Love on the Vine

by Roxanne Smith

  Kay pointed at the top drawer of her armoire, and nibbled another side from the cookie. “Would you grab the pink plaid panties? I can’t do a thong right now. Is it relevant he hired Neve? She’s an interior designer. Doesn’t get more interior than a hidden apartment.”

  Oliver plucked the underwear from Kay’s drawer with a triumphant smile. “This isn’t weird at all,” he mumbled before laying them on a nearby table and moving to the next drawer. He rooted around until he came up with an old T-shirt and added it to the pile. “No, I suppose not, but it would’ve been useful information to have. I knew there was a hidden room on the top floor and assumed it had something to do with the drug operation. Also, it explains why Mr. Arnell hired you. Neve recommended you. And since he knew something shady was happening in his company, he knew he could trust you.” Oliver glanced at her and raised his eyebrows. “Surprised me, too. Mr. Arnell is Cappy Don’s inside informant. None of this does much for my investigation except answer the question of Brendan. If he’s not the inside source, then he’s something much worse.”

  She set aside the cookie to pick up the glass of water with both hands. She was still off-kilter and a little shaky from being on her feet. The cool water felt like a dream sliding down her throat. She started to drink and couldn’t stop, finally tearing away with a gasp. She blinked a few times and caught her breath. The rush of cold water brought her headache back in force, but the pain faded quickly. “Well, the more questions answered, the fewer are left to ask. Did Mr. Arnell say if he suspected anyone in particular?”

  Oliver had a knack for finding the most unappealing clothes hiding in her armoire. A holey pair of hideous purple house pants she wore to paint joined the T-shirt and underwear. He carried the clothing over, sidled into bed next to her, plopped them down, and stole a cookie. “Amos. He said to take a closer look at Amos. Which makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is that Easton is adamant Brendan isn’t our guy. The evidence says otherwise. Besides leaving you the spiked salad, Brendan intercepted the e-mail from Pattie. Why would he do that?”

  “And how?” Kay set the plate of cookies on the nightstand, out of Oliver’s reach, and curled onto her side. “He needed to know an undercover operation was going on before he could deduce how to insert himself into the circle.”

  Oliver cleared his throat. “I should probably go. Get with the team on how we want to move forward from here.”

  Kay frowned. She was feeling better. But being alone still made her uneasy. “Are you sure? It’s getting dark out. Sounds like a job for tomorrow morning.”

  He gave her a sideways glance. “I know you’re still recovering. And I can stay if you want. But don’t judge me if things get uncomfortable in here.”

  She squinted at him. “And they’d get uncomfortable because...?”

  He squirmed and cleared his throat again. “Because you’re curled up next to me scrubbed pink, hair still wet from the shower, and completely naked under your robe. My thoughts might be scattered, but that small fact has not escaped my notice.”

  A giggle burbled up from her chest. It was like an inhale of fresh, sweet air. After being terrorized by her own mind, a genuine laugh felt incredible. “I’m hardly a temptress. I probably look awful. And I feel stupid and weak.” Her smile fled. She didn’t trust herself to say more than that.

  Oliver rolled on his side so they were facing each other. His gaze roamed over her face, his eyes green as ever, drinking her in. She marveled at his expression. He traced a line down her cheek, and his eyes steadfastly refused to meet hers. So unlike when they first met, and they couldn’t seem to stop staring at one another. “You don’t look awful,” he murmured softly. “You look like my new favorite thing.”

  The same sense of safety and acceptance that had surrounded her in her dreams enveloped Kay. Of all her friends and past loves, it was this guy she hardly knew who made her feel most like herself. She acted on the impulse before she could second-guess it. Oliver’s eyes opened wide, finally locking their gazes together, at her tentative kiss. Hers fell closed soon, as a new kind of heat swept through her, starting in her chest and moving through her limbs like a brush fire. By the time it hit her toes, her heart was pounding and she had Oliver’s shirt caught in a firm grip.

