Page 29 of Hotshot (Buchanan-Renard 11)

  “My office will be here in the Cove,” Mimi said. “I’ll take over payroll and taxes, but I’ll also do projections. It’ll be fun.”

  Her enthusiasm made Peyton smile. “Only you would think adding numbers is fun.”

  Christopher had plans he’d drawn up for the Olympic-size pool and asked Finn if he wouldn’t mind taking a look.

  “Before I make this official, I’d like to know what you think of the design. It’s going to be a huge pool, and Peyton’s convinced me we could use it for relays and maybe training camps.”

  “Sure, I’ll help,” he said.

  Christopher spread the plan out on the island, and the two men discussed possible changes.

  “There will be a dome over the pool that will retract into the ground with the push of a button,” Christopher explained.

  “This is going to cost a fortune,” Finn said.

  “Len’s all for it. Once he heard about it, he wanted the Cove to have it. He doesn’t want it near the hotel, though. He thinks it should be in the back and away from the beach. It’s going to end up being an entire swimming center.” He smiled as he added, “He’s got grand plans for it, thanks to Peyton.”

  Peyton wanted to look at the drawings, but Mimi was nudging her to the sofa. “You need to sit down, sweetie. How’s your head feeling? You look better, not so pale.”

  “I’m fine now,” Peyton insisted. “Fully recovered. How are you getting along? It’s a big change for you, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, and you were right. This is a paradise. It will be an adjustment not wearing five layers and a heavy coat most of the year. A lovely adjustment,” she added with a chuckle. “And I love the work. I feel useful and needed again.” She took hold of Peyton’s hand and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Before Peyton could respond, Mimi plunged ahead. “Erik Swift called me. He’s a decent man, like his father. It’s difficult to imagine Eileen came from the same parents.”

  “Why did he call?”

  “He’s talking to all the employees who worked under Drew. He had a couple of names and he wondered if I knew anything about them.”

  “Did you?”

  “I recognized two of them. They were young women who worked in the plant.”

  “What’s Erik looking for?”

  “He told me he’s helping his father. Randolph wants to find all the young women Drew preyed on.”

  “And when he finds them? Then what?”

  “I don’t know. Nothing can change what Drew put them through, but I think Randolph wants to let them have vindication and compensation. Maybe an apology from the company. I think he may be taking legal action, but I’m just guessing. We’ll have to wait to find out.” Mimi shook her head, a look of regret falling across her face. “I knew that Drew was a sleazy character, but I didn’t think he was violent until he tried to break into your motel room. I should have seen it coming . . . done something.”

  Peyton took her hand. “You can’t blame yourself for anything. You couldn’t have known. Drew was a master at keeping people quiet and hiding what he was doing.”

  Christopher interrupted them. “Peyton, do you want to look at this preliminary plan?” he asked.

  She had to admit to herself that she was curious to see it, but her enthusiasm for the project had waned because she realized she wanted to build the pool for the most foolish of reasons. If they had such an attraction, Finn might want to come back to swim. How crazy was that? To lure him with an Olympic-size pool? She felt pathetic, now that she realized what her real motive was.

  “Do we really need such a big pool?” she asked as she crossed the room to stand between the two men.

  Her question surprised Christopher. “You’re having a change of heart? You said you wanted a regulation—”

  “Yes, I did,” she interrupted. “But I’ve reevaluated. You heard Finn. It will cost a fortune.”

  “And it will make a fortune,” he argued. “It was a great idea you had, and we’re going forward.”

  She didn’t argue. She knew Finn was watching her, and so she kept her attention on the plans. “It looks good,” she said, and the longer she studied the layout, the more excited she became. It really was going to be a great addition. Did it matter that the only reason she’d come up with the idea was because of Finn?

  Her enthusiasm was back in her voice when she told Christopher, “It will be great.”

  “I’ve got to get back to work,” Mimi said. “Finn, there’s a package for you in the office. Would you like me to fetch it for you?”

  “No, I’ll get it,” he said, nodding his appreciation.

  “He’s a keeper,” she whispered to Peyton.

  From Finn’s quick smile, Peyton knew he’d heard Mimi.

  “No, he’s in need of a keeper,” she said.

  Finn waited until he and Peyton were alone before he pulled her back into his arms. “I’m in need of a keeper? Are you up for the job?”

  She put her hands on his chest to push away from him and desperately tried not to be swayed by his adorable smile and the sexy look in his eyes.

  “You left.” She hadn’t known she was going to say that until the words were out of her mouth.

  He wasn’t smiling now. His expression became intense as he tightened his hold on her. “I came back.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want you here. We’ve said all we need to say. You should leave.”

  He nudged her chin up and lowered his mouth to hers. His lips brushed across hers before he deepened the kiss. He wasn’t in any hurry, and she sighed when his tongue leisurely explored her mouth. Breathless, she became the aggressor. Her hands moved up to the back of his neck, her fingers splayed upward into his hair. When he tried to pull away, she tugged at his lower lip with her teeth until he gave her what she wanted, and then her tongue rubbed over his. His taste, his scent, his touch aroused her, and at that moment she would have given him anything he wanted. One kiss and he made her ache for him.

