“Is that all?” Max said as he chuckled.
I peeked out from behind the shower curtain and met his gaze in the mirror. “Yeah, it should be a piece of cake now that I have his location.”
“You strike me as a woman that goes after what she wants.”
I closed the shower curtain and rubbed conditioner through my hair. “Life is too short not to do anything else. I’m not here to make friends, Counselor. Nothing in the world means more than my family; I’m sure you can appreciate that. So, somebody screws with them, they might as well be screwing with me, and that’s not a smart move.”
“That’s not exactly what I was talking about…” Max’s deep, seductive voice trailed off before I heard the click of the bathroom door closing behind him.
It was tempting to play with Max. He was sexy and willing to go along with my plans. If we had time, I could have made it worth his while to uncover what I really wanted. I finished my shower and changed into my clothes before stepping out of the bathroom.
Max was lounging shirtless on the bed, resting against the headboard reading something on his laptop. I walked over to suitcase and grabbed my socks and shoes and plopped on the bed to put them on.
“So, is that why you’re still single?”
Max glanced up at me. “What do you mean?”
“You’re sharing a room with a girl, you’re a sexy guy, and you have your laptop out. So, what are you looking at; porn or work? My guess is the latter.”
“If you were a normal woman, I had brought to the island to share my room, I would have joined you in the shower and spent the rest of the night making love to you.” His lips twitched and gestured to the computer. “This is work. Similar to what you’re doing here. “Where are you going dressed like that?”
“Recon. I’m out of my element in a foreign place. I need to have a contingency plan and a way off the island. I need to get the lay of the land.”
Max moved his laptop and slid off the bed. “If security catches you dressed like a thief, they’ll want to detain you.”
I grinned up at him “I don’t get caught.”
Maxwell made a living being married to his job; he and I were similar in that aspect between that and our families. He’d sought me out for his family’s safety, for the reason that I was here on this island with him was for mine. I rose from the bed and met his gaze. “You’re a good-looking man, Max. I’d be open to you and me having a harmless, no-strings attached tryst.”
His gaze caressed my face, slowly traveling down to my lips. “I never mix work and pleasure. I always keep my eye on the endgame.”
My grin grew by the second. “I normally go by the same motto, but with you, tempting fate might be fun.”
I grabbed the file the receptionist had handed Max and dumped the contents onto the desk. There were candid pictures of Fillpot, including the first one that had popped up on my radar. They must have found out who’d taken that picture. There were only two others. I glanced at the report with Fillpot’s purchases, which he’d charged to his room, including a list of all the hotel amenities he’d reserved for the next week. It laid everything out in black and white. Max’s employees had covered everything I might need. I picked up the key card and turned to find Max standing right behind me, his breath only inches away.
“Did you find out who took the original picture that popped up online?” I asked.
“Not yet.” He sighed. “The other photos were taken by my staff at my request.”
“Smart thinking.” I smiled up at him.
His look turned serious. “If you get caught, tell them you’re with me.”
“I won’t get caught.” I held up the room key. “You don’t care if I take this with me, do you? If you do, I can always grab my lock-picking set.”
“You shouldn’t have told me that. I’m an attorney, Gwen.”
I patted his tanned, muscular chest, resisting the urge to trace his abs. A tingle of electricity sparked in my stomach as I detected a flicker of desire in his intense eyes. I moistened my lips and his gaze dropped to my mouth making me smile. “At least you’re not a cop or a fed.”
I left him standing there as I slid out the door into the night. I had work to do, and I was just getting started. If I had my way, I’d catch Fillpot out for an evening stroll and beat the information I wanted out of him. A girl could dream.
Maxwell Pierce
Chapter 8
Max snuggled into the body heat. He slowly woke up to the unfamiliar feeling of having somebody in his bed. He’d wrapped his body around hers, engulfing her and spooning her from behind. His palm rested on her smooth stomach while the other lay nestled under her head. He was fighting his temptation to explore. One direction and he’d be touching her breast, and the other would put him near the heated juncture of her thighs. Either direction and they might never make it out of bed.
He knew the instant she woke when she snuggled her ass deeper into the cocoon of his arms and legs. She glanced over her slender creamy shoulder he’d been tempted to kiss. She gave him a playful smile. “I sleep in the nude. I hope you don’t mind.”
Max cleared his throat as he stared at the sexy fire swirling in her eyes. She wanted him. All he had to do was give in. “You’re tempting me on purpose?”
She turned in his arms, his hard shaft nestled against the curves of her body. The only barrier between them was the boxers he was wearing. He rested his palm on her back, ignoring his need to run his fingers into her hair as he kissed her senseless. One of them needed to keep their head, and judging by the hot body pressed up against his, he would need to be the levelheaded one.
“Is it working?”
Hell yes. Max rolled with her until the top half of his body was on top of hers, her wrists pinned above her head. “When our work is over, I look forward to returning the favor.”
Gwen lifted her head and scraped her teeth against his chin until he caught her lips with his. Max tasted her and tempted her with his mouth before breaking the kiss. He stared down into her eyes. “Family first.”
