Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 3)

by Olivia Jaymes

  Travis fell back into one of the chairs and dragged a hand down his face, stubble darkening his jawline. “Dammit. I know we have to. I just hate the thought of it. We also have to include Martin as well. He’d do anything to protect his granddaughter.”

  “Add Alana to that list,” Shane offered with a grimace. “I personally don’t know what Martin sees in her but she does appear to be in love with him. If she thought he was being hurt by Bruce with the insider trading thing, and by extension Iris as his accomplice, she might have killed them to help her husband.”

  Travis picked up two soda cans from the table and offered one to Aubrey. “At least you’re off the list. You might have had a motive for Bruce but you didn’t know Iris and had no reason to kill her.”

  That was true, but it felt strange to have had a conversation with a woman a short time before she died. Had it been only been two days ago? It felt like a lifetime had happened since then.

  “West said you shouldn’t worry about motive,” she reminded him, accepting the soda and popping it open. She needed the caffeine desperately as it had been a long night.

  Travis grinned and nudged her foot with his own under the table. “I’m pretty sure you don’t have any hidden vendettas against Iris Perry, nor are you big enough to wrestle her into a pool and hold her down until she drowns.”

  Aubrey tapped her pen on the table as she pictured different scenarios. “What if she was drunk or drugged?”

  “That might make it easier or harder.” Travis raked his fingers through his hair for the dozenth time that evening. “She’d be dead weight if she was unconscious. No, I think it would take a man.”

  Shane stretched his arms over his head and twisted his head side to side in an attempt to shake off several hours of sitting. “Of course we’re assuming that she didn’t drown herself or that it wasn’t an accident. I don’t see the latter happening but possibly the former.”

  “She didn’t seem very suicidal when I talked to her at the spa,” replied Aubrey. “She wasn’t even mourning really. That could be part of the denial maybe. It’s all so confusing. Where do we go from here?”

  Travis drank down the last of the soda and slid the can to the center of the table with the discarded pizza boxes. “Martin, Alana, and Caroline are our best bets as much as I hate to say it. Hopefully we’ll hear from that reporter Shane befriended and find out what the forensic team and coroner have to say. Without that information we’re flying blind.”

  Aubrey stood from the table and tucked the laptop under her arm. “I’ll get back to work looking at those pictures from the party. Maybe we’ll see something in them that will help besides just looking for a picture of Martin’s cufflinks.”

  “It’s late,” Travis objected. “You should get some sleep.”

  “Are you going to bed?”

  She knew he wasn’t. He had that look on his face she’d seen so many times before.

  “Shane and I are going to go through the file that Jason sent us regarding Bruce one more time. See if we missed anything.”

  No surprise there.

  “Then I’m working too. Should I put a pot of coffee on?”

  Travis opened his mouth to argue and then simply smiled. “I almost forgot about that team thing we talked about. Make it a strong pot, babe. I have a feeling we’re going to be up all night. Or what’s left of it.”

  Aubrey hummed as she measured out the coffee, her gaze straying to the man in her life every so often. She admired his dedication in trying to help her and now he was helping his friend as well. He could go back to the office and mind his own business, letting Martin rot in jail, but he wasn’t the kind of man to do that.

  He wasn’t perfect but he was good. And kind.

  She waited for the fear and trepidation to seep into her bones but it didn’t come. It felt just fine and not scary at all. In six short months he’d managed to knock down years of defenses. He’d never given up no matter how many times she’d pushed him away.

  She was ready to embrace being happy.

  Now the only issue was making sure he felt the same.

  He’d talked of the future. He’d even mentioned marriage.

  Somehow she needed to find a way to tell him she was all in. Ready to take the next steps.

  She was in love.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

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  Bleary-eyed and lounging on the sofa, Aubrey clicked through the remaining party photos one by one. In the past four hours she’d ingested three sodas, cold pizza, and a Snickers bar from the vending machine down the hall all in the hope of staying awake. So far it had worked but she wasn’t sure how much longer it would. She was fading fast.

