A Guilty Affair

by Maureen Smith

  Riley frowned. “I don’t understand. Are you asking me to fill in for Daniela?”

  “Not exactly. You have to be licensed to work as a private investigator in the state of Texas, and that process takes months. However,” she said, pulling out the printer tray, “there are things you can do while working under a licensed investigator.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well, you can help with online research, background checks, asset and court searches, missing person searches, serving legal papers. You could even help Noah and Kenneth conduct surveillances and install hidden videos to protect children from abusive babysitters. You could be, like, their apprentice.”

  Riley was intrigued, even as a germ of an idea began to take root in her mind. “You mean I can do all those things without a license?”

  Janie nodded, giving the printer one good whack with the flat of her palm. “You’d be really good at it, too. Being an investigative journalist who also specializes in law enforcement, you’re already familiar with a lot of laws and criminal codes. Plus you can probably do research in your sleep.”

  Riley grinned. “That’s definitely true.”

  “You’d be perfect.” Janie gave a satisfied nod when the printer jam finally cleared. “I’ve got my hands full with the phones, scheduling appointments, doing the bookkeeping and payroll, maintaining the case-management system—not to mention a gazil-lion other administrative tasks that fall squarely on my shoulders. The fellas have divided Daniela’s caseload pretty evenly between themselves, but there’s only so much they can do, given the long hours they already work. They’d really benefit from having someone step in to help with a lot of the leg-work, even if only on a part-time basis.”

  “What do Kenneth and Noah think about all this?” Riley asked carefully.

  “I think it’s the best idea I’ve heard all morning,” Kenneth said, emerging from his office.

  Riley turned to see him smiling easily at her, hands tucked into his pockets as he propped a shoulder against the wall. “Janie’s right—although my brother and I have been too stubborn to admit it. We could really use some help.”

  “So, would you be interested, Riley?” Janie asked hopefully.

  Before Riley could answer, Noah’s deep voice interrupted. “Interested in what?”

  Janie glanced over her shoulder as Noah appeared in the entryway beside his brother. “We may have found the solution to our staffing shortage,” she told him.

  “What?”

  “You’re looking at her,” Janie said with a nod toward Riley.

  Noah frowned, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Riley’s not a licensed P.I.”

  “She doesn’t have to be for what we need her for,” Kenneth pointed out.

  “So are you interested, Riley?” Janie asked again. “I mean, I know you didn’t take a leave of absence to come home and work, but if you’ve got any free time to spare—”

  “She doesn’t,” Noah said through gritted teeth.

  “Actually,” Riley said lightly, holding his steely gaze, “I do have time. As it turns out, I’m going to have plenty of time to spare. So, yes, I think I will take you up on your offer, Janie.”

  “Great,” Janie said, grinning from ear to ear.

  For the first time since arriving in San Antonio, Riley felt a glimmer of hope that all was not lost. After the showdown in his office, Noah may have thought he’d seen the last of her. But as any savvy reporter knew, the key to landing a good scoop was persistence.

  Persistence was Riley’s middle name.

  The moment Riley left the building, Noah ground out tersely, “I’m calling a staff meeting. Now.”

  Janie glanced at the ringing telephone. “But what about—”

  “Let voice mail pick it up,” Noah growled over his shoulder, jerking his tie loose as he strode down the hallway toward the conference room that would eventually be converted into a fourth office. Kenneth and Janie followed more slowly.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Noah demanded once they were seated at the large conference table that dominated the long, narrow room. “Since when do we make decisions about hiring personnel without everyone’s input?”

  Kenneth and Janie traded amused glances. “If memory serves me correctly,” his brother drawled, “we started that practice last year, when you and Daniela ganged up on me and offered Janie a job against my wishes.”

  Noah scowled. “That was different.”

  “How’s that? I had objections to my wife working here, just as you obviously have very strong objections to Riley working here. The only difference I see is that my reasons—though they’ve since been proved wrong—at least made sense at the time.”