He was a damn saint. He rolled off the bed and headed into the shower. It would take a cold one to douse his needs. He’d almost given in. He’d almost tasted the waters, more than just with a kiss. Everything about her called to him. He started the water, ditched his boxers, and stepped under the cold spray. He cursed beneath his breath as he rested his palms on the cool tile under the frigid water. Goosebumps grew on his skin.
“You have stronger convictions than I gave you credit for, Counselor. I’m impressed.”
“What time did you get in last night?”
“Three,” she answered as she went about brushing her teeth.
“Did your recon produce any interesting findings?”
“You have holes in your security. There are places on the island that are blind spots. I can help you fix that, offer suggestions on how to tighten it. No one tried to stop me or asked what I was doing. There was a couple in the pool getting hot and heavy.”
“Well, this is a resort. People lose their modesty on vacation,” he answered.
“It wasn’t the couple I was watching. I was much more interested in the man watching them hidden behind the shrubs. At first, I thought paparazzi had infiltrated your island until I heard his moans. The guy was enjoying himself way too much. He was a voyeur.”
Anger rippled through him, coiling tight and tensing the muscles he’d just relaxed. They didn’t condone that kind of behavior on the island. He threw the shower curtain open much like she had the night before. Gwen was sitting between both sinks on the counter with her legs dangling over the edge. “Did you get a good look at his face?”
“I did, and I remember everything.”
Paparazzi wasn’t something they put up with on the island. A voyeur, well that was another story, as long as everyone was on the same page, but something told Max that the couple in the pool had no idea they had not one pair of eyes on them but two. Had his mother gotten so lax with
her security?
“After we meet my mother for breakfast, and we go to our spa appointments, I’d like you to look through security footage and point out the man you saw last night.”
“Sure, I’ll pick him out, and if you want, I can get rid of him too, free of charge.”
Max turned off the water and grabbed a towel, slipping it behind the curtain. He wrapped it around his waist before he stepped out. Gwen’s offer was sweet, but twisted. “You won’t need to handle him if we caught him on security. I’ll prosecute.”
Her hungry gaze traveled down his body. She licked her lips when she got to the bulge behind his towel. “I don’t know what it is about the way you just said that, Counselor, but it’s making me all tingly inside.”
If Max had his way, by the time this was all over, he’d be spending his time discovering each and every single way that turned her tingly inside. He waited until her gaze traveled back up his body to rest on his face. Keeping his hands off of her was getting harder, just like his cock.
Max left her sitting on the sink and walked into the bedroom and grabbed his clothes. He unhooked the towel and ran it over his chest before grabbing his boxers. She stood in the bathroom doorway watching without saying a word. “You should get dressed. We’re meeting my mother in an hour.”
Her gaze raked boldly down his body, appreciating each and every hard lines sculpted on his body. “I hope you don’t plan to be around when I’m taking care of your sister. You’re a distraction.”
“A distraction?”
“This,” she said, gesturing to his body. “It’s been a long time since I’ve let off some sexual steam.”
“I don’t mix business with pleasure. So, what do you say about us getting this taken care of so we can get down to our own business?”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. The endgame is my prize.”
Max walked into the living room and made a pot of coffee. He sat at the table drinking his first cup as he caught up on some work emails. Gwen stepped out of the bedroom wearing a sundress that hit mid-thigh. The tropical flowered dress showed off her long tan legs, giving him a glimpse of the body he’d eventually have the chance to devour. She might think he was the prize, but she had that backward. Max would spend days and nights fulfilling both of their fantasies.
She crossed the room and slowly closed the computer. She took the coffee from his hand and took a long swig before setting it down on the counter. “Let’s head to the hotel.”
“You in a hurry to get me back here alone?” Max asked.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m honoring your business-before-pleasure, rule.” Gwen pulled a piece of paper out of her bra and unfolded it. “Looks like Fillpot has morning reservations in the restaurant. I’d like to be seated before he shows up.”
Max chuckled. “You have a method to your madness.”
“I try.”
“Great, let’s go deal with my mother and then throw a net over your bad guy.”
Gwen fanned herself. “Control yourself, Counselor. You’re turning me on again.”
Max chuckled as he leaned into her, her hot breath teased his jaw as he whispered in her ear. “If my words have that kind of power, just imagine what I can do with my hands.”
Chapter 9
It had taken everything I had not to jump his bones in the kitchen and yell at him to take me right there on the breakfast table. Not yet, but soon.
His mother smiled from across the restaurant and rose as we neared. The lines around her lips were a mixture of strain and delight. Happy that Max visited and yet still leery about me. It mirrored a smile similar to the ones I gave my sisters’ new boyfriends. Cordial but not afraid to let them know there were sharp teeth beneath the surface. I liked her already.
Max kissed her cheek. “Mom, you look lovely.”
“Thank you, dear,” Martha said as her gaze landed on me. “This week is just full of interesting surprises.”
Max pulled out my chair, and I slid into the seat.
“I told you I might have time to visit the island. I wasn’t certain I could make it happen until Gwen agreed to come with me.”
