“Yeah. Why do you think it was so hard to write?”
Her heart thudded once, then twice. He wanted to protect her. As much as he might try to deny it, she knew it to be true. She’d seen it when he’d protected her from Lydia. He’d stepped right in front of her and had used his body as a shield against the woman’s wrath.
Talia’s mouth went dry. He was vulnerable to her, too.
Suddenly, she realized how close he was standing. She could feel his body heat radiating toward her. The sensation was so appealing, she found herself drifting toward him to ward off the chill that still racked her body. He could warm her; she knew he could set her on fire.
The jingling of the doorbell made both of them jump. Somebody entered the shop and she jerked away from the detective. Her breaths were short and her pulse was fast. Closing her eyes, she reached for her sanity. Talk about good timing; she’d nearly let herself do something stupid. Composing herself, she turned to her customer, sure she’d find an eight-year old who’d forgotten something.
The person she found was no child.
“Brent.” She felt as if somebody had just thrown a bucket of cold water on her. Of all the people in the world, he was the last person she needed to see right now. What was he doing here?
“Hey, Tally.” He looked at the other man in the room and his attitude cooled. “Detective.”
“Harrington.” Kinkade’s tone was like ice.
Talia felt her apprehension grow. And she’d thought the tension in the room had been unbearable when it had just been the two of them.
“Found my wife’s cat yet?”
“We’re working the case.”
Brent’s eyebrows rose dramatically. “You must be busy. I heard the Thortons were hit last night, too.”
Talia felt Riley stiffen even though he was two feet away.
“There was an incident last night at the Thorton residence,” he said. “We’re looking into it.”
“Looking into it,” Brent said. He clicked his tongue as if that just wasn’t enough. “The newspaper is saying that we’ve got a serial thief on our hands—the New Covington Cat Burglar. Any idea on when you’ll actually be tracking the perpetrator down or is that too much for me to ask?”
Talia winced. What did Brent think he was doing? She glanced at Kinkade. His jaw was set and his eyes had narrowed to slits.
“We’re looking at similarities between the two cases but we haven’t determined if there’s a connection yet. Be assured, I’ll let you know if we do.”
Brent let out a comical laugh. He set down the box he carried and planted his hands on his hips. “You don’t see any connections? I’m a simple civilian but even I can see the similarities.”
He held up his fingers and started ticking them off. “One, in both cases a valuable antique was taken. Two, Roger Thorton and I travel in the same circles. Three… Well, hell, three could be Talia. She was at both our houses when the robberies occurred.”
Talia’s heart lodged in her throat. Oh, God! Had he figured it out? Had she been so careless that even he could see it?
“Me?” she said, struggling to find a way to defend herself. “What about…you? Or Shelli? Or Edward Jones, for that matter. You were all at both parties.”
She’d taken a step forward but Kinkade smoothly moved in front of her. “I’ve already talked to your wife about what she witnessed at the Thorton party but you’ve been harder to catch. Where did you disappear to this morning, Harrington? Nobody seemed to know.”
“I was up in the attic of my house.” Brent rolled his eyes. “And to think I’m relying on you to find my Mène.”
Instinctively, Talia reached out and caught Riley’s arm. The tension in his muscles was tactile. He was exhausted and she could feel his patience crumbling. She knew how he felt. He looked down sharply at the feel of her hand on him but she ignored him. “What’s in the box, Brent?”
“It’s my donation.”
She looked at him in confusion.
“For your Foundation’s little auction?” he said. He shook his head impatiently. “You said you’d come by today to pick it up but I got tired of waiting.”
“Oh, that.” She’d forgotten his promise to donate but there was no way in hell she would have dropped by his house to pick anything up. “You didn’t need to bring it by. I could have sent somebody for it.”
He smiled slickly. “Now what fun would that have been?”
Talia felt Riley’s muscles pop under her grip. He took a step forward, but then cursed under his breath. “Hell, this is your business. I should—”
She panicked. He couldn’t leave now!
She didn’t want to be left alone with the Turd. She didn’t want to be left alone with either of them but if she had to pick and choose…
Instinctively, she reached for the one she wanted to stay.
* * * * *
Riley stopped mid-sentence when he felt cool fingers wrap around his. At once, he was hit by two impressions. One, she shouldn’t be able to get that close to him. He wore a gun. If she could catch his hand, she stood a good chance of grabbing his weapon if she wanted.
It was the second impression, though, that rocked him back on his heels. She didn’t want to be alone with this creep. He didn’t know why but, whatever the reason, it wasn’t good. He’d been told that they didn’t get along but this was something different. Something more.
His protective instincts surged and he wrapped his hand tightly around hers. Her fingers were so cold, he automatically pulled her closer.
“You should what?” Harrington asked.
I should kick your ass, Riley thought.
Going with his gut, he carefully hid his and Talia’s clasped hands in the folds of his coat. “I should take a look in that box, too,” he said.
The look on Harrington’s face almost made him laugh. The guy definitely didn’t like the fact that he was sticking around for Show and Tell. Talia, on the other hand, seemed to visually relax.
What in the hell?
“I’m interested to see what you’ve brought, Brent,” she said, her tone distinctly disinterested.
