Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(45)

His brow quirked and a smile spread across his handsome features. “So this is practice?”

“Repetition is the key to mastering a skill,” she teased. “I think if we practice and get good at this for better or worse won’t seem like much of a task at all. Can you share all of that with me, Travis? Can you open yourself up to showing me every part of your life?”

For a moment she saw indecision in his eyes and she actually felt a moment of relief. It meant he was taking this seriously and really thinking about what she’d asked him. It wasn’t a trivial moment in their relationship and he realized it.

“I can do that.” Travis nodded and pulled her closer. That one fleeting moment of insecurity was gone and all she could see in his face was happiness. “I want to do that.”

“Good.” She pressed a quick kiss on his lips. “Now let’s get back to work. Notice I said you and me.”

They were quiet as they paged through the photos, enlarging a few to see if they could get more detail. Somehow she had migrated to sitting between his legs, his back against the arm of the couch and the laptop propped on her knees. He nipped at her neck and earlobe, his arms tightening around her waist.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but I’m not sure what for.”

There was a silence and then he whispered to her, his breath warm on her cheek. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

She smiled and giggled but didn’t turn around, simply settling back against him more comfortably.

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“It’s a very good thing. The best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Her heart skipped a few beats and she had to remind herself that this man wasn’t like the others she’d known. He believed what he said. He wasn’t saying it to get in her pants or because he thought it was expected. He said it because he felt it and that meant more than anything she could name.

“You too.”

Her hands were on the laptop keyboard and he placed his much larger ones on top of hers before winding their fingers together. “I guess we need to stop making cow eyes at each other and get back to work. But how about we go see a movie tonight? There’s a theatre not far from here. I think we could use the break to get our minds off everything.”

Sitting next to Travis in the dark with popcorn? Yes, please.

“Do I get to pick the movie?”

Travis laughed and she could feel the rumble from his chest against her back. “Yes, princess, you can select the movie. I suppose you’re going to want junk food too?”


“You bet. Lots of it.”

“Then we better get back to work. We have to find some evidence that exonerates Martin. I don’t believe for a second that he did this. It just isn’t in his nature.”

Aubrey hoped Travis wasn’t wrong.





Chapter Twenty-Three




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Travis and Aubrey were returning to the resort about midnight after a late movie when he saw flashing lights just up ahead. By the time the taxi pulled under the canopied entrance Travis had counted at least three patrol cars and a fire and rescue unit.

“This can’t be good.”

Quickly paying the driver, Travis and Aubrey hopped out of the taxi and rushed into the lobby. There were a few clusters of people here and there but he clearly heard the words “pool” and “drowning.”

“Let’s go outside.” Travis put his arm around Aubrey and led her out the back entrance and down the stone path to where a group of people had gathered around the edge of the large swimming pool. He was about to ask one of the gawkers what was going on when he saw Shane standing at the perimeter. Rounding the crowd, he nudged his cousin to get his attention.

Shane dragged his gaze back to Travis. “About time you got here. The shit has really hit the fan. Let’s go up to the room.”

Travis pointed towards the uniformed cops. “What’s going–”

“Just trust me,” Shane cut in. “I’ll tell you what I know when we get upstairs.”

Nodding, Travis placed his arm around Aubrey and they skirted around the edges of the crowd. When they reached the far side near the entrance the people parted for a moment and Travis could see a body on the ground covered with a blanket.

Shit, another body.

Remembering how upset Alana was earlier when Martin was arrested filled Travis with a sense of dread as they quietly slipped into the hotel and up the elevator. When they finally entered the suite Travis couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“Was it Alana? Goddamit, Shane. What the f*ck happened? We were only gone for a little over three and a half hours.”

Aubrey grabbed his hand and squeezed his fingers, giving him “the look”. “Give Shane a chance to answer, babe.”

Shane rubbed his chin and exhaled noisily as if not sure where to begin. Or maybe he was just trying to drive Travis f*cking insane. Either one could be the case.

Shane walked over to the bar and retrieved a beer from the refrigerator. “I got back from NYC about an hour ago. Cab dropped me off and there was already a few people gathered at the back of the hotel. Not as many though so I had a good view of things. The body belongs to Iris Perry. It looks like she might have fallen into the pool and drowned. Maybe accidentally. Or maybe not. They’ll know more after the autopsy.”