“Because one is on private property and the other is a spot only the locals know, trust me. So you two aren't sleeping together?” he asked, taking heart from the fact that she answered his first question. He didn't think she was the type of woman who would have done the things they'd done last night if she was seeing someone else, but wanted to hear it from her.
She paused again before answering. “That's rather personal, Detective,” she drawled.
“And yet, I ask.”
“No we are not, have never, and never will sleep together,” she answered. “How do you know we haven't been on the private property?”
He breathed a sigh of relief. Not that he and Dani were going anywhere, but if they did, it was nice to know Drew wouldn't be an obstacle.
“Because in order to go on it, you'd have to ask permission from the owner. You haven't done that. Besides, I was up there today after doing a little rock climbing. I'd have known if you were there. So, if you aren't sleeping together, what's the story? You're obviously close.”
“I've known Drew all my life. How do you know we haven't asked permission?”
“Because it's my land, and what do you mean you've known him all your life?”
“I mean just that. Our parents were best friends. When we were born, Drew and his brother were almost the next people to hold us. I told you, his brother and my sister are married. We couldn't get away from each other if we tried. Are you on the take?”
Ty almost lost his grip on the bike. “Why would you ask that? And who is ‘we’?”
“You have an amazing loft and own a tract of waterfront land. It's not something your average cop could do.”
Her failure to answer his second question didn't go unnoticed, but Ty decided to come back to that. After all, she'd admitted to liking his apartment—it was a start wasn't it?
“So you like my place?” he couldn't help the teasing tone.
She sighed. “Answer the question.”
“No,” he laughed. “I'm not on the take, and I wouldn't tell you even if I was. I own a couple of patents that don't bring a ton of money but did give me enough to buy my place.”
“What kind of patents?” she asked.
“So suspicious, Agent,” he clucked at her tone. “Mostly gun safety advances. Some patents that relate to the way a clip moves inside a handgun and a couple that apply only to rifles. Now tell me who ‘we’ is?”
Dani didn't speak for a while and he sensed she was letting this new information sink in. A lot of people were surprised to hear he owned a few patents, not that he talked about it a lot. But during his time in the Navy, he developed a lot of opinions on what would make a gun better, safer. When he got out, he played around with a couple of ideas, patented them, and then, before he knew it, a couple of gun companies bought licenses. It wasn't big money by any stretch, but having enough to outright buy a place to live was nothing to scoff at, and it made living on a cop's salary a little easier.
“Okay,” she said, almost to herself.
“So who is ‘we’?” he prompted again.
“We?”
“You said ‘when we were born.’ I assume you mean your sister?”
“I do mean my sister, but I'm not going to say anything else about her,” Dani replied.
Her answer was final but it seemed more protective of her sister than dismissive of him. He could live with that, god knows he knew what it was like to feel protective of family.
“We're here,” he said, pulling onto a gravel drive and maneuvering around the side of a closed and locked gate that was meant to keep cars—not motorcycles—out. He shifted down as they headed up a hill. The driveway was lined with trees and other brush. It was getting cool and the air was crisp.
“It's beautiful,” Dani sighed. Ty had the distinct impression she'd forgotten he could hear her so he didn't respond.
They pulled to a stop and both climbed off the bike. Dani looked around, curious, but Ty knew she would never ask. So he offered.
“I bought it about ten years ago. I was in the military and was deployed so often that I could never spend the money and combat pay I made, so I bought this, thinking I might settle down here. Turns out that didn't work