AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course not. Which is why I opened up everything.” She pinned him with her meanest Executive Chef expression, clearly missing the mark when his lips twitched. “Whatever you’re thinking, none of this is mine. Ifoundit,” she insisted. “I didn’t take any of it.”
“So you said. In the potato bin.”
“You don’t believe me.” She folded her arms, keeping her seat when she desperately wanted to stand up and go toe to toe with him until he accepted her explanation. Protesting too much would likely make her look more guilty. “You’re the security guy. Why would I put all of this in my potato bin?”
“Not every criminal is a genius,” he said.
The man was infuriating. She managed to keep the opinion to herself.
He shrugged. “Besides, who else would look there? May I?” He leaned toward the narrow desk.
“Go ahead.” How much closer did he have to get to see these items were the real deal? His torso brushed her shoulder and she felt the sizzle all the way to her toes. She had to curl her fingers to keep from touching him as the yacht gently swayed on its route through the water.
He used the temple tip of his sunglasses to nudge a few items, focusing on one of the watches. “I got an update today about goods similar to these that were recently reported stolen from Miami.”
She closed her eyes, felt him move out of her personal space. This couldn’t be happening. She’d gone ashore in Miami to explore a few restaurants as well as shop for produce and a few specialty grocery items. To a security expert that probably equated to opportunity. “I have no motive to steal anything.”
That was possibly the biggest understatement of her life.
Travis made another rumbling sound. “Assuming that’s true, how did all of this wind up in your kitchen?”
“I have no idea,” she began. “This has nothing to do with me, other than I was unlucky enough to find the bag.” She raised her chin, daring him to accuse her outright.
Inside, she was quaking. Her bravado would shatter if he pressed her.
Somehow, she’d forgotten her past and the ugliness lurking in those dark years before her grandparents had agreed to raise her on Brookwell Island.
In some ways, letting down her guard was a big win. Back then, she didn’t believe she’d ever feel worthy. And yet, she’d walked around a major city with a global celebrity, heedless of any consequences. Lila hadn’t given a single thought to the paparazzi that trailed after Juliet. That was one big reason the newlyweds were honeymooning on the yacht.
Lila, a relaxed and confident adult, hadn’t cared at all about being caught in any of those photos. And that mistake, assumingit did connect to the stolen goods, might bring the darkness of her childhood roaring back into her life.
She willed him to back down, to accept there wasn’t much he could do.
They’d reached a stalemate of sorts. He wasn’t actually law enforcement. With the captain’s approval, hemightbe able to confine her to her quarters until they reached Charleston, but doing so would only cause a stir. And unless any of the items belonged specifically to Juliet or her husband, there wasn’t much point.
“If not you, then who?”
“Not Toni, if that’s where your suspicious brain has gone. She wouldn’t do anything like this.”
“People do all kinds of things for a quick buck.”
Lila didn’t care for the doubt on his face or the skepticism hanging in the air. “Her family is loaded. Unless she’s in it for the rush, this wasn’t her.”
“In it for the rush?” he echoed. Confusion flickered across his face and gave her a boost of hope. “Hm. Then who?”
“No idea. Doesn’t that question fall into your area of expertise?”
Heat flared in his gaze. Annoyance or something else? Either way, a zing of anticipation slid over her skin.Not the time.
“Do you have a safe in here somewhere?” He glanced around the tiny room.
“No. It’s a kitchen.”
“Gloves?”
She nodded. “Those I have.”
“But you didn’t think to put them on when you discovered these weren’t potatoes?”