“You can look at it later.” Harrington’s pretty boy face turned hard as he watched the two of them standing so close together. “I can see you’re busy right now.”
Riley stood up a little straighter at the silent challenge. “What’s in the damn box?”
“Oh, enough already,” Talia said, coming out of her shell. “I’ll just look and see.”
She tugged at her hand and Riley reluctantly let her go. Everything inside him told him to plant himself between her and Harrington but she walked to the box and began opening it. Pretty Boy moved forward to help and Riley clenched his fists together to stop from grabbing him by the nape of the neck.
“Oh, my,” Talia said as she began lifting wooden figurines out from the protective popcorn padding. She threw a confused look at her donor, but then seemed to shrug. Like a pleased little girl on Christmas morning, she began lining the figures up on the counter. “Brent, these are beautiful. Are they African?”
She seemed to genuinely appreciate what Harrington had brought for her but Riley wasn’t buying it. He knew the guy’s type. Charity wasn’t in his nature. There had to be something more to it. He looked at the carvings closely. There was something about them but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The figurines ranged in size from little to big. They looked like a tribe of men with stubby bodies and bulb-shaped heads.
“They’re fertility symbols,” Harrington said.
Riley watched the guy like a hawk. He saw the grin that pulled at the cocky bastard’s lips and he knew.
He knew and, before he could stop himself, he pictured Harrington using them. On Talia. He could see him bending her over the counter…hiking up her skirt…pulling down her panties…lubing her up…
Riley lost it.
He had the creep by the lapels before he could wipe that nasty smirk off his face. “What the fuck do
you think you’re doing?” he said, his voice like steel.
Harrington’s hands came up as he was caught off guard. “Man, get off me! What’s wrong with you?”
Riley jammed him up against the glass counter. He couldn’t help the fury that seethed inside him. “Is this some sort of joke? Did you think it would be funny watching her auction off a box of butt plugs in front of a packed house?”
“Butt plugs?” Talia said with a gasp. A sickly green color flooded her face and she dropped the one she’d been examining like a hot potato.
Her innocent reaction made Riley all the hotter.
“What kind of a sick bastard are you?” he growled.
“Riley, don’t,” she cried.
He wasn’t ready to ease up. He had Harrington off balance and he wanted to mess him up bad. Pretty Boy didn’t look like he’d gone through many street brawls in his life but he sure did know how to play dirty.
Was this the kind of shit he liked to pull on her? No wonder she went pale every time his name was mentioned. The idea of her dealing with the son of a bitch alone…
Riley saw red.
“Listen,” he snarled. “I don’t know what the deal is between you two but, from now on, you stay away from her. If I catch you harassing her like this again, I’ll take you down to the station so quick, you’ll think your ass is on fire.”
He shoved the man away and he stumbled before he regained his balance. His nose was the first thing that found its place. It went straight up in the air as he straightened his tie.
“If anyone is charged with anything, it will be you for police brutality,” Harrington said huffily. “Are you forgetting who you work for, Detective? Aren’t you supposed to be finding a stolen possession of mine?”
Riley nearly snapped before he felt Talia’s fingers take hold of the back of his jacket. She was too close again but her touch had a message. Harrington’s face needed rearranging but now wasn’t the time or place to do it. Slowly, he unclenched his fists. “I work for the citizens of New Covington, Mr. Harrington. All of them.”
“Brent, thank you for the…well, the ‘collection’,” Talia said calmly, desperately trying to keep the peace. She pulled hard on Riley, making him step back. “I doubt that I’ll use them at the auction but I might have a buyer who’d be interested.”
Harrington smoothed his jacket, trying to regain his polished look. He scoffed. “What the fuck do I care about your crappy little auction?”
Riley’s blood pressure skyrocketed but the guy had already turned and walked out the door. “That son of a bitch!”
“That’s what I like to call him.”
He spun around, still itching for a fight. “What the hell was that? Why would he bring you something like that?”
He watched Talia closely, hoping he wasn’t going to see any of her tells. He was beginning to pick up signals when she was lying but for once he didn’t want to see any of them.
Her face was pale but she met his gaze. “He likes to do things that unsettle me. It’s unfortunate but I’ve become used to it.”
It was the truth but it pulled at Riley even harder. “What kind of things?”
Her lips thinned into a flat line and her gaze flickered away.
“Sexual things?” He erupted. “God damn it! Him, too?”
“Quiet!” she hissed. Her gaze flew to the doorway that opened into the adjoining room.
“Just how many men are you fucking, Talia?”
She turned on him with fire in her eyes. “I am not sleeping with him.”
“But you want to.” Riley felt sick at the certainty that filled his gut. “What is it with you and married men?”
He wanted to shake some sense into her. She was worth more than that. Why couldn’t she see it?
Her jaw dropped open in shock but she advanced on him like a warrior princess. “That’s not fair, Kinkade! It wasn’t fair last night and it’s not fair now. I don’t want anything to do with that man. He disgusts me!”
Riley began to stalk around the room. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like how they’d looked at each other. He didn’t like the body language. He didn’t like the intimacy in the way Harrington harassed her and he especially didn’t like the way she didn’t fight back.