  He seemed frozen against her. She almost broke away, prepared to apologize and blame her weakened state, but it was as if a dam broke, and Oliver came to life, meeting her flame for flame. His hand slid expertly into the folds of her robe, finding her hip, guiding their bodies closer together. His lips moved against hers, teasing and exploring, gently encouraging her mouth to open to his. An explosion of want burst from her chest when his tongue slid against hers. She moaned, found his hand on her hip, and held it.

  It was a bold move, but her body had a mind of its own. She was merely along for the ride. She basked in the connection she felt in the simple gesture as he squeezed her hand almost imperceptibly. Then she took hold of it firmly and moved it toward the warm, demanding center of her body. His finger glided easily inside her.

  Oliver sucked in a ragged inhale, and hers hitched in her throat, and their eyes were open again, their gazes caught. His eyes were glassy with want. “You’re sure?”

  Kay wanted him to know how sure. She’d wanted this since they first met, and something about the way he looked at her convinced her he had, too. She pushed her robe back, exposing the curve of her hip, and rolled slowly onto her back. She opened her body up for him, and then started a leisurely swing of her hips, making love to his hand in the dimly lit room. “More than sure. Desperate.”

  Chapter 13

  Kay cleared her raw throat delicately. “You’re sure about this, Sera? I can work via videoconference. Or you can put the team onto something else. I only need a few more days and I’ll be back, better than ever.”

  Seraphina’s voice left no doubts. “Kay, the work from here is pretty standard. I’ll have Guillermo get with Amos on the rest of our plants, and Jasper and I will perfect the measurements. The place will fit together like a glove.”

  “Jasper?” Kay frowned. “Mr. Arnell sidelined him last week. Are you sure you want to work with him?”

  “Absolutely.” Seraphina sounded pleased with herself. “We had a talk. I explained that even perceived racism will earn him a reputation. A reputation that his father’s good friend, Mr. Arnell, will surely suffer if it were to become local gossip. Little Rock is a small town at its heart, after all.”

  Kay’s mouth opened and closed. “You actually accused him of being racist?”

  “He denied it, if that makes you feel better. Which is why I articulated perceived racism. Apparently, Guillermo is unaware that his current fiancée once dated Jasper, and Jasper is a little miffed by the timing of their relationship. There may have been a little overlap. But again, Guillermo remains in the dark, as I think is best. Jasper was pretty horrified to learn you think he’s racist. Doesn’t solve the problem, but clears the air somewhat.”

  “Jesus, Seraphina, what did you do, open a confessional booth?”

  “People want to be understood, Kay. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking and listening.”

  Chastised and annoyed, Kay huffed and burrowed down into her mound of blankets like a sullen child. “Maybe we can keep you on retainer for therapeutic services.”

  “If it helps.”

  Wise-ass. Kay rolled her eyes, then smiled despite herself. “I know I sound irritated, but in truth I’m immensely grateful. It’s strange how exhausting just laying here can be. And you wouldn’t believe the nightmares I’ve been having. Finn keeps showing up. And you and Neve, Oliver and—”

  “You’re dreaming about Finn?”

  “No. I’m nightmaring about Finn.”

  “Hm. Not sure there’s much of a difference.” Seraphina’s voice was laced with concern. “Are you sure you shouldn’t go see him? Not for his sake, but for your own. Clear the air. Get whatever is weighing you down off your chest before y
ou suffocate.”

  Kay bit her lip. “I guess having nightmares about the guy is a pretty good sign I’ve got some baggage.”

  “Well, you have some time to think about it. Maybe talk with Oliver. I hear he’s taken to personally overseeing your well-being?”

  She couldn’t very well admit Oliver was the only person she could stand to be around. Seraphina was as much a part of her bad dreams as Finn. Unresolved issues abounded, apparently. But maybe Seraphina was right about this. “We’ll see. Thanks, Sera. And good luck with Jasper. I hope you get more out of him than I have so far.”

  * * * *

  Images of Kay’s porcelain skin sheened with sweat assaulted Oliver. He shook his head and tried to focus on Cappy Don’s spiel, but his brain didn’t seem to want to cooperate. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably in his chair, struggling with memories of Kay’s mouth open in sighs of pleasure, her arms clinging to his body as if he alone in all the universe could save her, and her eyes soft and silently begging for his touch.

