Page 33 of Wicked Suspicion

“Doesn’t look like it.” He spoke even softer than she had. “Cheap stuff.”

Another kiss, this one at his temple. “Blind spots are near the door, window, and partial on the table, correct?”

For a moment, he paused. She’d nailed it. Maybe a geoarchaeologist would pick up on that. “Correct. Why?”

“Just wait.” He got another lingering kiss on his lips before she turned out of his arms.

Case stared after her and then shook his head and went over to join her. Shifting a chair so that he would have a view of both the library door and the window, he took a seat. It put him close enough to Nyx to feel her body heat. “What do you want me to do?”

She picked up a pile of papers a good two inches thick and put it down in front of him. “You can start with this stack. We’re looking for references to the treasure, the revolution, the Spanish viceroy, a ship called the Bonny Martha, its crew, La Convento de Madres Fieles, and the first mother superior at that convent, Mother Bonifacia Emilia.”

“That’s quite a list.”

Nyx smiled and Case felt it in his chest. “Tell me about it. Since we don’t know what we’re looking for, we have to cast a wide net. The time frame we’re interested in is 1820 to 1821, although Señor Vargas said all the papers are from that period.”

“Two years?”

“The treasure was stolen in 1820. The crew was hunted down and arrested, but the captain and his first mate escaped and were loose for a while. They were recaptured and executed in 1821. Anything in that window could hold a clue to where they hid their prize.”

“Got it.”

She knocked over a stack of papers, sending them all over the floor. Dozens of pages. “Oh, no!” Nyx dropped to the floor to start collecting them, half crawling under the table.

Case started to help her.

“It’s okay,” she said from underneath the table. “I have it. You can stay put.”

Then he got it. She’d told him to just wait. Just wait and he’d understand why she was asking about blind spots. Now he knew. Nyx had found something she didn’t want Vargas to have. “No,” he said, getting to his feet, and using his back to block the camera that would have the best chance at picking something up. “I want to help.”

“Really, I’m fine.” She made all kinds of noise as she scooped up papers.

Case realized she was trying to conceal her actions from the microphones as well and started talking, making it harder for their eavesdroppers to home in on what she was doing. “Well, if you’re sure you don’t need any help, I’ll stay out of your way. Be careful, though. Don’t hit your head on the table, especially when you crawl out. That box apron is longer than usual.”

“I’m being careful,” Nyx said as she scooted into the open. “I think I have everything.” She handed him a pile of papers and he took them before reaching out with his free hand to help her to her feet.

“You’re good?” he asked, wanting to know if she had what she wanted.

“Good. Let’s get back to work.”

Reading historical documents was as bad as Case feared. The ink had faded, the language was flowery, and the writing had a lot of swirls and curlicues. He’d rather deal with numbers than words any day of the week.

Nyx distracted him. What had she taken? Where had she hidden it?

He drifted from the documents to her. Even without makeup, her face was damn near flawless. The one thing keeping her from total perfection was a tiny birthmark on the left side of her chin. After another moment of consideration, Case decided it wasn’t a flaw after all. Not when it tempted him to kiss her on that spot.

It would be a quick jump from there to her lips. He dropped his gaze to the papers on the table in front of him. Fantasies about her mouth had gotten him in trouble since they’d met and he didn’t need to get hard now.

Case forced himself through a couple of pages, but it didn’t take long before he watched Nyx again. This time she caught him.

“Did you need something?”

She legit didn’t realize. “Just wondering about this research thing. You love it, huh?”

Her lips curved, and again Case felt it. “No, I don’t love it, but it’s necessary. Toughen up.” Nyx’s smile widened. “You’ll survive the boredom.”

“I don’t know. I could fall asleep, tip out of the chair, and hit my head.”

“Lucky for you that you’re so hardheaded.”

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