replied.
“I have acquired some fondness for them.”
I snorted. “You talk about them like they’re a litter of kittens you found in your backyard.”
“In many ways, that is exactly what they are.” His tone was sardonic.
My smile widened. “You forget I’ve done my research, Mr. Royal. Aren’t all of your employees engaged to one another?”
Abe looked away. “No, not all to each other. Henry and Delilah are engaged. Sam and Freya live together, are together. Romantically.”
“And on a team that small, that intimate, the fact that you’ve willingly allowed two couples to work for you shows a real trust in them. A trust in their ethics and integrity. That doesn’t come from a simple fondness.” I kept my voice light, an attempt at teasing the dashing and unflappable man in front of me. I had to work to soften the jealous edge to my words.
“Are you suggesting I turn in my lone wolf membership ID card?” he asked, playful.
“Maybe.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Mostly, I’m suggesting you’re no bystander in the lives of these people. You might even have a heart beneath that stoic facade.”
Abe unbuttoned his jacket, made a show of looking down at his chest. “Here?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Shouldn’t I fear you’ll devour it for breakfast?”
The force of my attraction to him walloped me across the face. Stunned, I succumbed to weakness and took three steps toward him. Pressed the tip of my finger to the spot where his heart resided. The echo of its rhythm pulsed in the hollow of his throat.
“You’re not the first man to fear me, Mr. Royal.”
His answering grin was truly beguiling. “I’m quite positive of that, Ms. Argento.”
He gripped my finger where it rested. “Those were interesting revelations we received at the pub tonight about our friend Bernard.”
“Sure were.”
Abe’s grip moved to my wrist, turning my hand open. He examined my palm like he planned to divine my future. “I’m sure all of those details about Bernard dovetail nicely with everything else you’ve uncovered as you’ve been tracking him.”
“Certainly,” I said evenly. “But I’m not sure why I’d share that information with a private detective insisting he’s not here tracking the same man. Insisting he’s on vacation.”
His nostrils flared. He wanted in. It was written all over his handsome face. “You’re right. I don’t want it. And since you clearly work alone…”
“And since you’re on vacation…”
“We’re back at square one,” he said dryly.
I reached forward, hit the elevator button. The machine started again, gears grinding, taking us to the sixth floor. We stared at each other for the entire thirty seconds it took to reach our floor, his grip on my wrist never loosening. When the doors finally creaked open, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. If we weren’t competing for the same prize, then couldn’t I allow this man into my bed for one night?
As I stepped up to my door, and he stepped to his, I saw his hand on his doorknob. He dragged one finger down the panel, head down, body language suddenly full of shy hesitancy. Was Abe like me in every way? Beneath his steadfast independence, was there a core of loneliness?
He turned, stared right at me, slightly bashful and a little bit too real. I was already unsure if I could truly open myself up to the instant attraction between the two of us. That look on his face convinced me I couldn’t give in. Nine fucking days to achieve the case of my dreams, and the very last thing I could allow was a distraction that would devastate me. Because this man was hotter than sin, brilliant, ambitious, a challenge to my talent in every goddamn way.
One taste of Abe Royal, and I’d never kick the habit. He didn’t have the makings of an anonymous fuck. And I wasn’t made to do anything but.
“Having trouble?” His voice was velvet, low, tempting. “You can’t seem to open your door.”
“Oh, my key card won’t…” I trailed off because he was walking toward me, panther-like, stunning me into silence. He plucked the card from my fingers with an irritating confidence. My back brushed against his chest. His lips landed in my hair. One large hand pressed against the door, turning this banal act into something erotic. Seductive.
“Do you prefer being alone in all aspects of your life?” he asked. With a firm stroke, the key card beeped. My door opened an inch. Abe gripped the handle, holding it still. Holding me in.
“It’s my natural