  Noah’s scowl deepened. “I have perfectly legitimate reasons for not wanting Riley to work here.”

  Kenneth and Janie looked at him expectantly.

  “Well?” Janie prompted after a prolonged moment of silence. “Let’s hear your reasons for not wanting her here.”

  Because I’m in love with her, and the idea of working beside her every damned day and not being able to touch her, and tell her how I feel, is the worst form of torture imaginable.

  Aloud he said, “For starters, I thought we’d already decided to hire another private investigator, not an assistant.”

  “We did,” Kenneth agreed. “But getting the right person on board may take a couple of months. And we also decided we didn’t want to hire another P.I. without Daniela’s input. So either way we have to wait for her to get back from Italy.”

  “Then why don’t we just hold off on hiring anyone—period?”

  “Because we need help now. We all know that.”

  “And before you say Riley’s not qualified,” Janie chimed in, “I think we can all agree she’s more than capable of doing the job. She’s an award-winning investigative journalist, for crying out loud. If she wasn’t returning to D.C. in two months, I’d offer her the P.I. position in a heartbeat.”

  Noah countered, “She’s not licensed.”

  “So she’d get licensed,” Janie said with a shrug. “No big deal.”

  “It is a big deal,” Noah snapped.

  His brother and Janie stared at him, their eyes alight with avid curiosity.

  “Why is it a big deal, Noah?” Kenneth asked quietly. “The way Janie and I see it, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. I don’t know Riley’s reasons for taking a sabbatical from work, but she’s obviously not opposed to pinch-hitting for us here at the office. She’ll probably welcome the opportunity to get out of the house for a while and do something productive with her time.”

  Janie chuckled. “It’s not as if she’s gonna sit around baby sitting her grandmother. Florinda Kane has more of an active social life than all three of us combined.”

  Noah couldn’t argue with that, much as he would’ve liked to. So he raised another issue. “Who’s going to train Riley? I sure as hell don’t have time, nor does Kenneth.”

  “I’ll work with her,” Janie blithely volunteered. “I can already tell she’s going to be a quick learner.”

  That’s an understatement, Noah thought darkly, remembering the veiled look of triumph in Riley’s eyes as she’d accepted the job offer. He knew there was only one reason she wanted to work at Roarke Investigations, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with her interest in becoming a private detective. She planned to work him, wear down his defenses until he finally agreed to help her with her mission.

  But she was soon to discover just how difficult it would be to penetrate Noah’s ironclad will. Five long, torturous years of hiding and suppressing his feelings for her had been his proving ground.

  No matter what tactics she resorted to, he wouldn’t give an inch.

  Because he knew that once he surrendered his will to Riley Kane, it was only a matter of time before his heart followed.

  Chapter 6

  When Riley reported to Roarke Investigations the next morning, she was more nervous than she’d been on her first
day at the Washington Post, although there’d been far more pressure to perform well at that job than the one she was now embarking upon.

  She’d dressed with extra care that morning, donning a simple white shirt with flared cuffs over a pencil-slim khaki skirt and wedge sandals—an outfit she’d settled on after changing three times. As she left the house and climbed into her car, she tried not to examine too closely the reasons—or reason—behind the vicious tangle of nerves knotting her stomach.

  When she arrived at the office at eight o’clock sharp and learned that Noah was out on a surveillance assignment, she didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

  Fortunately, she didn’t have much time to dwell on it as Janie got right down to business, giving her a quick tour of the facilities before ushering her into a small, windowless room that served as Daniela Thorne’s office.

  As Janie explained to her over coffee and a mountain of paperwork, Roarke Investigations was a full-service detective agency that specialized in missing person searches, civil and criminal investigations, child custody and abuse cases, spousal surveillance, and background checks for business and individual clients, to name just a few. Although their hourly rates were comparable to many of their local counterparts, what gave the Roarke brothers an edge over the competition was their reputation in the community and their combined law enforcement experience. Prior to launching the detective agency, both had worked for the SanAntonio Police Department—Kenneth in Internal Affairs, Noah in Homicide.

