Midnight Kiss (Virgin River #12)(60)

The one place she didn’t want to be during the holidays was here, at this bank, stuck in close quarters with Noah James.

“Someone’s funneling money out of this bank.”

She jumped in shock and knocked her head into the glass. “What?”

“Are you okay?”

She waved an impatient hand as she turned toward Noah. He stood in the doorway like an avenging financial angel. Hopefully he couldn’t see the forehead print of makeup she’d left on the glass behind her. “What did you say?”

“There are discrepancies. They’re small but consistent.”

“Seriously? Someone’s embezzling from this bank?”

“Money is missing.”

“How much?” she demanded.

“The individual amounts are small enough not to draw attention, but I don’t have a definite figure yet.”

“So, not a lot. Come on, Noah. Even I can tell these people are apple-pie, small-town folks.”

“Small-town folks are no different than you big-city types, Elise. Some are good, some bad.”

“Do not try to tell me old lady Castle is a bad seed. For God’s sake, I thought she was going to make me a sandwich!”

He shrugged, the hardness of his face not even hinting at softening. “If not Mrs. Castle, then her son. You don’t really think she’s been running things, do you?”

Elise frowned down at her coffee cup, feeling suddenly exhausted. She liked these people. The old woman who still came to the office every day. The son who’d come in to help carefully pack up his mother’s office. They were real people. Good people. Elise needed them not to have dark, hidden sides. It was just too damn close to Christmas to deal with that kind of crap. “She claims to still be in charge of day-to-day operations.”

“John Castle says he started taking over some responsibilities in 1998.”

“Regardless, I don’t believe the Castles were stealing money from the bank.”

“When did you grow a heart?”

She snapped her head up and glared. “Excuse me?”

“And a soft one at that.”

“There’s never been even a hint of suspicion about their business practices. They’ve filed every report we’ve asked, taken every measure we’ve suggested and—”

“There’s a hint now. I’m heading over to the other branches to make sure everything is running smoothly, but when I come back, I’m going to concentrate my efforts on those missing funds.”

“Fine.” She closed her eyes. He thought she was heartless? He was an ice-cold bastard and always had been. “But you’re wasting your time.” I hope. “Wanna bet?”

She rolled her neck, trying to ease some of the strain from it. It was one in the morning, and though she’d started sending team members back to the hotel in shifts, she was going to be here until 6:00 p.m. the next day. “Sure. I’ll take that bet, if only to teach you a lesson in humility. And heart. How much?”

“Oh, I didn’t say anything about money, Elise.”

Her weariness vanished like a popping bubble, and her head snapped up. He’d said her name like a dare, as if he meant to demand something from her. A forfeit. A prize. A kiss.

Ridiculous. His face didn’t hint at anything more than anger.

His gaze dipped for a split second, brushing over her mouth.

“Um…”

He just stared, ignoring her uncomfortable squirm.

“Not money?”

He raised his eyebrows. “No.”

This uncertainty pissed her off. Elise set her jaw. “What, then? Are you going to lay your manly pride down on the table as a prize?”

His eyebrows lowered. Two spots of pink burned into his cheekbones.

Oh. Elise took a deep breath and replayed her words in her mind. She couldn’t stop her face from heating. “I mean…not your…I meant…”

“My pride, huh?” he said roughly. His gaze slipped down her face, and for one frightening, exhilarating second, she was sure he was glaring right at her mouth. Then he smirked. “Yeah, sure. Why the hell not? I’ve managed to restock. Pride, it is.”

Elise’s mind spun, and by the time she’d righted herself, the doorway was empty and Noah was gone. She pressed her fingertips to her mouth and cursed. Kissing that man had been a horrible, awful mistake. Even two years later she couldn’t quite believe she’d done it.

This was going to be one hell of a long week, and with Noah James around, she wouldn’t get one second to relax. He’d make sure of it.

CHAPTER THREE

EXHAUSTION FELT LIKE anger. At least it always had to Noah. He’d been working for more than twenty-four hours without a break, and he’d been awake much longer than that. Now as he stared at the man standing before him in the parking lot, all Noah wanted to do was yell.

He didn’t.

“Sir, the bank is closed for the evening, but it will open again at eight tomorrow morning, just like always. I promise you that your money is safe.”

The middle-aged man waved a pillowcase around and screamed that he wasn’t going to let the government steal his hard-earned cash. Noah tuned him out and watched the tirade turn to clouds of white in the frigid night. Man, it was cold. His own breath froze against his lips like dry ice. He wanted to be anywhere but here, being yelled at by a stranger.