town tracking down art, he acted like he was tracking down state secrets or something. Becki decided that when she got home, she would get on-line and do a little investigating of her own; she loved a good mystery.
“Hey doll, where are you?” Trevor asked, catching her hand across the console. He flashed a wicked grin and took a wild guess, “Imagining all the delightfully wicked ways we could spend the afternoon?”
“Ha,” Becki chuckled, “yeah, that’s it, you caught me.”
He raised her hand to his lips dropping a kiss on her knuckles, “You want to buzz on up the coast and find a nice quiet stretch of beach? We could skinny-dip. You could be my sea nymph.”
Becki squeezed his hand and pulled hers away to drag long strands of flying hair out of her eyes.
“Trev, you are crazy,” Becki observed laughingly.
“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he shrugged.
“Why’s a guy like you still single anyway? You’ve got the whole package: great car, killer smile, charm and good looks.”
“Don’t stop, princess, keep it coming. I’m all ears,” he grinned and pointedly dropped his gaze to his crotch, “well except for--”
Becki reached across to clamp her hand over his mouth, effectively stopping whatever outrageous comment he had planned to make.
“OK,” he mumbled from beneath her hand, “too much information.”
Becki removed her hand and turned in her seat to face him.
“What is the down side, Trev?” she asked.
“No down side,” he bragged, “I’m the perfect male specimen.”
“Nobody’s perfect. Tell me something about the great Trevor Simmons that would make me want to run and hide,” Becki teased, resting her chin on her hands, elbows propped in the middle of console. Her eyes danced as she pressed him for information. “Tell me all your deep, dark secrets.”
Something unreadable flashed across his face, and then it was gone in an instant.
“I’m bad to the bone, doll,” he shot back. “No secret about that.”
Becki sat back with a sigh, “Trevor, you are no fun.”
Flashing his bad-boy grin, he countered, “Oh, I’m as much fun as you can handle. Let’s find some dinner, maybe take a walk on the beach, and if you’re really good, I’ll take you home and show you my art collection,” he finished with a broad wink.
“I’ve heard enough about art collections today to last a lifetime,” Becki said as Trevor watched the sparkle diminish in her eyes.
“Sorry doll, didn’t know you had something against art,” Trevor apologized.
“Oh, it’s not so much the art itself. I’m just in a bad mood.”
“Pissed at the guy you were all wrapped up with back there? Who is he?” he asked suspecting he already knew the answer.
“Oh, just...it doesn’t matter. I’m so over it.”
Playing along, Trevor asked, “Do I need to beat him up for you?” He didn’t really want to press her, but he needed to know. “Give me a name and address; I’ll take care of him.”
“Just someone I met. I don’t have any idea what Royce’s address is and truthfully don’t care.”
So her companion at the seawall had been Royce St. John. Shit! Trevor would have to alert the others and then figure out how to keep Becki off the radar. The coin must be nearby if ART was swarming the city.
“Go faster! Please Trevor,” she suddenly pleaded. “Make my heart race.”
“Always happy to oblige, Darlin’,” he grinned as he punched the gas pedal to send them flying.
“Ahhh, yessss,” Becki breathed as the wind whipped around her and the scenery turned into a blur of color.
He blinked once, and a stealth-cloak settled over the car. No need to risk getting pulled over. Fortunately, it was a quick and easy spell that Becki couldn’t detect from inside the car.
“God, this is great,” Becki said with a laugh as they raced down the open road. Trevor swerved at the last minute to avoid a car that suddenly pulled onto the road in front of them. Swerving was not necessary. They could have just driven right through the other vehicle with another bit a magic, but where was the fun in that?
“Ahh!” Becki screamed and then turned toward Trevor laughing. “Trev, you are a very bad boy. You’ll be the death of me.”
“Not a chance doll,” Trevor said in sudden seriousness as he slowed the vehicle to a more reasonable speed.
Becki wrinkled her nose at him, “Kidding Trev, just kidding.”
Pulling her hair up to secure it in a pony-tail, she said regretfully, “I have strict orders to be at my uncle’s house tonight. Can I have a