  Riley spent the morning reviewing open case files to bring herself up to speed and to identify areas where additional research would be needed.

  By the time she looked up again, three hours had flown by.

  “Hey, do you want to break for lunch?” Janie asked, appearing in the doorway.

  Riley paused in the middle of scribbling notes onto a legal pad. “Lunch?”

  “Yeah, that thing you do around noontime. Involves putting food into your mouth and swallowing?” Janie chuckled. “We’re not slave drivers, you know.” She paused. “Well, maybe just a teensy-weensy bit.”

  Riley smiled, setting down her pen. “Food sounds good.”

  “Cool. I ordered some pasta salad and sandwiches from Jason’s Deli,” Janie said as they left the office. “I was going to take you out to lunch to celebrate your first day with us, but I got really swamped.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it.”

  “Maybe we can go on Friday, when things are a little slower. Let’s eat in here,” she said, leading Riley into a small, windowless room dominated by a large conference table, where she’d already set up the food. “Kenneth left for an appointment, but Noah should be on his way back to the office. Do you want chicken, turkey or roast beef?”

  “Chicken’s fine.”

  As the two women settled at the table to eat, Janie asked, “How’s it going so far? Are you already regretting your decision to come work with us?”

  Riley laughed. “Not at all. The cases you guys handle are pretty interesting. I’m learning a lot.”

  “Glad to hear it. We’re very happy to have you on board, Riley.”

  “Thanks.” A wry smile tipped the corner of Riley’s mouth. “I guess two out of three ain’t bad.”

  Janie grimaced. “I’m really sorry about Noah. I don’t know why he behaved like that yesterday.”

  “That’s all right,” Riley murmured, spearing a black olive from her pasta salad. “I’m used to it by now.”

  “Really? From Noah?”

  Riley nodded, then, seeking to change the subject, said, “I hope Daniela won’t mind that I’m using her office.”

  “Of course not. Even if she were that territorial—which she’s not—it wouldn’t matter in this case. Daniela’s always been very fond of you.”

  A warm smile curved Riley’s mouth. “I’ve always liked her, too. I can’t wait to see her again and offer my congratulations on her marriage.”

  “Just wait until you meet Caleb. Hot—that’s all I’m going to say.”

  Riley grinned. “But not as hot as your husband, of course.”

  Janie’s dark eyes twinkled with mischief. “Of course.” Sobering after a moment, she bit into her sandwich and slowly chewed.

  Riley could see the wheels spinning in her mind, and wasn’t surprised when Janie returned to the topic of her brother-in-law. “Noah’s always been pretty easygoing. In fact, I used to tease Kenneth all the time by telling him I’d married the wrong brother, the uptight one. In contrast to Noah, Kenny can come across so serious at times—too serious.”

  “I’ve never really seen the easygoing side of Noah,” Riley admitted, nibbling on her sandwich. “He’s always seemed so intense to me.”

  “Oh, he is, believe me. Especially when he’s focused on a big case or something he’s really passionate about. But he definitely knows how to relax and have a good time. And you should see how good he is with his niece and nephew. They adore him.”

  Riley could believe it. She’d seen Noah work his magic on others, from the cops he’d once worked with to a waitress serving him at a restaurant. She knew he could be charming, compassionate, and generous to a fault—even if she’d never been on the receiving end of those traits.

  “Give him time,” Janie said gently. “He’ll come around.”

  Riley had her doubts, but she wasn’t going to let those doubts discourage her. Thanks to Janie, she’d been given the perfect excuse to see and interact with Noah five days a week for the next two months. She was convinced that if he only got to know her better, he’d realize she wasn’t crazy or malicious for wanting to investigate Trevor’s death. If she couldn’t persuade him to help her…well, she refused to consider that possibility. Failure, as far as she was concerned, wasn’t an option.

