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“Stuart, look.” She pointed to the caption. “One of the men is named Nigel Rougeau. Think it’s a coincidence?”
“I don’t know. The name Nigel had to come from somewhere.” He slipped the clipping from her fingers and studied it closer. Like a lawyer examining evidence, Patience thought. “Looks like this was taken at some kind of art show. The wall is lined with paintings.”
“But which one is Nigel?”
“Well, I can’t say for sure, but based on the names listed in the caption, I’d say the one in the middle.” He pointed to the bearded man with intense, dark eyes. “In fact...” He picked up one of the scattered photographs. “Here he is.”
Sure enough, it was the same bearded man, only this time he was leaning against a motorbike. There were other photos, too. Nigel on the beach. In a café. One showed him standing in what looked to be an artist’s studio, looking very serious and artistic as he dabbed paint on a canvas. Whoever he was, he’d obviously played a very important role in Ana’s life. Important and personal.
“We should put these away,” she said. It didn’t feel right, poking through Ana’s past. “This is obviously something very private or she wouldn’t have stashed the box in her underwear drawer.”
“You’re right. This is none of our business.” One of the pictures had fluttered a few feet away. Leaning forward, Stuart picked it up and was about to add it to the box when he froze. “Well, I’ll be,” he muttered.
“What?” Patience looked over his shoulder. It was another studio photo, not very different from the other one, except for maybe a few additional paintings on the wall.
“Check out the painting to the left of the easel.”
It was nude portrait. A large one featuring a woman sprawled on a sofa. She was smiling at the artist, as if they shared a secret. Even in the background of a snapshot she could feel the intimacy. But why did Stuart want her to look?
“Don’t you recognize the face. The smile?”
Patience studied it closer. “No way...” The smile was the same one that had greeted her the day she took the job. “Ana modeled for him?”
“More than modeled, I’d say. Which,” he said, dropping the photograph into the box, “has me feeling extra slimy for poking around.”
“Yeah, definitely.” Looked like Ana had her own secrets. Patience could respect that.
With the items collected, she reached for the box cover only to have Stuart reach at the same time. Their hands collided, his fingers skimming the tops of hers. Patience stilled. It was but a whisper of a touch, but it brought her skin to life with a tingling sensation that enveloped her entire body.
For most of her adult life, Patience had avoided physical contact. Look, don’t touch. That was the rule. But with Stuart, even the lightest of touches had her craving more. She longed for him to take her hand. Pull her into his arms and hold her like he had the night of the dance.
She needed to back away before she lost her head. One look at Stuart’s eyes said he was fighting the same battle.
“I’d better put this away before the contents spill again,” she said, her voice a whisper.
“Good idea.”
They stayed put, each waiting for the other to move.
“I—”
“Yeah,” Stuart completed for her. He pushed himself to his feet, then offered a hand to help her up. Patience declined. Better she stand on her own two feet.
“I’ll let you know what time we’re going to meet Nikko tomorrow.”
Who? The condominium. How could she forget. “I’ll be here,” she told him.
Stuart looked about to say something, only to think better of it. With one last look, he turned and left the room.
She didn’t realize how badly she wanted him to stay until his footsteps had faded away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“WE APPRECIATE YOU opening the office for us on a holiday, Nikko. I hope we didn’t screw up your plans.”
“Are you kidding? My wife’s got her sisters at the beach house for the weekend. I’d rather do this than deal with holiday traffic any day.”
Stuart and Patience shared a smile as the realtor herded them onto the elevator. While Nikko chose the floor, Stuart made a point of positioning himself in the middle. It was no secret that his client had a roving eye. The man had already stolen a glance at Patience’s behind. Stuart wasn’t going to let him steal another.
From the start, it had bothered him to see men checking her out. Knowing her secret, however, added a layer of protectiveness. He felt compelled to keep her from being objectified. Especially by men like Nikko Popolous.
