“Henry, do you know a guy named Bob Greenwood that worked at your company?”
Her eyes registered the name. “Yes. He died a few months ago in a car accident. Very sad.”
“Yep, that’s him.” Trevan took another long drink from the bottle in his hand and lifted it to look through it at the flames. He chose his next words carefully. “I’m going to tell you something confidential. If you repeat this to anyone, I’ll deny it and I’ll probably still get fired anyway but you need to understand why you’re here, with me.”
He brought the drink to his lips again briefly, then said, “Bob came to us twice the month before he died reporting possible fraudulent activity. The last time he called, we interviewed him. He had found basically the same thing you did. Only he asked around at work about it. He thought someone was following him. We thought he was a little paranoid but agreed to protect him while we did the investigation. He had a freak car accident the morning that he was supposed to meet with us to go into protective custody.”
Trevan finished the third beer in silence, letting his words sink in. “That’s when I started following you. When we started following you. Hate me or not, I’m not letting you out of my sight until we catch whoever’s doing this. There’s big money at stake and whoever’s involved — they don’t seem to care who gets hurt.” He picked up the last bottle and popped off the cap, holding it as he turned to Sophie. He watched the flames reflected in her eyes. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She crossed arms in a hugging motion and rubbed the upper portion of each. “I understand. This is your job and you intend to make sure it gets done right, whatever it takes.”
“Damn right.” He tipped the bottle at her.
She looked into the darkness past the fire for a few seconds, then her eyes shifted down to her feet. “Did you really have to take it so far though?”
Trevan gulped another mouthful of beer. She acted like he intended everything to happen the way it did. As if he planned it out. He looked at her, amused she thought him that egocentric. In truth, he had never been attracted to anyone he watched. Ever. Until now. Once you see all their crazy habits and personal idiosyncrasies, it normally turns a person off, not to mention he usually watched men. He had to be honest with himself though. He’d been attracted to her — or at least curious — from day one. She was classier than anyone he’d ever known before — including his ex. She was also smart and funny, but even with that, she oozed sex appeal without trying. Nate had been right from the beginning. He was way out of his league, and it pissed him off that he had not kept it as clean as he should have. He should have been more prepared for Sophie Henderson.
He answered, “Did you have to be so fucking beautiful?” The anger in his voice was evident in the crisp tones of his words. He looked past the flames into the darkness of the hills on the other side of the creek. The wind gusted across his bare chest causing him to shiver, so he rose, holding the towel at his waist as he headed toward the Jacuzzi.
“I could say the same thing to you, Trev.”
His back muscles stiffened as he looked at her briefly. Jesus, she liked to screw with his head. He walked quickly away. Why the hell did she say that?
• • •
Somewhere around two A.M., something woke him from his alcohol-enhanced slumber on the couch. He pulled up and looked around. Just before he settled on the sofa, he vaguely remembered watching her go back into his sister’s room while he was locking up and setting the alarm.
Trevan heard a ding from Sophie’s phone. She’d left it on the counter when she went to sleep. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the screen, then smiled at the text messages.
Callie: Hey sicko.. u gting any better? Ready to trade in Trev for a real doctor?
Another ding.
Callie: I’ll take him if u don’t want him. Seriously, I need to talk to u. When r you coming back to work?
Third ding.
Callie: Call me, dammit
He glanced at his watch. Christ, the woman is a little clingy. He considered answering back with a short blast but decided not to. Instead, he went to the room and opened the door to look in on Sophie. He stood in the doorway, his arm braced against the frame, admiring the way her hair fell over his sister’s pillow and tumbled across her shoulder. He muttered under his breath, then slipped down the hall to his room and got under the sheets.
An hour later, he was still awake lying on his back. No way in hell he was getting any sleep. He’d almost decided to get up and shower when the door opened quietly. Sophie’s silhouette stood there, hesitating.
She couldn’t sleep either, apparently. Knowing she was having as much trouble brought a mild sense of satisfaction. Trevan flipped back the covers leaving the space next to him open, the relief inside him was hidden but he was keenly aware of it. He lifted his arm and put his forearm over his eyes and waited. The rest was up to her. His chest burned when the bed moved from her weight and she eased close to him. He was in his briefs; the light breeze from the ceiling fan above the bed cooled his exposed skin. She slid against him, laying her hand where the warmth in his chest was burning and the coolness from the fan died. He remained still until her steady breathing signaled she had nodded off. He moved the arm from his eyes to her shoulder to get more comfortable.
She hated him. She pissed him off. But, he guessed, it would be easier to sleep when she was in the same room and he didn’t have to check on her every couple of hours. Surely sleep would come.
Except for the fact that every curve of her warm skin was now wrapped around him like a boa constrictor. Sleep? Not a chance.
Chapter Twenty
Sophie rolled over in the bed the next morning and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. He was up already and, judging by the smells coming from the other room, cooking breakfast. She stretched her arms over her head, pointing her toes and relishing the last few seconds of rest. Coffee. She smelled the pungent aroma. Her stomach grumbled in anticipation. She rose and walked barefoot into the kitchen without even taking the time to wash her face or tame the wild curls. “Something smells really good in here.” She plopped herself on a kitchen chair and watched as he pushed a cup of coffee in front of her, along with a plate of toast, eggs, and bacon. “You like to cook breakfast, don’t you?” she stated, recognizing that this was starting to become a pattern.
