future I’d go back, clean it all up—”
“Nobody else had a key…not even Rocky, or Irma, or Manny? I mean Manny said he was invited to go there to paint.”
Zeke shook his head. “Mom was security conscious—as you pointed out the other day—gates were always locked.”
Were those locks to keep people out because of Isabella’s need for privacy, or for her security? But she was thankful for Zeke’s explanation. She couldn’t bear the thought of women being raped and strangled in that lovely place.
“Rocky is the only one with a key to the old house,” she said. “Don’t you think that’s odd? You don’t have one, do you?”
Zeke sat for a while in thought. “Nope. Maybe there’s one in the safe.” He stood, paced around the room, shuffled papers and rearranged books. “There’s a lot here I don’t understand. When you said I was an ostrich, you were right. I hadn’t wanted to look too closely. Then you came along and now…” He raised his hands in defeat.
She walked over and put her arms around him. “Bit by bit we’ll uncover all of the secrets that surround Three C’s.”
He held her close and kissed her forehead. “Secrets?” he asked, and pulled back to peer into her eyes. “What secrets? Oh, you mean all of this?” He stared at the stacks of paper.
“Yes.” She kissed his mouth, a gentle brush of lips. The money issues were enough for him to contend with for one night. Her feelings about other secrets she’d keep to herself, for the time being.
“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”
****
Zeke prowled the room. He picked up papers, scanned them, put them down, stacked and restacked ledgers. Dena had mentioned secrets. What kind of secrets? He’d seen the quick flash that crossed her face, like she was aware she’d said too much.
What had she uncovered, or what did she suspect? Not him, he hoped. Not now, when he’d become aware of her interest. He knew it wasn’t just him that had felt a tremendous bond, a chemistry that had to be tested. He sat beside her, slipped an arm around her shoulders.
She nestled against him. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Fine, worried I suppose, but this can all wait,” he said, and drew her closer. “Thank you for everything.”
She buried her head in the crook of his neck.
“You’re welcome,” she murmured.
The warmth of her breath on his neck, her scent, the softness of her skin all overpowered him. He trailed tiny kisses down the side of her face, met her mouth, traced her top lip with his tongue, then captured her bottom lip with his teeth and nibbled gently. She sighed against his mouth and parted her lips. He teased and explored.
She sat back, patted at her hair. He liked the way her lips plumped with kissing, noticed the flush to her neck and cheeks. He leaned in closer but she slipped out of his arms.
“We’d better get these files and ledgers put away,” she said. “Before we go to bed.”
“Bed sounds good,” he murmured against her lips. She laughed and whacked him on the arm. He knew she hadn’t meant together, but you couldn’t blame a guy for trying.
“I don’t do casual,” she said.
“Me neither.” He kissed and nipped along her jaw bone, capturing her earlobe. She shivered and a tiny moan escaped her as she pressed hard against him. Then she caught his lower lip and tugged and sucked on it until he thought he’d go crazy. He slipped a hand up underneath her t-shirt, felt the silky warmth of her skin beneath his hand.
She pulled his shirt out of his pants and ran her hands all over him. He pulled in a breath when her hand smoothed over the bulge that throbbed against the fly of his pants.
“I don’t…you know, generally act like this with someone I hardly know—”
“You know me,” he murmured against her mouth.
She laughed. “Funny, but you know, I sort of do.”
“We’ve gotten to know each other well in a short time.”
“We have spent a lot of time together.” She kissed him again, her tongue doing a dance with his.
Commonsense tried to get through his fog of lust. He never mixed business and pleasure, a rule he abided by in L.A. But this was not L.A. This was not the law firm. Besides, if she made love to him then he’d know she didn’t suspect him of any foul play. Knowing what he knew of Dena she wouldn’t get involved casually, without trust.
His entire body ached