by Unknown
Her mother was already shaking her head. She placed a delicate cup of steaming black coffee by Shane’s plate and a glass of juice by Paige’s. “No. You eat while your food is hot. It’s probably someone else calling about last night.”
Paige’s frown deepened. “I can’t believe Jackie told that many people.”
“She didn’t.” Shane held out the platter of meats to Paige. “The newspaper printed the story.”
“What?” Paige ignored the food. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I wish I were,” he said with annoyance. “You were giving your statement when the supervisor of security arrived, talking loud and posturing. He wanted anyone and everyone to know that the building is safe. A reporter happened to be there covering another story. The supervisor was only too happy to talk to the reporter and do damage control. He promised a thorough investigation would be conducted on why your complaint wasn’t dealt with more efficiently.”
Shane snorted. “He knew there is bound to be fallout with all the high-profile businesses in the building. I bet his phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the story hit.”
“I’m sorry you were involved in this,” she said, finally taking a slice of honey-cured ham on her plate although her appetite had waned. She hadn’t thought past getting her earrings back.
“It’s not me I’m concerned about,” he told her. “I just don’t want the media bothering you.”
She might have known. She picked up the crystal pitcher of syrup. “The media can be useful.”
He snorted again.
Paige opened her mouth to ask him why he felt that way just as Macy came into the room carrying a portable phone. “Ms. Paige, Mr. Crenshaw is on the phone. He’s on board his flight and wants to talk to you.”
Chapter 10
Paige couldn’t help but look at Shane. His expression was unreadable, but her mother’s lips, pursed in annoyance, spoke volumes. “Excuse me.” Standing, Paige took the phone and moved a few feet away. “Hello, Russell.”
“Paige, you said you were going home last night, and this morning I read you were involved in a burglary in your office,” he accused.
“I did come home,” she told him.
“A mere technicality,” he snapped. “What were you thinking of to try and catch a thief? I thought you had more sense.”
She hadn’t tried. She and Shane had succeeded, she thought with an unexpected sense of pride.
“The newspaper said that freeloading Elliott was there with you,” Russell fumed. “I knew he wasn’t any good when I first laid eyes on him.”
Arguing would settle nothing. Russell was as single-minded as her father. She didn’t know why, but the thought made her uncomfortable.
“Paige?”
“Thank you for calling and for your concern,” she said. “I’m sorry to have upset you, but they stole the earrings Zach gave me for my birthday. I wanted them back.”
“Good gracious, Paige. You are so childish at times,” Russell said with growing annoyance. “They were just earrings.”
Paige hadn’t expected Russell to understand. It wasn’t lost on her that Shane had grasped immediately the importance of recovering her brother’s gift and the sentiment it carried. Russell never would, and that made her sad for him.
“I want you to stay away from Elliott. You wouldn’t have attempted anything so idiotic if he hadn’t influenced you. Now promise me you’ll stay away from him before I have to hang up.”
“What did you say?” She put her hand over her ear. “You’re breaking up.”
“Stay away from Elliott!” Russell shouted, then muttered under his breath, “I have to go. I’ll call as soon as I land.”
“Good-bye, Russell. Have a safe flight.” Cutting off the call, she gave the receiver back to Macy. Paige wondered if Russell would suspect she had lied about not hearing him.
Shane stood and pulled out her chair as she returned to the table. “Are you all right?”
“Couldn’t be better,” she said, meaning every word. She picked up her napkin. Russell had called her senseless, childish, idiotic. The thief thought her stupid. She was none of those things, and it was time, as Shane had pointed out, that she acted like it.
She took a bite of her pancakes. They were warm instead of hot, but she couldn’t recall tasting better. “These are wonderful, Mother. Thanks.”
Her mother beamed at her, reminiscent of all the times she’d been so proud of Paige just for trying. Paige smiled back.
“I can see how this could be your favorite breakfast,” Shane said, forking in another bite of blueberry pancakes. “I’ll miss this when I move out.”
“What?” Paige and her mother said at the same time.
Shane stared across the table at Paige. “I can’t continue to take advantage of your hospitality. If you’ll help me look, I thought I’d rent a place while I check out the city for a job.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Mrs. Albright said. “You’re staying here.”
“I agree with Mother,” Paige said, trying to keep her voice level. “I don’t mind helping you look for a place, but I have more lessons to learn.”
“Lessons?” Mrs. Albright said, looking between the two.
“Self-defense,” Paige explained. “You said you would, and you said you’d never lie to me.”
He stared at her a long time. “I’ll stay for a while.”
“Good.” Paige picked up her glass of juice. There was still time to see if the searing of attraction went anyplace. And when Russell returned, she’d make him listen. And the very man he’d warned her away from was the one who was going to enable her to stand up for herself.
“She hugged me good-bye,” Mrs. Albright whispered, her voice unsteady as she watched Paige drive away.
“She loves you,” Shane said. “She talks about you all the time.”
“She does?” The older woman brightened even more. “What does she say?”