  As she and Janie finished their meals and cleared the table, Noah returned to the office. Today, instead of a double-breasted suit, he wore a black T-shirt, black jeans, and black boots that made him look decidedly menacing as he sauntered down the hallway toward them, his eyes concealed behind mirrored sunglasses.

  “Hey, sunshine,” Janie greeted him cheerfully. “I left your sandwich and drink on your desk.”

  “Thanks.” He inclined his head briefly toward Riley. “Afternoon.”

  “Hey Noah,” she chirped, striving to sound normal when butterflies were fluttering wildly in her stomach. Those damned nerves again. “How’s it going?”

  “It’s going,” he murmured, disappearing into his office.

  Riley followed Janie to the reception desk to pick up a form she’d requested earlier. “By the way, I have some follow-up questions about one of the cases I was reading about this morning—the Gallagher case. I looked through the file, but didn’t see who it had been assigned to.”

  “Talk to Noah,” Janie answered. “That’s his client.”

  Nodding, Riley went back to her office to retrieve the case file before going in search of Noah. He’d just hung up the phone when she appeared in the doorway of his office.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, motioning toward the untouched sandwich on his desk, “but do you have a minute? I wanted to ask you a few questions about the Gallagher case. Janie gave me the file to review—”

  He sent her a bemused look. “You’re not seriously planning to go through with this, are you?”

  Riley pretended not to understand. “Go through with what?”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence, Riley,” he drawled. “You know very well what I’m talking about. This whole charade. You, working here at the agency just to get what you want out of me. It’s not going to work.”

  “I’m here to do a job. I should think you’d welcome the extra help.”

  He studied her for a long moment, those dark, fathomless eyes narrowed on her face. “So that’s how it’s going to be,” he said softly, a hint of challenge in his voice. “That’s how you want to play this.”

  Her pulse thudded, but she didn’t back down. “What ca
n I say, Noah? If you have a problem with me being here, take it up with your partners.”

  The gauntlet had been thrown. Their eyes locked in a moment of shared understanding, two adversaries squaring off on the dueling field.

  Without releasing her gaze, Noah reached for his roast beef sandwich and took a bite, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. “Forget the Gallagher case. I want you to work on background checks.”

  “But Janie said—”

  “Forget what Janie said. She reports to me, not the other way around. In fact, from now on, you’ll receive your assignments from me. Do you have a problem with that?”

  Riley mustered a smile etched in steel. “Not at all.”

  “Good. When you’re finished with those background checks, I have a stack of public documents I want you to read through. Nothing exciting, but then, you’re not here for the thrill of it,” he said mockingly. “You’re here to help.”

  “Of course,” Riley said easily. “Do you have the files for me?”

  “Get them from Janie.” He reached for his phone, dismissing her.

  As Riley left the office and headed toward the reception area, she had flashbacks of being a recent college graduate reporting to her first day of work at the Houston Chronicle. Her managing editor had been a chain-smoking, cantankerous old relic who believed women didn’t belong in the newsroom, and from the very beginning he’d set out to make her life a living hell, much as Noah had decided to do. But Riley wouldn’t be deterred. Just as she’d stood up to her tyrannical editor and proved him wrong about her competency as a journalist, she would also stand up to Noah.

  The way she saw it, there was nothing Noah or anyone else could do to make her life any more miserable than the past three years had already been.

  By Friday, Riley was having serious doubts about the truth of that assessment.

  Noah was doing everything in his power to make her life miserable at Roarke Investigations, and unfortunately for her, as a senior partner and co-founder of the agency, he had a lot of power.

  Every time she completed an assignment, he handed her another, larger pile of work. And she wasn’t just confined to the office. Noah also sent her on a number of errands that included delivering documents to the courthouse and serving papers to defendants. Once he’d even asked her to drive a client to and from a doctor’s appointment. Though she hadn’t minded helping out the elderly gentleman, she couldn’t understand how such a task fell under her job description.