A Deadly Business. Desiree Holt
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if her cover was blown. Once she’d been extracted, every trace of her London identity had been wiped away. Now she was living as yet another person in this unlikely place, hiding from the very man she’d brought down. Arrowhead Bay was her safe hidey-hole, as long as she kept her guard up.
She hadn’t been attracted to a man in longer than she wanted to remember. Yet here she was, having coffee with one. And a man who made her hungry for intimacy, for the connection she hadn’t craved until Justin came into her life.
Did he feel the same way?
She needed to quit dithering and go meet him. Nothing was going to happen at Fresh from the Oven. Anyway, it was not an invitation to get naked, just to have coffee.
True, but coffee sometimes led to a meal and a meal to—
Jesus. It was just coffee.
She swallowed a sigh and pushed open the door to the coffee shop, her senses immediately assaulted by the aroma of fresh baked cinnamon rolls and orange scones. Maybe she could bury her hormones under a ton of calories.
She scanned the room the way she always did, searching for anything that might set off her antenna. But nothing and no one seemed out of place. She spotted Justin waiting for her at a table against the wall, out of direct line of the window and still in a position to take in the entire place. She was sure his line of work had him choosing seats like that all the time, just as she had learned to do in London.
A tiny flicker of nerves raced over the surface of her skin when she saw him chatting with a man she did not recognize. She hesitated before approaching the table, wondering if she should just turn around and leave. But Justin saw her, smiled, and motioned her forward, and the knot of tension that was her constant companion eased a bit.
“Say hello to one of our local celebrities. Marissa Hayes, meet Blake Edwards.”
Edwards turned and gave her a warm smile. “I don’t know about the celebrity bit, but I am local. At least part of the time.”
She relaxed a fraction. “Nice to meet you. As a matter of fact, I’m reading your latest book and really enjoying it.”
“Thanks.” He chuckled. “I’ll take all the compliments I can get.”
“I don’t think you’re lacking,” she joked. “I know you’ve had several number one best sellers in a row.” She frowned. “Wait. Didn’t I hear or read something about a threat to your life? A stalker or something?”
“Yeah, but thanks to Vigilance it’s over and done with.”
Justin chuckled. “Thanks to Vigilance, he’s now a married man.”
Marissa looked from one to the other, puzzled. She paid little attention to local gossip unless it pertained to her.
“He married his bodyguard,” Justin explained. “Can’t get more successful than that.”
Marissa stared at him. “You did?”
“Yes, but there’s a little more to it than that. We grew up together in Arrowhead Bay, so we knew each other before.”
“That’s the sanitized version,” Justin joked.
“And we won’t be discussing any of the details,” Blake warned.
“So, you guys in town for a while?”
“About a week,” Blake told him. “We decided to buy the cottage Sam was renting and keep it as our get-away-from-it-all place.”
“Good deal.”
“Yeah. I’m getting ready to tour for this latest book,” Blake explained, “and we wanted to get this done while I had a break. Then while I’m on the road, Sam’s taking a short assignment for Vigilance.”
“She doesn’t go with you?” Marissa asked.
Blake shook his head. “I have an assistant who works for me. Sam hits a couple of stops now and then, when her schedule allows it. So, you in town visiting?”
“No, I moved here about two years ago.” The story rolled out smoothly. “I got tired of the rat race in the big city and wanted someplace where the pace of living was slower. And running a gallery is something I always wanted to do.”
“Marissa owns Endless Art,” Justin added. “The gallery just two blocks down Main Street from here.”
“Maybe Sam and I will stop by. We’re looking for some things for the townhouse in Tampa.”
She curved her lips in her professional smile. “I’ll be happy to have you visit. We have some excellent pieces on display.”
“Good. Maybe we’ll see you later.” He started to leave, then turned back. “Oh, in case either of you might be interested, I’m doing an informal thing at Read the Book on Saturday afternoon. Part of the whole holiday weekend thing. Come by if you get a chance.”
“I’ll do it.” Justin nodded. “Thanks.”
“He’s very nice,” Marissa commented after Blake moved away.
“Yeah. Local boy makes good. Really good. Anyway, let’s get you some coffee and pastry. What’s your pleasure?”
The scent of the rich coffee mingled with the aroma of fresh cinnamon rolls. When Justin placed her mug and plate in front of her, his hand just brushed against her arm. She swore sparks were visible, jumping between them, and wondered if he thought the same thing. When she looked up into his face, she saw the hunger in his eyes, the blazing desire.
And she knew hers had to match his for strength.
Before she realized it, the little alarm on her watch went off, and she wanted to turn back the time.
“Time to get to work?” he asked.
“Yes.” She sighed. “This was very nice. Thank you for asking me.” She grinned. “Again.”
“My pleasure. And I hope we’ll do it a lot more.” He rose from his chair and gathered up their trash. “Come on. I’ll walk you down to the gallery.”
He cupped her elbow, steering her toward the entrance, and the heat of his hand seared her skin. She knew tonight when she closed her eyes she’d be dreaming about him again, maybe this time with his clothes off. And from the looks he’d given her across the table, she had an idea he would, too.
“Oh, you don’t have to,” she protested, even as she wanted to prolong the intimacy.
He held up a hand. “No problem. I’d like to look around, anyway. See what you’ve got that’s new.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were interested in art. You’ve never been by before.”
He winked. “I take a look through those big windows, whenever I walk by.”
“Well, come on in, if you’ve got some time, and take a real look around.”
The oversized display windows had made her nervous at first, exposing her to anyone and everyone. But you couldn’t drape or shutter windows in a gallery. The original windows, however, had been replaced with bulletproof glass, and the alarm was connected to Vigilance. A few other minor adjustments had been made to keep her as safe as possible.
Even with all that, she kept to either her office or the rear of the main gallery. And she always had her small 9 mm easily accessible. Arrowhead Bay might be a typical Southern tourist town, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Ever.
She unlocked the door, and as soon as she was inside, hit the code on the security system to shut off the alarm. She was faithful about always resetting it, even if she was just going down the street for a few minutes. Then she flicked on the lights and dropped her purse in the tiny office.
“Well, this is it.” She stood in the middle of the place, arms outstretched. “Welcome to Endless Art.”
Justin