sat together at the breakfast nook, Trent’s thoughts wandered. He wanted to get out there, even without the latest intel, and get an up-close feel for the island terrain. Not just hiding spots, but looking from the water inland, to get a sense of how the tide moved and potential escape routes. He also wanted to chat with Corey and get a closer look at that repair shop. From the start of Trent’s investigation, they’d suspected someone who serviced boats or worked within the marinas was involved. It was the only logical way the crew had chosen their targets. Natalie, and her penchant for making friends while she turned trash to gold, might have given them their best lead yet.
If Corey was the accomplice and he flipped on Royer, this case could be over sooner rather than later. Everyone would be safer, up and down the eastern seaboard.
“Is it that bad?”
He realized he’d been poking at his food. “No!” He took a big bite of the eggs. “Excellent,” he said once he’d chewed andswallowed. “Seriously. You nailed it, Natalie. I was just thinking about work.”
“Corey and Royer?” she guessed.
“Yes.” Why deny it? “And also about getting out on the water like we planned.”
“We planned?” she echoed. “When did we plan?”
He found her too damn adorable. “Somewhere between whisking in the pepper and sprinkling the cheese.”
She rolled her eyes. “That sounds about right.” Squeezing honey over her toast, she took a bite and licked her fingers. He would’ve sworn she did it to distract him. “Are you my personal bodyguard today?”
He cleared his throat, managed to bring his thoughts back under control. “Yes. We’re together until research gives me a target. I was hoping you might help me with a circuit of the island.”