“Not really, but I like to eat breakfast. So, in order to eat breakfast, I have to cook it.”
“Good point. I like to eat breakfast, too. Guess it worked in my favor to sleep later than you.”
“Yeah. Funny how that worked out. If I were a suspicious man, I’d think you planned it that way.”
“I’d never admit it if I had, as long as I get breakfast like this every day till I go home. My arteries will probably clog up and I’ll gain twenty pounds but who cares?”
Trevan frowned playfully. “I get the distinct impression I’m being manipulated. First you take over my bed, now you have me slaving in a kitchen. Somehow that’s not what I thought I’d be doing when I took this job. It all sounded a lot more glamorous back then.”
“Glamorous?” He opened the door and she stepped right through it. “As in, you thought you’d be traveling the world, driving fast cars, chasing bad guys, and sleeping with pretty women? Seems to me you can probably check all that off your list — especially the last one. You have that down solid, if that’s really your goal.”
Trev’s brow shot up. “A little bitchy this morning, Henry?”
“No, just stating the facts as I know them.”
“Yeah, well, maybe your facts don’t jive with mine.” He took a bite of eggs, grabbed a piece of bacon, and heaved the rest into the trash. “I’m going running. I’ll be back in an hour. Don’t leave the house. I’m setting the alarm when I leave.” He walked back to his room, returning shortly in running shoes and clothes. “You know, you really piss me off. You automatically see the worst in all of this. You’re so fucking naïve about taking precau
tions for your own safety but when it comes to men and sex, you think every guy’s automatically out to take advantage of you. You’re so damn scared something might go wrong, you can’t just accept what’s good about it.”
“What exactly would that be, Trev?” She settled her eyes on his.
“If I have to tell you, then obviously I’m the only one that recognized it in the first place,” he growled at her. “Forget it. What’s the point, anyway?” His shoes crunched on the gravel as his steps picked up speed outside and move away from the house.
• • •
When Trevan returned from his run, she was sitting in the living room with a blue envelope and a piece of paper in front of her on the coffee table. She was motionless, her face completely blank. It was an expression he had only seen once before — as they left her apartment after the break in.
“What’s the matter with you?” His voice was still gruff with anger. The run had helped but he hadn’t completely shaken off the frustration.
Sophie pointed at the paper and envelope in front of her. It stated in large, bold type “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND STOP MESSING WITH THE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM REPORTS OR YOU’LL REGRET IT.”
“Fuck!” Trevan spouted.
“Geez, you say that a lot,” she snapped.
“Yeah, well, sometimes it fits.” He shrugged. “Don’t touch that or the envelope any more than you already have. I’ll have someone pick it up and see if they can find anything that identifies who sent it. It doesn’t really matter though. I’m pretty sure we will know within the next few days who’s behind the money grab. I told you this was serious. Believe me now?”
“I already believed you. You didn’t believe in me.”
He ignored the jab but he knew what she was getting at. He just didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “From now on, wherever you go, I go, too. And if I run, you run. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. But that came to my apartment so I don’t think they really know where I’m at and I doubt they’re likely to show up here.”
“Doesn’t matter, we’re not taking a chance. And I’m not fighting with you about it, okay?”
By Thursday, they had fallen into a routine of sorts. They rose early and ran the country roads on and around the property for an hour. Trev stayed in pace with Sophie the entire time, but he wore his firearm in plain view. She noticed but said nothing. When they came back, Sophie showered while Trevan made breakfast. Trevan showered, then was on the phone and computer until just before noon. Sophie made them lunch which they ate in the courtyard. In the afternoon, Trevan was back on the computer and Sophie tried to catch up on her projects at work remotely. She was getting farther and farther behind though. It was becoming difficult to get anything done without access to her staff and presence in the office. He sensed her growing disappointment and frustration with the effect this had on her career.
They took the guns down to the makeshift practice range every other evening just after dinner and practiced shooting, then came back before it got dark.
Thursday, when Sophie checked her work messages, she had a panic voicemail from her assistant, Ana. “Sophie, I know you’re sick and don’t want to be bothered, but something’s going on here. You need to get back. The auditors are in your office and they’re searching everything. They’re practically tearing your office apart. What’s going on? What did you do?” She felt her face pale as she heard the words. She repeated the message twice before she dialed in on her cell.
She hit the speaker and placed the phone on the counter between them, forcing cheerfulness when it was answered. “Hey there, Ana. Wow, I feel like such a stranger.”
“Oh thank God you called. It’s crazy here. Do you know about this? Is that why you’re out?”
“Know about what?” she asked, pretending ignorance.
“There’s a three-man audit team in your office. They’re going through every drawer and every file cabinet. What’s going on?”
Sophie wished she could talk openly and remove herself from suspicion but she knew it would cause problems. “I haven’t got a clue. Did they say what they’re doing? What they’re looking for?”
