Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney #4)(20)

The desk lamp gave her just enough light to work, casting the rest of her office in soft, dim shadows. She’d changed her hair since this morning; now it tumbled long and loose over her shoulders in dark golden waves. Cade knocked softly on the door with the back of his knuckles.

“I hear you have a soft spot,” he said when she peered up from her papers.

It took her a second, then she blushed. “I assume you’re referring to the champagne I sent over to the couple celebrating their anniversary.” She stood up from her desk and packed the documents she’d been reviewing into her briefcase. “Just business. You needed me to get Torino and Senator Sanderson to their table without some big scene. I was simply upholding my end of the agreement.”

Cade took a few steps into her office, not buying the “just business” routine. Huxley had reported in after he and Agent Simms left the restaurant, and explained how Brooke had handled the situation while simultaneously making the day for some couple celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary. Which, naturally, had brought about another round of effusive praises from Huxley and Vaughn—Oh, that was so sweet of her and Oh, Brooke’s been so great to work with, and, frankly . . . Cade was beginning to think there wasn’t much he could say to disagree with that. “My office would be happy to reimburse you for the champagne.”

She waved this off. “It’s fine.” She rested her hip against the edge of her desk. “So? Did you get your man, Mr. Morgan?”

“Now, Ms. Parker. You know I can’t tell you that.”

“I suppose I’ll find out when I hear about Senator Sanderson being arrested in the news.”

Cade leaned against the bookshelves across from her desk. “Hmm,” he said noncommittally.

She threw him a look. “After everything I’ve done, you’re really not going to give me anything else?”

Funny, how Cade was going to miss frustrating her like this. He’d rather enjoyed going a few rounds with Brooke these past couple of days. “Nope. But I am going to take something from you.”

Her eyes flashed—with curiosity, perhaps. “That would be . . . ?”

“The video of Sanderson and Torino.”

She blinked. “Right. I’d forgotten about that.”

“I’ve arranged for an FBI forensic specialist to come by your office tomorrow,” Cade said. “He’ll need access to the computer where the security footage from Sogna is stored. He’ll make a copy of the video, and then we will be officially out of your hair.”

With that said, he held out his hand in farewell. And gratitude. All teasing aside, she’d been a tremendous help to him this weekend. “Thank you. For everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

As her hand slid softly against his, their eyes met and held.

“About that favor I allegedly owe you . . .” Cade paused deliberately, his gaze still locked with hers. “Call me sometime. We’ll talk.”

Brooke’s lips parted in surprise—likely trying to discern whether there was any hidden meaning in his words—before she answered. “I’ll do that. To talk about the favor you do owe me. Not alleged.”

Cade leaned in, the two of them standing close in the intimate setting of her dimly lit office. Behind them, the windows showcased a view of a vibrant city at night. His voice was suddenly husky.

“I look forward to it, Ms. Parker.”

Eight

BROOKE HAD JUST finished reviewing the most recent bill they’d received from Gray & Dallas, the law firm they used to handle their employment and labor matters, when her secretary buzzed her.

“Keith is here to see you.”

“Thanks, Lindsey. Send him in.”

She set the bill on her desk, the businesswoman in her wincing at the amount. Unfortunately, it was a necessary expense, at least with the current setup of Sterling’s in-house legal department—a “department” that consisted of herself, one paralegal, and her assistant. Because they were all so swamped, Brooke and Ian had made the decision that most employment and litigation matters would be farmed out to outside counsel.

Her door opened and Keith, Sterling’s vice president of security, walked into her office carrying a file. He’d called her earlier this morning, saying that he wanted to discuss a confidential matter. Typically, that meant somebody at one of the restaurants was up to no good.

Hopefully not another employee stealing credit cards, Brooke mused. Or any sort of headache-inducing “oops moment,” like the time one of the restaurant managers called to ask if he could fire a line cook after discovering that the man was a convicted murderer.

“Jeez. How’d you learn that?” Brooke had asked.

“He made a joke to one of the waiters about honing his cooking skills in prison. The waiter asked what he’d been serving time for, and he said, ‘Murder.’”

“I bet that put an end to the conversation real fast. And yes, you can fire him,” Brooke had said. “Obviously, he lied on his employment application.” All of Sterling’s employees, regardless of job position, were required to answer whether they’d ever been convicted of a crime involving “violence, deceit, or theft.” Pretty safe to say that murder qualified.

Ten minutes later, the manager had called her back.