Well aware that she was greedy for any information that would mean the chasm between her and her daughter was closing, Shane told her of their conversation at lunch the day before. “She knows you love her.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Albright blinked back tears. “I knew you’d make a difference. Ruth said you would.”
Shane had a difficult time keeping the shock from his face. “What has Sierra’s mother to do with this?”
“I told you. She credited Sierra’s safe return to the investigative work you and Rio did.” Mrs. Albright lightly touched his arm. “She said you would save Paige, and she’s right.”
“Mrs. Al—”
She held up her hand. “No. I’m too happy to hear anything negative. I’m going to clean up the kitchen, then put her roses in her room.”
Shane was left standing on the front porch.
Shane rang Alisha’s doorbell shortly after nine. The upscale condominium was subleased in the name of a married man in his late sixties. He was one of three men Alisha shuffled to keep the bills paid and herself in designer clothes, jewelry, and the Jaguar in front.
The door opened. Her hand clenched on the knob, then she relaxed, lifting her hand to press against the door frame. The motion lifted her unbound breasts and parted the sheer white robe. “What can I do for you?” she asked, running her tongue slowly across her red lips.
Disgust rolled through him. Shane didn’t want to be around her a moment longer than necessary. “I thought I’d save us both time and aggravation with a small demonstration. I know you’re having an affair with Gerald Letts, the owner of Letts Car dealership, with Bob Johnson, the owner of Stylish Designs, and with Russell Crenshaw.”
“Is that how you get your kicks?”
Shane ignored her taunt. “None of the men knows about the others. If you want it to stay that way, remember our discussion. Just in case your memory becomes faulty, I wanted you to see this.” He held up a five-inch handheld computer. “Your checking account has exactly one dollar in it.”
“What!�
�� she yelled, trying to grab the computer. “I don’t believe you.”
“See for yourself.”
She whirled away and snatched up the phone. Less than four minutes later, half of that time spent yelling and cursing at the person on the other end of the line, she slammed the receiver down. “I want my money back,” she screeched.
“That depends on you,” Shane told her, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
She swallowed. “I won’t go near Mrs. Albright or her children. Just put my money back.”
“The money will be returned at exactly nine tomorrow morning. Minus the blackmail money Mrs. Albright gave you.”
Alisha opened her mouth, then wisely closed it.
“Disturb the Albright family again and all of your money disappearing permanently will be the least of your problems.” Shane went to the door. “Your checking account is flagged. Trying to withdraw the money or transfer it into another account won’t do any good. I’ll find it, just as I’ll find you. Last warning. You won’t get another one.”
Stepping outside, he closed the door just as something heavy smashed against it. Shane continued down the steps. Let her vent her anger. But if Alisha contacted the Albrights, she’d reap the unpleasant consequences.
She’d been warned.
Paige didn’t know what to expect at work, but she was ready for it. After parking in the garage, she got out and joined the other employees heading for the elevator. If anyone called her stupid or idiotic she wasn’t going to be responsible.
Stepping off the elevator on the first floor, she continued through the glass doors to security. She’d no more than swiped her identification card when Harris, the nearest security guard, came around the waist-high counter.
“Good morning, Ms. Albright.”
“Good morning, Harris.” She knew most of the morning security guards and occasionally brought them doughnuts.
“I heard about the incident last night.” He hitched up his belt. It immediately slipped back under his bulging stomach. “We all wanted you to know that we’re sorry we didn’t take your complaint more seriously.”
“Apology accepted.” Last night at the police station the security supervisor had apologized over and over. The owner of the security firm had also called.
The guard relaxed. “Glad to hear it.” He glanced around the busy lobby and leaned closer. “I told the other guys you weren’t the one.”
“The one what?” she asked.
He shifted from one foot to the other. “Guess I should have kept my mouth shut.”
“Harris,” she said, with the stern tone she’d heard her mother use when someone was being difficult.
He nodded his head toward a quiet corner. She followed. “The boss said he had a complaint that the guys on duty didn’t check Elliott thoroughly before letting him go up. Everyone on duty when that Elliott fellow came through security, and the guys who overlooked your complaint, were called on the carpet.”
Paige had a good idea who had lodged the complaint. Russell. She barely kept her temper in check. How dare Russell! “Without Mr. Elliott, the thieves wouldn’t have been captured.”
Harris adjusted the utility belt. “From what I hear, that’s true, but that guy could have hurt you. If Elliott hadn’t been there, then neither would you.”
Paige was finding it more difficult with each passing second not to show her anger. “If security had done their job, neither of us would have had to be there,” she said tightly.
“That was brought up, too,” the security guard said slowly. “A complaint from you, and heads are going to roll.”
“I don’t want anyone to lose their jobs, but neither do I want security to ignore my complaint or anyone else’s again,” she told him.
“You got it.” He tipped his head and went back behind the check-in counter.
Paige crossed the lobby and rode the elevator to her floor. Taking a deep breath, she stepped off and continued down the hallway and opened the outer door to the main office.
The receptionist saw her, stood, and began to applaud. People came out of office doors to join in. Jackie pushed to the front. “Paige, the woman of the hour.”
Paige shook her head and laughed. “That’s enough.”