“No, not a word, but they asked Jeff to reset all your passwords so that they could read your data and emails.” Sophie’s heart sank. Her days of working remotely were probably over now. Her days of working at all, most likely. They must know and think I’m involved, just like Trev and Nate did.
“Really? Why would they want to read my emails?”
“Obviously they’re looking for something. What’s this all about?” Strange how someone could work for you for years and still not believe you. She could hear the suspicion in Ana’s voice. Ana’s panic most likely stemmed from wanting to get away from the drama. She was distancing herself from Sophie so that whatever Sophie supposedly had done wouldn’t taint her employment. Sophie cringed at the betrayal.
“I told you. I haven’t got a clue what it’s about. I’ve been out sick for several days. Whatever it is, I don’t have anything to hide, so let them have whatever they want. Let them tear the whole office apart if it helps.”
“Okay.” She stretched the word out as long as her Texas drawl could handle.
Sophie hung up the phone. She bit back the acrid tears that stung her eyes. Too much had happened and it was getting harder and harder not to just fall apart. She stared at the wall in disbelief, trying to understand what steps would best save her job. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.
• • •
She was sitting in a trance on the sofa when Trevan walked in.
“I need to go back to Houston tomorrow,” Trev advised her after talking with his office. “They’re pretty much done with the data part of the investigation. We are meeting to discuss how we’re going to finish this up.”
“Okay, so what do I do — stay here?”
“Not a chance. You go, too.”
“So, it’s over now and I can go back to work and back to my life?” If there’s one to go back to.
“Not yet, a few more days probably.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve handled this a lot better than most people would.”
“I didn’t really have much of a choice, did I? You and your agency thought I was involved, so I had to go along with it until you figured it all out and saw it differently.”
“For what it’s worth, I wasn’t the one who thought you were involved. I never did, except for a few minutes when Nate showed me your bank statements. You straightened me out pretty quickly on that. I think you’re pretty good at taking care of yourself, Soph. Your mom would be proud.”
“Thanks.” She seemed focused on his chest. “I’m not going to sleep worth a crap when I go back home.” It surprised him she’d say that. There she went, screwing around with his head again. Dammit.
“Once they’re all in jail, you shouldn’t have too much trouble sleeping anymore.”
“That’s not what I meant.” She walked out of the kitchen barefoot, and headed back to the girls’ room.
Chapter Twenty-One
Trevan cut her off in the hallway before she passed his door. “Don’t say something like that and just walk away. I don’t have a clue what you’re trying to get across. Let’s finish this discussion.” His feet were touching hers and he had one arm raised with his hand braced against the wall to keep her from passing. “What exactly did you mean?”
“I don’t know … I guess it’s just been nice not being so alone all the time.” He couldn’t believe his ears. She was being honest, without the anger, distrust, and sarcasm. “I realize it was all an act to you and you do this all the time, but I don’t.”
Okay, well, almost without it. Her eyes were wet.
“Do what all the time?” His voice escalated as he etched the words out through gritted teeth.
“You know, seduce your ‘subjects’ or whatever this was.”
He laughed out loud. “Are you serious? How many times are we going to talk about this? Sophie, come on.�
�� He sobered up. “You met my parents, for Christ sake. My mom told you all my embarrassing history.”
“Yeah, but that was only after I knew who you were.”
“So let me get this straight.” He thought for a minute before finishing. “I kissed you a hundred times and had sex with you so you would want to tell me your crimes? Or so I could find out who the real criminal was? Not just because I wanted to?”
“Well, something like that. I guess.”
“And you think I believe I’m really good enough at all this to do that with just about anyone, including yourself? That they would fall for it?”
“I don’t know what you think, but … ”
“Stop trying to analyze me and everything that happened. Take a look at yourself in a mirror, girl, and maybe just try to have a little faith in me.”
“What do you mean? I’m not analyzing anything.”
“Yeah, you are. You’re trying to read something into what’s happening here rather than just letting it happen. Try this on for size. Maybe I can’t be around you for five minutes without wanting to kiss you — and yes, have sex with you — I’m sorry, but I am a guy and I do want you. That’s what we think about. Maybe it has nothing to do with my job or anything else. Maybe it’s just you. That’s not a bad thing, is it? Maybe these last few nights where I had to keep telling myself you didn’t want it, too, even though you were right there next to me, have been murder. So, you tell me what the hell is going on, because I don’t get it.” Trevan didn’t wait for a response. He lifted his arm to let her pass and walked outside to get some wood for the firepit.
Even though he kept her within eyesight, he made a point to keep distance between them the rest of the day. He wanted to help ease himself into losing her, which he knew he’d have to do. While she had slept in his bed every night, snuggled up against him, he’d kept his hands around her waist or shoulders and nowhere else. He was pretty proud of himself for keeping his composure up to this point. Especially when she’d slide into bed in those little shirts and shorts that left so much skin touching him. He couldn’t count how many times he’d woken up when she rubbed against him in her sleep. Just a few more nights and then she’d go home to her apartment and her friends, and he wouldn’t have to keep reminding himself to keep his hands off her ass.
Numbers Never Lie (Crimson Romance) Page 18