  Shane was snoring softly on the other end of the couch and Travis was in the bedroom talking to Jason on the phone. The younger brother might know someone who could comment anonymously on the insider trading investigation.

  Clicking on a photo of Martin and Alana’s table, Aubrey sat up quickly and enlarged the picture so she could see more detail. She sucked in a breath and let it out in a rush when the cuffs of Martin’s white shirt were revealed.

  He wasn’t wearing the onyx and diamond set either. Instead he was clearly wearing a plain gold pair that bore his initials.

  Score.

  Hopping up from the couch with a cry of delight, she ran into the bedroom still carrying the laptop, her fatigue a distant memory. It finally felt like something – anything – was happening with this case.

  “I found it.” She was practically bouncing up and down with excitement and Travis must have been exhausted as well, because instead of being happy he frowned and held up a hand, pointing to his phone.

  “I’m talking to Jason. Can this wait, babe?”

  Aubrey rolled her eyes and lifted the laptop so the screen was facing him. “No, it can’t wait. I found it. I found a photo of Martin wearing another pair of cufflinks.”

  Travis’s eyes widened and a smile spread across his face. “Uh Jason, can I call you back? My clever girlfriend looks like she’s found something. Yes, I’ll call you and tell you about it.”

  Tossing his phone on the side table, he took the laptop in his hands and sat down on the bed, patting the mattress next to him, and Aubrey joined him. She pointed to the photo on the screen, excitement in her voice.

  “There it is. Proof positive that he didn’t wear the onyx cufflinks to the party.”

  Travis’s fingers glided over the keys. “Not exactly. If this photo was taken late into the evening he might have changed his cufflinks by then after realizing he lost one. If the picture is early in the evening it gives it more credibility.”

  “The mushroom appetizer is sitting on the table.” Aubrey pointed to the screen and grinned. “That was very early in the evening. See? It does prove it.”

  “It helps prove it,” Travis corrected gently. “I don’t know if Prather is going to be swayed by this but it should at least help Martin’s case, especially now that Iris is dead. He was already in jail when that happened.”

  “I’m still happy that I found it. It’s a clue that exactly might mean something among all the things we don’t know.”

  Travis placed the laptop on the bed and wrapped his arms around Aubrey. She settled against him, his warm scent enveloping her senses while the heat from his body penetrated the thin cotton of her pajamas. Her heart kicked into high gear at his nearness and she could feel his own thudding against her cheek. Her fingers curled around his biceps, the muscles firm under her palms. She’d been up all night but suddenly sliding in between the sheets just to sleep didn’t seem all that inviting.

  “You did a great job.” Travis’s praise warmed her inside and out. When they were working together he didn’t go overboard with compliments but when he gave one it was truly sincere. As a child she hadn’t received much praise and it was kind of pathetic that it meant this much to her, but she sure as hell was going to enjoy it. “This is an important find and I’m proud of the way you persevered
. Martin is going to be very grateful for the work you’ve done, as am I.”

  “I hope so because my eyes may never be the same,” she giggled. “I may be cross-eyed for the rest of my life.”

  Travis stuck out his lip in mock sympathy. “My poor, poor Aubrey. Is there anything I can do to help ease the…pain?”

  It wasn’t discomfort that Aubrey was feeling. Far from it, in fact. Her entire body was beginning to hum with pleasure as his large hands ran up and down her back before settling on her bottom, giving the globes a firm squeeze.

  Aubrey placed the back of her hand on her forehead and sighed as if she’d just worked a full day in a hot kitchen or maybe ran a marathon. “I’m not sure there’s anything anyone can do. I may be beyond all hope.”

  Smirking and obviously trying not to laugh, Travis slid a hand under her tank top and traced her spine with his fingers. “You do seem to be running a fever. Are you hot?”

  You are. Very, very hot.