  Hazel. Her eyes were hazel. A dark ring of deep brown circled her pupil, surrounded by a wider circle of blue. So many mysteries unlocked last night. Leaving to go to work this morning had been torture, disengaging his body from hers when all he’d wanted to do was burrow in deeper and never leave her side.

  Cappy Don clearing his throat was like a jet engine roaring to life in Oliver’s ear. “You with us, Pierce?”

  “Yeah, sorry. Lot going on. So, you’re sure this is the right call?” If they blew the whistle now, they were limiting themselves, drawing a hard line in the sand. “We’re after more than the players inside Free Leaf Concepts.”

  The captain looked tired as he leveled a glare at Oliver. “We have a handful of bad options. Wait for our research team to dig up Amos’s life story, wait for the lab to come back with the names of some plants, wait for someone in a cape and tights with an awkwardly large bulge to swoop in and serve up the bad guys on a platter. Or we can break cover and let Free Leaf know we’re circling. Shake the tree, see what falls out. We’re close. Perfect position to have something to offer a whistleblower.”

  Oliver nodded but he didn’t like the plan. An entire year, he’d patiently waited for the perfect evidence and timing to make their move. “What if we get nothing out of making our move now?”

  Molly shifted in Oliver’s recliner, uncrossing her legs to cross them again. “It’s a possibility.” She offered Oliver no more than a one-shoulder shrug. She was all business today. “But at the end of the day, a major artery begins and ends at Free Leaf Concepts. It’s an important cog in the machine, and busting it up leaves them vulnerable. Really, Oli, our best hope has always been finding an inside guy and hoping he’ll talk. If we crack down now, they’ll have to assume we’ve collected enough evidence to justify our confidence. Obviously, we’ll keep our street team in play.”

  The street team had been trying to weasel into the ranks from the ground up to no avail. Oliver didn’t put much stock in their efforts.

  The captain waved his hand impatiently. “I can read your face, Pierce. But that angle hasn’t been a total loss. Those guys are in the best position to report which movers and shakers start scrambling once we crack open Free Leaf.” He leaned forward and slapped Oliver awkwardly on the back. “You did good in there, kid. You took some risks I didn’t exactly approve of, but I can’t argue with your results. Never could.”

  “Even if we don’t pin these guys now, Oli, I doubt the Jonesboro PD will hesitate to reinstate you. You can go home, put your life back together.”

  Oliver cocked his head and studied Molly. “My life is more together now than it has been in years. And no, I can’t mosey on home while these super shrooms are still out on the streets, killing people. Almost killing people,” he added, with some heat. “Kay nearly died. Or have we forgotten already?”

  “No one has forgotten what happened to Kay. It was yesterday, for crying out loud.” The low growl in Cappy Don’s voice swiftly put Oliver in his place. It had been a shitty thing to say.

  He sat back with a huff, still impatient and unsure, but accepting the call wasn’t his to make. “You want to go in head-on, I’m game. I’ll conduct the interviews, do whatever you need me to do, but I’m not going anywhere until this thing is wrapped up, from top to bottom. Just tell me what comes next.”

  Molly sat forward, leaning her elbows on her knees. “Wait until Kay is better. We think the interrogations will be more effective if the employees know you were acting with a partner, as well as in conjunction with Mr. Arnell. The more eyes they think have been watching them, the more evidence they’ll have to assume we’ve got. I’ve already instructed one of my guys to forgo the interview with Brendan’s mom—” Her phone, balanced on the chair’s armrest, pinged. She picked it up immediately. Her brow creased. “Well, shit. We’ve already got a connection.”

  Cappy Don scratched his cheek. “Love when it rains. What is it?”