The receptionist gave Paige several phone message slips. “You’ve been getting calls all morning from people congratulating you. Oh, there it goes again.”
“I’m sorry I—” Jackie began.
Paige touched Jackie’s arm, silencing her. “It’s forgotten. I’m getting my earrings back and the thieves are in jail. Let’s just focus on the Masquerade Ball.”
“Everything going well?” Jackie asked as they started down the hall to Paige’s office.
“Yes,” Paige answered. “Even if we don’t get any more donations, we’ve reached our goal. This will be the most lucrative fund-raiser event in years.”
“Oh, my!”
At Jackie’s exclamation, Paige turned to see what had caused the woman’s eyes to widen, for them to gleam with unmistakable appreciation. Paige’s own heart dipped. How well she understood her boss’s reaction.
Shane, his gaze locked on Paige, came toward them with that sexy walk of his that caused her heart rate to accelerate. Noah and Gayle were with him. Shane carried a large bouquet of white roses in his hands.
He didn’t stop until he stood in front of her. He was temptation personified. “Look who I met in the lobby.”
“We called the house, but your mother said you had just left,” Noah said.
“The newspaper said you were all right, but it also said there was an altercation,” Gayle added, her expression worried.
“I told her Shane could handle it.” Noah grinned up at Shane. “Glad to see you didn’t make a liar out of me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Shane said, then turned to Paige. “These are for you. You want them in your office?”
“Yes. Thank you.” The long-stemmed white roses in the elegant crystal vase, at least two dozen, could have been from her mother, but somehow Paige didn’t think so. “I’ll get the door.”
Opening her office door, Paige paused, remembering letting herself be captured, the security men with guns aimed on Shane. Her fault.
“No negative thoughts, remember,” Shane whispered in her ear.
The caress of his breath sent delicious shivers racing over her, sweeping everything away except the sensual awareness of the man standing so close to her. “Please put them on my desk.”
Shane moved around her to do as directed. Paige’s gaze lowered to the jeans cupping his tight rear. Grade A.
“They look beautiful. I’ve never received flowers.” Gayle sighed, admiring the bouquet, a wistful note in her voice.
“You will,” Shane said. “Give it time. I’ve never given a woman flowers.”
Paige’s eyes widened in undisguised pleasure at the admission. She tried to tell herself he was just being friendly. But Shane’s scorching gaze said something entirely different. “Thank you. This is a first for me, too. I’ve never received two dozen roses.”
“I’m happy to be the first,” Shane said, the deep timbre of his voice caressing her.
“You sure know how to set a precedent,” Noah said, his astute gaze shifting between the two adults. He nudged his sister. “Ah, we’ll catch you two later. Bye.”
Gayle frowned at her brother, then said, “Oh, yes. Bye.”
“Good-bye,” Paige said, seeing them to the door and closing it softly after them. Shimmering awareness coiled though her. She was almost afraid to turn.
“What are your plans for today?” Shane asked.
Facing him, her heart skipped a beat. Arms crossed over his rock-hard chest, he leaned against the front of her desk with his legs crossed, looking good enough to eat with a spoon. Paige’s cheeks heated. Shane had the worst effect on her.
“Working on plans for the Masquerade Ball,” she finally told him. “It’s our biggest fund-raiser of the year and I’m in charg
e.”
“You’ll succeed,” he told her. “Anything I can do to help?”
Stop making me think and dream of things that can never be. “It’s just a lot of phone calls today to ensure everything is in place.”
He pushed away from the desk. “I guess I better get out of your way and let you get to it.”
She glanced at the flowers, beautiful and beckoning, much like the person who had given them to her. “Thank you again for the flowers. They’re lovely.”
“Seeing you smile is all the thanks I need,” he said, his gaze direct, his voice low and deep, stroking her.
Her silly heart simply melted.
The brisk knock on the door behind her probably saved her from doing something stupid, like touching Shane or, worse, leaning into him and seeing what his sensual mouth felt like on hers. She turned just as the door opened, almost grateful until she saw who it was. Doris Betts, the accountant, entered, her man-eating gaze finding Shane in an instant.
“Paige, I’m so sorry to interrupt, but I have a problem.”
“That’s all right,” Paige said, trying to be gracious when she really wanted to ask the other woman to leave. “Doris Betts, Shane Elliott.”
“Ms. Betts,” Shane said, briefly shaking the extended hand.
“Mr. Elliott,” Doris said, smiling seductively up at Shane, and not moving back when he released her hand. “Please call me Doris. I need a huge favor.” She flashed an apologetic and totally false smile between Shane and Paige. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but my computer is down and Jackie said you might be able to help me.”
“What seems to be the problem?” Shane asked.
Doris shrugged, causing her D-cup breasts to demand attention. Paige marveled that Shane didn’t seem to notice.
“The monitor and tower won’t come on. I have a stack of reports to put in and the service we use can’t get out until late this afternoon.”
“Why don’t I have a look at it?” Shane suggested.
“Would you?” Doris cooed, grinning broadly. “Thank you.” Her grasping fingers curved around his bare forearm. “I’ll bring him back.”