  “Tonight,” he promised as he gently pulled away from her.

  Frustrated, she muttered her way to the bedroom.

  “Did you say something?” Finn called.

  “No, I’m just giving myself a stern talking-to,” she said. Her door shut, effectively stopping any other questions.

  She stayed in her room making calls and working on her laptop. She kept telling herself she wasn’t hiding from Finn; she just needed some space. It wasn’t the truth, though. Her emotions were bouncing all over the place, and it was all his fault. He shouldn’t have come back, but now that he was here, she was going to tell him to leave her alone. No more hugging or kissing or anything else physical.

  Since when did he ever listen to her? He was going to do whatever he wanted to do, and knowing how weak she was around him, she would probably go along. She suddenly remembered opening her eyes in the hospital room and seeing him, and she remembered exactly how she had felt in that moment. Safe and protected, yes . . . and something more.

  Finn knocked on her door twice, then opened it. “It’s almost five. Do you want to go to the business office with me?”

  “Sure.” She didn’t move; she just sat there staring at him.

  He tilted his head. “What’s that look about?”

  Impossible to explain, she decided. “It’s my concussion recovery expression. I’ll just get my tennis shoes.”

  Tucking her phone in her pocket, she walked out the door ahead of him. Braxton waved to them as they crossed the parking lot.

  “Oh, just so you know,” she began. “As far as Debi is concerned, I’m in a three-way with Drake and Braxton.”

  To his credit, he didn’t miss a beat. “Okay, three-way.”

  Debi greeted them at the door. “Just tell me this. Why can’t I have a key? Some nights I want to stay late, and I see no reason why I can??

?t be treated like an adult. I could lock up.”

  Alarm bells went off in Peyton’s head. “You want to stay late? Why?” she asked suspiciously.

  “To get work done.”

  “What work?”

  “You know . . . the work.”

  Christopher and Lucy were heading out, but Christopher stopped. “No key. Go home now, Debi.”

  Debi slung her thirty-pound purse over her shoulder, nearly knocking Peyton down had she not ducked, and marched out in a huff.

  Lucy was the only one who felt a little guilty. “I think she’s really trying now. She’s coming in earlier and staying later.”

  “And exactly what does she do when she comes in early and stays late? Does anyone know?” Peyton asked. “It scares me to think she’s in here alone. The damage she could do . . .”

  “She’s not getting a key,” Christopher repeated. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” she answered. “I’ll be full force tomorrow. We just stopped in to pick up a package for Finn.”

  “It’s in the conference room.”

  While Finn went to collect the package, Peyton asked her sister if she’d talked to Ivy lately.

  “I talked to her last night. I don’t want her to feel that we’re excluding her from making decisions, so I run things by her, but she’s so swamped right now, she doesn’t have time to worry about Bishop’s Cove. I didn’t tell her your car blew up. She’d just worry, and it’s all over now.”

  It’s all over? What world was Lucy living in? Until Drew and his sidekick were locked up, nothing was over.

  “How come you’re all dressed up?” Peyton asked, for she’d finally noticed the new wrap dress Lucy was wearing. It was several shades of blue that made her eyes all the more brilliant. She looked lovely. Then Peyton noticed Lucy was holding Christopher’s hand.

  “Christopher and I are going into Port James for dinner,” Lucy said with a slight blush. “He needed a night away from here, and so do I.”

  “Has Mimi gone home?”

  “She had to drive back to the accounting firm to get some kind of software,” Lucy explained.

  Finn was back with the package in hand, so they all walked out together. Peyton waited until they were back home to ask him what he was going to cook for their dinner. His track record was abysmal. If history was an indicator, she had a feeling she’d be going to bed hungry.

  “I know you told Lars you were taking care of dinner, but I could cook tonight. Something light,” she offered.

  “No, I’ve got it covered,” he insisted.

  “What are we having?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  At seven o’clock there was a knock on the door, and Peyton opened it to find a waiter from Leonard’s standing there with a large tray. Finn took it from him, set it on the table, and lifted the silver domes off the plates. Underneath were fabulous steak dinners. Peyton didn’t know how hungry she was until she took her first bite. The steaks were grilled to perfection and after eating every last morsel, she complimented Finn on his extraordinary culinary skills and thanked him for the delicious surprise.

  “That’s not the only surprise,” he said. “I have some after-dinner entertainment for you.”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  He went to the island and opened the package he’d picked up at the office. “It’s a DVD of Randolph’s announcement in Dalton. Hutton burned a couple of discs, thinking you might want to keep one to remind yourself what a good thing you did. Would you like to see it?”

  “I’d love to watch it.”

  Finn took her hand and led her to the sofa. After slipping the disc into the player, he settled down next to her.

  The murmur of the crowd as the employees filed into the auditorium sounded like bees buzzing. One camera focused on the stage. Another camera scanned the audience. Peyton saw Bridget push her way to the front row. She was wearing ridiculously high heels. The side door opened, and Drew and Eileen stepped into the spotlight. The sight of him made Peyton’s skin crawl. She gripped her hands together as she watched him.