  She laughed softly. “The kind of report I love. Now, Amos has a degree in Microbiology from UA. We already knew that.” She wiggled her phone and raised her eyebrows at the two of them. “The funny thing is this report is from the contact I sent out to interview Brendan Berkley’s college roommate. Amos may have finished his education at University of Arkansas, but he started at Georgia Tech, where Brendan was educated. He doesn’t list it on job applications, or we’d have found this in his personnel files at Free Leaf. Curious thing to leave off your résumé, right? Anyway, care to guess who Brendan’s old dorm mate says was his lab partner? One Amos Winston. It gets better. Before Amos jumped ship, they were studying the effects of increasing global temperatures on certain types of fungal growth.”

  Oliver grinned. “Mycology. Now, we’re getting somewhere.” He glanced at the captain. “Did Mr. Arnell ever mention their connection? Did he even know?”

  Cappy Don shook his head. A thunderous expression clouded his face. “It would’ve been a hell of a lead if he had. We’d have looked a lot harder at this Amos fellow.”

  “We did look hard at him,” Molly returned defensively. “He practically runs the lab at Free Leaf Concepts singlehandedly. But a few classes at Georgia Tech that aren’t on his official transcripts would be next to impossible to track down. It’s like he transferred to University of Arkansas with an empty record. Doesn’t make sense. The only red flag was the timing, but not everyone goes straight to college. Nothing all that strange about a late start. I figured he took a few years off, went backpacking through Europe.”

  “I would’ve made the same assumption,” Cappy Don admitted wearily. “Curious thing. Maybe something happened at Georgia Tech?”

  Oliver relaxed for the first time since the captain and Molly had showed up on his doorstep. “Right about now, a point-blank interview is looking pretty damn good, actually.” He was about to ask when they planned on ousting themselves when his cell rang in his pocket. He fished it out. Something about Neve Harper’s number popping up on the screen sent a coil of unease snaking through his gut.

  He left his chair with an apologetic wave to his team and stepped away to take the call. “Neve. How was our patient today?”

  “She was alternately hungry, nauseous, hot, cold, tired, restless, sleepy, and anxious. Her doctor gave her the clear this morning but suggested she stay in bed one more day to catch up on solid sleep.”

  “Sleep is a good idea. She’s probably exhausted. I’m headed there soon. Just about done wrapping up a meeting with my team. Has Seraphina checked in? She was still working with Jasper and Guillermo when I left the office.”

  “Still there according to Seraphina’s last text. They’re in overdrive without Kay.” Neve paused and sighed heavily. “Shit. You were the last place I could think to check. I should’ve known something was up when Kay said she thought sleeping all day was a great idea. What a crock.”

  Oliver froze. “Say what now?”

  Another heavy sigh. “Well, she’s not
at the office, which I thought was a pretty promising guess. That’s where I’d have gone. She’s not at her parents’, whom I wished now I wouldn’t have called, because they’re ready to file a missing person report, and she isn’t with you. Where else would Kay go?”

  Oliver began pacing, wracking his brain. He should’ve texted her more today. He should’ve gone by at lunch instead of spying on Brendan. He turned at a tap on his shoulder.

  Cappy Don held his old cell phone aloft, with the mouthpiece covered, and bobbed his head toward the front door. Oliver nodded his understanding. Must be someone important if he had to step out to take the call.

  Oliver chewed his lip. “We have eyes on Brendan, and we’ll hear if he’s seen with her. Neve, I know this is going to sound stupid, but Kay isn’t someone who goes off half-cocked. Know what I mean? Maybe she just needed to get out of the house for a few hours.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” Neve didn’t sound convinced, but she perked up. “You’re right, you know. Kay’s the equivalent of a well-spoken toddler sometimes, but her head is screwed on pretty damn straight.”

  “She hasn’t left the house since she was drugged,” Oliver stressed, as much to put himself at ease as Neve.

  Neve was silent for a beat. “Okay, Owen. I’m with you. Here’s the rub, though. Duke called. There’s some kind of emergency with Hannah—that’s his dog—and he needs me. He sounded bad on the phone. I can’t leave him hanging, especially if something has happened to Hannah. That leaves you and Seraphina to keep an eye on Kay. I guess we can give her the day. Doc said she’s fine. But if no one has heard from her by morning, your captain better step up.”