“I guess it’s you I should thank.” Martha gave me a tight-lipped smile.
Playing nice with the locals would get me closer to my goal. “Mrs. Pierce, the island is beautiful, and Max was gracious to invite me.”
“I would hope he doesn’t monopolize all your time,” an easy, familiar voice said as he approached from behind.
“Carter.” Max’s voice turned strained. “What are you doing here?”
“Funny, Max, I was going to ask you the same thing. Especially when Mom called last night to inquire about your new girlfriend. Gwen Bennett.” Carter raised his brow. Obvious these two lacked communication skills.
“Yes, well, I’ll do whatever it takes to make things happen.”
“I see you worked your charm.” As if Carter could read between the lines, he slid into the seat on my right, while Max settled on the left.
Silence lingered as they glared at each other. I let out a lengthy sigh as Martha stared at me. “I’m sorry, this is awkward. Carter tried to hire me to do a job, and I turned him down. He doesn’t take too kindly to rejection, so he sent Max to reel me in.”
“Did he?” Martha asked.
“Max changed my mind. I originally hadn’t any intention of saying yes to either of them, until I realized Max had access to something I needed, and well, here we all are. Each of us is getting what we want, but don’t worry, I don’t plan to stay. As a matter of fact, I have work to finish. The quicker I’m done here, the faster I can go find your daughter’s stalker and take care of him.” I’d vomited the entire reason for our visit in one breath before rising from my seat. “Now that we got that out of the way, please excuse me.”
“One of you better start explaining,” Martha growled as I walked off.
I wouldn’t normally be so rude. Okay, well, that was a lie, but I would have at least had the decency to sneak off to do my work. But when I spotted Fillpot in the high-priced hotel store, with no way to throttle him, trying to remain in my role was more challenging than I could handle.
I stood outside the store pretending to window-shop while watching Fillpot inside. He was a decent-looking man. I didn’t know why I’d expected someone short and stout, but I’d been wrong. This guy didn’t have a greasy comb-over, no beady eyes. Nothing to suggest he couldn’t be trusted. He oozed charm. Something drew people to him, judging by the way the three counter clerks chatted him up and the vacationers smiled in passing. I could see how my Grams might have fallen for his lies if his words were as charming as his demeanor. Finding out his dirty secrets was going to take more than a trip to the spa and small talk, I was going to have to find out the hard way and break into his room.
I stepped inside the store and thumbed through some island bathing suit cover-ups on display. Fillpot glanced up at me before dismissing me. Maybe I’d given him too much credit because he didn’t feel the threat nearby. I was a threat, one he would have to deal with, one way or another. I inched closer, leaving the rack behind, and made my way to the counter. The sales clerk had pulled out a display of Rolexes for him to try on. He never even looked up as I neared. I squatted in front of a jewelry case filled with diamond rings and necklaces. Each was more beautiful than the one next to it; and probably just as costly.
“Can I help you?” a male clerk asked from above. He had on a designer suit with a pink button-up shirt. He oozed more femininity with his hip jutted to the side and his flawless eyeliner. The glimmer in his eyes promised that we could be future besties.
“I’m just looking,” I answered. “These rings and necklaces are beautiful.”
“We surround each impeccable diamond with a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted design.”
That explained their lack of price tags. Martha appeared by my side and took me by the arm, pulling me to a stand. If she made a scene, she’d blow my cover. “Gregory, this is Gwen, Max
well’s betrothed.”
My eyes widened just as big as Gregory’s, and Fillpot turned to stare at us. “Anything in the store she desires is hers.” Martha smiled. “But these diamonds won’t compare to the ones in the vault. You must wear one of those. They’ve been in the family longer than I’ve been a Pierce.”
I thought me pretending to be a girlfriend would send this woman over the edge. I’d been wrong. She wanted me to play a part I’d never played before.
“Of course, I’d love to,” I said.
Fillpot inched closer to us and gestured to another set of watches in the case.
“Maxwell must really learn that the women in this family deserve the best. When I offered to plan and host the rehearsal dinner and party, he should have warned you that New York’s elite and oldest families would attend. We must have you looking your best.”
“Oh, you know Max,” I teased and let my voice turn all girly. “He loves to surprise me.”
“Yes, dear. He’s just full of surprises. So why don’t we go into my office where I’ve kept all the party information, and I can update you while we order breakfast.”
I wrapped my arm around Martha’s and gestured to the door. “Absolutely.”
Chapter 10
“It seems my boys have taken a shine to you,” Martha said, opening the security office door.
One entire wall was filled with screens bigger than anything I had at home. The scent of donuts and coffee drifted in the air. The low hum of a baseball game played from speakers nearby. The man behind the computer looked as though he could be Special Forces. Tattoos covered the bulging muscles sticking out from beneath his tight black T-shirt. His hair was short and cropped, his gaze assessing.
“It would be more discreet if you watched him from here,” Martha said, shooing the man out of his seat. “Now that the boys have filled me in on your need to handle this before starting on my daughter’s assignment, I thought I’d speed matters along.”
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