Easy This Time - JH Croix Page 0,4

Pink bloomed on her cheeks. “Mr. Reynolds—”

“Please call me Nash,” I drawled.

Her lips tightened in a line before she nodded. “Nash, then. Brett brought me here for a weekend, and now he’s gone. Gone, gone if you understand my meaning. His phone is shut off, and I can’t reach him. I also learned the last day on the lease at his condominium was yesterday. As far as I can tell, he’s left me. I can deal with that, but I have a few loose ends to tie up, and I’d like to reach him.”

Brett was more of an idiot than I’d assumed. To be fool enough to leave Mari Channing at all, much less in this manner, was beyond stupid.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but I don’t know where he is. How in the world did you find out he had a meeting with me today? It wasn’t a scheduled meeting. He barged in and demanded to talk with me. Considering that my assistant wasn’t even here yet, I gave him a few minutes of my time before tossing him out.”

Mari leaned back in her chair, releasing her death grip on her knees. “Are you serious?” she asked sharply.

“Quite. If I understand you correctly, it sounds as though he’s left you high and dry?”

Those stunning blue eyes met mine, flashing with anger as she stood. “Yes. That asshole.”

I mulled over the situation for a moment, surprising myself when I spoke. I usually planned things through, but then Mari seemed to tap into a vein I didn’t even know I had. I wasn’t about to let her walk out of my office. Not right now.

“If you’d like me to find him, I can certainly do that.”

Mari spun back, her brows arching in question. “You can?”

“Of course. Tracking people down is something I do as part of security for my business, and I have a friend who’s a private investigator. He can usually sniff out someone who’s trying not to be found. Your Brett—”

She cut me off, slicing her hand through the air sharply. “He is not my Brett.” Her gorgeous eyes flashed again, a restrained passion simmering in their depths.

“Okay, then. Not your Brett. Nonetheless, I can still help you find him.”

She stared at me, catching her bottom lip in her teeth and utterly distracting me for a moment. I gave myself a mental shake, a hard one. I wasn’t prone to offering help, nor was I susceptible to being drawn to any woman this easily.

Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a deep breath, letting it out with a soft sigh. “I don’t really know if I want to find him.”

Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees. “No? Then what are you doing at my office looking for him?”

Mari’s eyes narrowed, her gaze coasting over my face. “I don’t know. He’s just gone, and I guess I thought perhaps I could find him. I’m not so sure it’s worth it.”

She turned away to look out the windows, and I stood. With the way the chairs were situated, angled toward each other, we were perhaps a foot apart. Her scent drifted to me, musky with a hint of vanilla.

Everything in me tightened, and it felt as if the air around us was sparking with electricity. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew I didn’t want Mari to walk out of this office. If that happened, I might never see her again.

None of this was the least bit rational. I prided myself on being a completely rational person, even in personal matters. So much for that when it came to Mari.

“I suppose I’ll go then. Thank you for your time,” she said with a slight hitch in her voice.

“Let me at least get you lunch,” I heard myself saying.

Those blue eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opening slightly. “Oh, that’s not necessary. I—” Her stomach growled, quite audibly. Her cheeks flushed again, and she rolled her eyes. “I promise, my stomach isn’t actually trying to answer the question for me.”

My lips quirked in a smile. “I wouldn’t presume that. But I insist. Let me take you to lunch.”

I elected not to let her think too hard about this by turning and sliding my hand down her back, then nudging her forward slightly. Conveniently, there was a light knock on my office door right then, and Lydia opened it. I considered it convenient because it interrupted Mari’s chance to brush me off too quickly.

“I was just