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Now things are really getting interesting. I instinctively relax my muscles and slow my breathing, careful to keep my face impassive. God knows I’ve had plenty of practice in training my body to never betray my emotions. For the last few years, my life has depended on how well I hide my thoughts.
“What money?” I wink. “Maybe I should have charged you after all.”
“Stop doing that. It makes my stomach flip-flop.”
“That’s not a problem in my book,” I say, trailing my fingers across the soft skin of her thigh.
“Mmmmm.” She takes a deep breath and runs her fingers through her hair. “What were we talking about?”
I like the effect I have on her.
“Money.”
“Right. I’m not rich by any means. My parents’ life insurance policy left me a little, but I sank most of it into starting the wedding business I own with Gemma and Charlotte.”
“You own a wedding business?” Of course, I know everything about her business, but she doesn’t know that.
“Yes. You say ‘I do,’ we do the rest.” I can’t help but smile at the clever tagline. “I design one-of-a-kind wedding dresses. Gemma’s a photographer, and Charlotte’s a wedding planner.”
“So that’s why you’re always sketching? Have you always wanted to do that?” I find I’m oddly curious about what makes her tick.
“I guess. My mom was very artistic, and when I was growing up, we’d spend hours drawing together. Eventually, she got so sick she couldn’t do much at all, but she liked it when I’d sit with her and draw. I think I started drawing wedding dresses to remind myself that somewhere, happily ever after still exists.”
I want to take away her hurt and banish the sadness in her eyes, but she won’t find her happily ever after with a man like me. Instead, I ask, “So how did you afford to go to Costa Rica and Vegas and the Philippines?”
“My brother left some money. A lot of it. I don’t know where it came from. I didn’t even know about it until I was given his personal effects, including access to all his accounts, since I was his beneficiary. I’ve been wondering where it came from, and how Liam got it.” She bites her lower lip, and I remind myself to focus. “I wonder if maybe Dr. Morris, the aid worker that Liam died saving, had anything to do with it. Maybe that’s what the guy on the boat was looking for. Maybe someone knows about the money and wants it?”
I frown, making a mental note to follow up on this Dr. Morris. “If someone wanted the money, they’d be more likely to kidnap you than shoot you. Unless that’s what the man on the boat was ultimately going to do before I stopped him…” I trail off, seeing the validity of that. Maybe someonedidknow about the money and saw her as a means to get it. But I haven’t managed to stay alive this long without having a sixth sense about things, and I’m betting someone else thinks that list is the key to finding Liam’s inventory. Does El Gato have someone else on the case? Is the DEA somehow involved? I intend to find out. Because it’s my job, yes, but also to protect her. There’s no way I can walk away from her after what happened between us last night, and how I feel about her, without making sure she’s going to be safe. Even though she’s the mark and I have no business caring what happens to her, I do. She arouses a very deep-seated desire to protect her, and although eventually I’m going to leave, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure she’s okay before I do.
“Maybe it’s something to do with the list. Mind if I have a closer look at it?”