Every time he went at it with her, she was right there in his face. Toe-to-toe. He liked seeing her that way a whole lot better.
Fuck!
He dragged a hand through his hair. He was sick of the position this case had put him in. She was a witness and a potential suspect. He wasn’t supposed to be getting involved in her personal life but, damn, he wanted to.
The woman needed a keeper.
“Who’s this pervert buyer?” he asked, turning on her again. The anger burning in his chest refused to let loose. “Who do you know who collects old sex toys?”
She went white. “He’s not a pervert! He…he collects African art.”
Riley stopped pacing. Truth or lie? He didn’t want to know.
Rolling his shoulders, he tried to let go of his tension. He was tired and it was beginning to make him dizzy. Taking a deep breath, he walked over and stood beside her. Bracing his hands on the counter, he looked at the set of grown-up toys. They stirred up all kinds of conflicting emotions.
Hell. He shouldn’t do this.
But he had to.
He nodded toward the box. “If your ‘African art’ collector doesn’t want them, I’ll take them.”
She looked at him in shock. “You’ll what?”
“I’ll take them.” Unable to stop himself, he reached out and caught her by the chin. “There’s no way on God’s green earth that Harrington is going to get them back.
“I don’t trust him with them. Or with you.”
Chapter Ten
The following week was the worst of Talia’s life.
She’d thought that Kinkade’s reaction to finding her and Roger together had been bad. Little had she known that he’d just be the start of it. Rumors abounded throughout New Covington. Nasty, hurtful rumors. She heard murmurings at the beauty parlor, the post office and even a wedding she attended. Lydia was doing her best to drag her name through the mud.
And she was doing a good job of it.
Talia took a drink of wine and curled her feet up underneath her on the sofa. She sat in candlelight to ease the pounding in her head. She’d taken a long, hot shower but nothing was helping. She felt miserable.
Today had been especially bad. Lydia’s minions had lined up to take their shots. It was as if they’d planned a strategic, orderly attack. Ramona Gellar had started things. She’d marched right into the shop this afternoon and started screaming at her. Talia had been so surprised, she hadn’t been able to fight back. If Sadie hadn’t been there, she didn’t know what she would have done.
Good old Sadie. Talia felt tears press at her eyes. Her assistant hadn’t approved of the latest development in her relationship with Roger but she wasn’t one to judge. She was a good, stalwart friend with a swift right foot. She would have kicked Ramona out of Coolectibles if she’d needed to. Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that.
Talia let out a choked laugh. Too bad Sadie hadn’t been with her tonight. She could have used the backup.
The meeting of the Council on the Arts had been an utter disaster. Edward Jones had gotten into the fray this time. He’d practically made an announcement to the entire Board. Once Brent had gotten wind of the news, it had been all over.
She closed her eyes, feeling absolute remorse. She’d never felt more tortured in her life and there was nothing she could do about it. Everything they were saying was true. She’d brought this down on herself.
With a shaky breath, she leaned back against the cushions of the couch. She’d made herself fodder for the rumor mill. It didn’t matter that she could tell everyone of Brent’s philandering ways, Ramona’s failed visit to an alcohol treatment center or Edward’s penchant for wearing women’s clothing. No matter how they behaved, she couldn’t
bring herself to sink to their level.
She contemplated the reflection of a candle’s flame dancing against the wall. Life was so ironic. She was at an all-time low whereas her alter ego had become something of a cultural icon. The headlines were full of the New Covington Cat Burglar’s daring deeds.
She’d already hidden money from the professor’s sale of Lydia’s bracelet in her safety deposit box with the take from the animalier heist. It was counterintuitive, really. Whereas “hot” property was usually difficult to sell on the black market, anything associated with the New Covington Cat Burglar was going like hotcakes. Winston said that he’d never seen anything like it.
Talia watched the wine swirl around in her glass. Life at the top wasn’t without its problems, though. Mainly a big, six-foot-two problem, if she guessed right. Kinkade wasn’t going away.
She’d caught him following her all week long.
He was hunting her like prey and he wanted her to know it. He was probably out there right now, biding his time. Waiting for her next move. Studying her…
The phone suddenly rang. She jerked in surprise and wine sloshed onto a throw pillow. Muttering under her breath, she set down the glass and reached for the receiver.
“Hello?” she said as she blotted the pillow with a tissue.
“Hey, sis.”
“Adam!” Talia said, her head coming up. A delighted smile spread across her face. It was a relief to hear from her brother. It had been too long since they’d talked and she needed the distraction. “How was your trip?”
“It was good but you know Seattle. It rained the whole time I was there.” He let out a laugh. “I suppose that helped me concentrate on work, though. I made some progress on the acquisition.”
She felt a bittersweet twang somewhere around her heart. “Dad would be so proud of you. He always wanted to take the company bicoastal.”
“Yeah, well, it was a good idea. I’m just following through on it. Before I’m done, we’ll be global.”
Adam wasn’t one to be modest, but why should he be? Under his leadership, Sizemore Appliances had increased its profits by fifteen percent even though the market conditions weren’t ideal.
On the Prowl Page 15