  Finn must have felt the tension in her body because he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

  “Look how he’s trying to work the crowd,” Finn said.

  Peyton leaned back against him and didn’t say another word until Randolph made his announcement. She watched Drew’s face. It was frozen in the most benign mask, and she could only imagine what was underneath. His eyes widened a fraction the second he heard her voice over the speakers, but as fast as a blink, he was looking bored again.

  “He sees the security guards coming,” Finn said.

  They both watched Drew shrug off his wife’s clutching hand and stand. He made a show of adjusting his tie, then turned and strode off the stage.

  “Did you see that?” Finn asked.

  “See what?”

  He reached for the remote and backed up the video. “Watch closely and tell me what you see when Drew gets up and walks off the stage.”

  “I don’t see anything,” Peyton said.

  “Watch his head,” Finn told her as he went back a few seconds.

  Peyton looked more closely. “He’s looking at someone and nodding.”

  Finn played it one more time. “He’s not just nodding, he’s giving a signal.”

  “You’re right,” Peyton said, moving closer to the screen. “It’s Bridget.”

  As the video continued to play, they could see the crowd become still, listening to the rest of the recording. Some people looked at those sitting on either side of them and shook their heads in disbelief, but no one noticed Bridget slipping out the side door.

  “I’ll bet she chased after Drew,” Peyton said.

  “No, she went to his office. Erik had posted a security guard at the door so that Drew couldn’t take anything. The guard told us a woman came to him crying, and when he wouldn’t let her in the office, she got really upset. He said he couldn’t imagine any woman caring that much about the bastard.”

  “The woman was Bridget,” Peyton concluded.

  “Yes,” Finn said.

  “What was the signal Drew was giving her? What do you think she wanted from his office?”

  “Hutton watched them pack up every single item and cart it off. If it wasn’t nailed to the floor, it went into boxes and out the door. They’ve got a list of everything they boxed up. I looked it over before I left Dalton, and I don’t remember seeing anything out of the ordinary. Maybe I’ll have Hutton e-mail it to me and take another look. There might be something there.”

  “Like a rifle?” she teased.

  “Yeah, like a rifle.”

  “Can’t Drew demand his things back?”

  “He has demanded them back. He’s not getting them, though, not for a while. Randolph Swift is holding on to them.”

  Peyton watched Finn as he became very quiet, mulling over what he had just discovered. His brow creased in lines of concentration. Even as he was lost in thought, he didn’t stop touching her. At first he had his arm around her shoulder rubbing her arm, and then his other hand began to slowly move up and down her thigh. He didn’t realize what he was doing until he looked over at her. He kissed the sensitive spot just below her ear and his warm breath tickled her skin giving her goose bumps. She closed her eyes and with a soft moan she leaned into him and turned her face to his.

  Finn wasn’t tentative. He kissed her with such raw passion, letting her know that she belonged to him, only him. It was only after he’d ended the kiss that she came to her senses. “No, we aren’t doing this again.”

  Standing, she wagged her finger at him. “We want different things, remember? You don’t ever want to get married or have children,” she reminded. “I do. So, please, leave me alone.”

  Time to give herself

another talking-to, she told herself, and she rushed to her bedroom and closed the door. She knew she kept giving Finn mixed signals. One minute she was telling him not to touch her, and the next she was throwing herself into his arms. No wonder he was confused. He was confused, wasn’t he? She supposed she’d have to ask him before apologizing. Once she explained, there wouldn’t be any more mixed signals.

  Finn called to her. “Peyton, get your suit on. We’re going swimming. I need to think.”

  Even though her bedroom door was closed Finn could hear her groan. Grinning, he went into his bedroom to find his swim trunks.

  Peyton was in a quandary. Should she go with him or not? Seeing him nearly naked again was definitely not a good idea. But then, what harm could there be in a little exercise? Wearing the string bikini was out of the question. She wanted to discourage him, not encourage him, so, after weighing her choices for several minutes, she put on her old, reliable but boring, pink two-piece suit, grabbed her robe, and met him at the door.

  He pointedly glanced at his watch, impatient.

  “Oh, don’t give me that look. I didn’t take all that long,” she said.

  “Twenty minutes to put on a damn suit?”

  She heard about the importance of being punctual all the way over to the hotel. By the time he unlocked the door to the pool, he had wound down. She hadn’t said a word, just nodded every once in a while to encourage him to continue, and she realized once again how much she was like her mother. Her father liked to occasionally go on a rant about something or other inconsequential, and her mother would seem to be concentrating on his every word, but she really wasn’t. She was usually thinking about something she needed to get done.

  Content to sit on the side of the pool while Finn did laps, Peyton thought about her parents and came to the conclusion that they had a good marriage. Odd, but she’d never really given it much thought until now.

  She watched as Finn glided back and forth, back and forth. She knew he found peace when he was in the water. His mind cleared and he could work out problems as soon as he fell into the rhythm of his strokes. Whatever was bothering him tonight must be very complicated, she thought, because he had done countless laps without a break.