  “It is getting warm in here.” Aubrey fanned her face as he lifted her onto his lap. She felt him hard and ready underneath her and she deliberately squirmed, drawing a small groan from his lips. “Maybe I should get undressed.”

  Travis snapped the lid of the laptop shut and slid it to the floor. “That’s a good idea. I also think you need bed rest. Lots of it.”

  Mmmmm…not alone, I hope.

  “Are you hurting anywhere?” Travis asked, his hands gliding over the sensitive flesh of her belly just above the waistband of her sleep shorts. Her panties were already drenched and she had to work to keep her eyelids from drifting shut. His touch was mesmerizing, lulling her into a state where she’d allow him to do just about anything, knowing it would be pure pleasure.

  “I hurt everywhere,” Aubrey whispered. “But especially here.”

  Aubrey pointed to her lips.

  “And here.”

  She pointed to her breast. “And here.”

  Taking a deep breath of courage, she pointed to where her panties were already wet and her clit was tingling.

  She must have done something right because Travis was grinning like an idiot, despite her own flush that she could feel from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. She’d basically just told him to kiss her intimately and he seemed happy about it.

  Aren’t I a lucky girl?

  “It sounds like you need the full body treatment, Aubrey. Every inch of you needs extra special care. I know just what I need to do. We can’t wait a moment more or it might be too late and you’ll get worse.”

  A bar of arousal began to build in her abdomen and white heat swept through her head to toe.

  “I do want to feel better,” Aubrey cooed, looking up at Travis from under her lashes. “Whatever we need to do I’m fine with. I just have one request.”

  That dangerous and sexy as hell eyebrow rose. “And that would be?”

  “Make me scream, cowboy.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

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  Travis loved this confident, sexy, and playful side of Aubrey he hadn’t been privy to until this weekend. He doubted anyone had and it boosted his ego into the clouds, knowing he’d been a part of this transformation. Now she knew that her past sexual exploits weren’t her fault and that she was an amazing, responsive woman.

  “By the time we’re done here, baby, the guests of this hotel are going to know my damn name because you’re going to scream it at the top of your lungs.”

  It was a promise he intended on keeping. Multiple times.

  Aubrey smirked as she ran a fingernail down the middle of his chest. “The Anderson men sure do a lot of bragging.”

  Someone was in a naughty mood.

  “The Anderson men aren’t bragging, honey. They’re making promises.”

  She slid up on the bed so her back was against the pillows, a saucy smile playing on her full lips.

  “So far I’ve heard a lot of promises but seen very little action. Is that going to change anytime in the near future?”

  That was a challenge if he’d ever heard one. She might as well have Double Dog dared him to fuck her.

  “You don’t rush into the full body treatment, young lady. In fact, go take a shower and I’ll get things ready out here.”

  She didn’t move a muscle as if she wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not. He grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet before giving her a light swat on her bottom. She squealed and placed her hands back there, rubbing as if to soothe the sting but he knew he hadn’t spanked her that hard.

  “Move. Take a quick shower and then head back here. Don’t bother to put on any clothes as you would only be taking them right off again.”

  She trembled in his arms but skipped into the bathroom at his bidding. He only had a few minutes but that’s all it took to ready the room. First he lowered the lights and drew the curtains for privacy. He tugged the duvet down to the end of the bed so there was plenty of space for the two of them to spread out, then he took Aubrey’s vanilla-scented lotion that was currently located on the dresser and placed it on the nightstand. Finally he set his iPod on the clock radio dock and picked a soft, slow, sensual playlist.

  The playlist was titled “Relaxing” but tonight it might as well be titled “Songs to Seduce By.”

  Now that the scene was set, he dashed into the living room relieved to see Shane still sawing logs on the couch. Hopefully he’d sleep through until midday. Travis dug into the refrigerator and pulled out the magnum of champagne he’d asked the management to stock hoping for just this occasion. He tucked the chilled bottle under his arm and snapped up two glass flutes from under the bar before heading back into the bedroom.

  The water in the bathroom was off so Aubrey would be joining him any second. He shrugged out of his shirt and jeans so he was only wearing his boxers and then popped open the champagne, pouring the fizzy golden liquid into the glasses just as she opened the bathroom door.

  Steam billowed around her head giving her an ethereal appearance, despite being clad in only a thick white towel. She’d clipped up her hair and a few stray strands clung to her damp cheeks. His fingers itched to unclasp the barrette so her chocolate brown hair fell around her shoulders and he could run his fingers through the silky tresses.

  “Just how long was I in the shower?”

  There was amazement in her tone and he chuckled as he held out the champagne flute. She reached for it and her towel sagged a little, giving it a peek-a-boo effect.

  “Long enough. We’re going for the whole body treatment here so just lie down on your stomach and relax.” She hesitated for a moment and he gave her an encouraging smile. “You trust me, don’t you?”

  Aubrey took another sip of champagne and then set it on the nightstand next to the vanilla lotion before stretching out on the bed, her head pillowed on her arms. He slid his hands under her and tugged the towel away, leaving her completely bare to his gaze.

  Her golden skin beckoned and he squeezed a generous dollop of lotion into his palm, rubbing his hands together to warm it. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and she jumped slightly at the contact but then let her body go lax, sighing softly as he began to gently knead the muscles.

  Travis hummed with pleasure as his fingers traced her womanly curves, skimming the sides of her breasts, down her ribcage, over her hips before gliding back up again. Over and over he repeated his journey until she was putty underneath his palms. His fingers splayed across the small of her back, working the knots he knew were there after hours on the laptop. When he heard her softly moaning he slid his hands down over her heart-shaped ass to massage the muscles of her legs and then finally down to her dainty feet with their cherry-tipped toes.

  He pressed his thumbs into her instep and she groaned with pleasure and maybe a little pain as well. While he worked over the soles of her feet he allowed himself the absolute privilege of gazing at her nude form. Her body was an exquisite work of art, made to be worshipped. Others might say her tummy wasn’t flat, her
breasts too large, or her bottom too round but he thought she was fucking perfect. She looked like a woman, not a stick figure. For a moment he allowed himself to picture what she might look like in a white wedding dress, pregnant with his baby, or even just cuddling with their child reading a story.

  Every inch of her was infinitely precious to him and the thought of anything bad happening to her squeezed his chest painfully, making it almost impossible to breathe. In fact, the entire room had to be at least ten degrees hotter than a few minutes ago. He was breathing shallowly and a fine sheen of sweat decorated his skin. If his libido had its way he’d be balls deep within her this very minute. But that wasn’t going to happen. Not yet.

  She was everything and he’d waited a damn long time to find her. He wouldn’t let her go without a fight. Luckily she seemed more than content to make her future with him. He’d even mentioned marriage and she hadn’t bolted for the hills as he’d feared.

  “Turn over, sweetheart,” he said in a voice like gravel, the words sticking in his too tight throat. “Time for your front.”

  Travis hadn’t thought this through.

  Aubrey was lying before him like the most sumptuous buffet he could imagine. His erection became painful and his balls drew up closer to his body and he hadn’t even been touched yet. This was going to be a long night. Every ounce of blood in his body had rushed to his shaft and now he was gazing at her, probably looking dumbstruck as if he’d never seen a naked woman before.

  Snap out of it. Fuck, it’s like a furnace in this bedroom.

  He gathered more lotion in his palm and ran his hands up and down her legs, her eyes fluttering closed and her lips parted on a sigh of pleasure. He avoided any contact with her most private parts, skipping up to her shoulders and arms but that didn’t stop her from writhing under his touch, her hips lifting in invitation. He’d wanted this to go on for much longer but he wasn’t sure he could hold back another minute. His mind wasn’t working properly and all he could think about was how it was going to feel when she was hot and tight around him, their bodies joined as intimately as possible.