Page 35 of Island Holiday

He squeezed her hand lightly. “Here, here? Or with Zimmer’s con?”

She shifted closer still, her knee pressing into his thigh. “Here,” she tapped a finger to his shoulder, “you’re seducing me.”

She didn’t sound too upset by the idea. “Am I?” He moved slowly and deliberately, drawing her back to rest against his body. He loved the shape of her, the way her soft curves fit against him. He adored the fragrance of her skin and the silky sound of her voice when she was completely relaxed.

“Yes.” But she didn’t resist or move away. She continued to melt into his support. “But we need to figure out Zimmer’s con.”

“We will.” He rubbed her shoulders, urging her to relax. Lost in her, in the moment, they both jumped when his cell phone blared from the coffee table.

She reached over and grabbed the device, handing it to him. The caller ID showed Logan Harris’s face. They’d worked together several times. “This is Brady. You’re on speaker.”

“Found your students.”

“Seriously?” Sonya sat up in a hurry. “Are they safe?”

Connor was more deliberate as he straightened. “What did you learn?”

“They told me they’re here for a special influencer training. Like a holiday bootcamp to start next year with a big push for a new cell phone app,” he reported. “All three of them are thrilled with the accommodations—all-expenses paid holiday fun.”

“And Zimmer?” Connor asked.

“We chatted for a while at the condo pool. Was hard to work him into the conversation without raising suspicions, but they said they meet with the project manager over Zoom each day. No in-person contact for a few days now.”

Sonya dashed off to her computer. Connor stifled a sigh. So much for the seduction—her mind was now elsewhere. He didn’tfault her dedication to the case. Hell, he usually shared that single-minded focus.

“Thanks, Logan. If anything changes, let us know.”

“You’ll be the first,” Logan replied. “Jess is heading up the surveillance team.”

“That’s great. Happy holidays.”

“To you too, man.”

The call ended and Connor pocketed the phone as he strolled into the kitchenette. It was his turn to provide sustenance while she searched for more incriminating evidence to put the proverbial nail in Zimmer’s coffin.

And hopefully drag Mertens down with him.

Chapter 12

The next morning overbreakfast, Sonya and Connor were discussing when and how they might get those young women away from the condo without alerting Zimmer. A chime sounded on her laptop and Sonya hustled over to the device. She swore when she opened the message. “Another charge on Zimmer’s card. What the hell?” she muttered. “He chartered a boat.” She glanced over to Connor who was at the kitchen counter, sipping coffee. “I knew there was more to his Brookwell visit.”

“That happens out here,” Connor jerked a thumb toward the window and their river view. “We are on the water.”

He looked too relaxed. As if spending the holidays holed up in a hotel suite with another researcher was normal.

She shouldn’t be annoyed over his apparent ease with the situation. She wasn’t, not really. She was more frustrated that merely looking at him made her want to forget her year-long pursuit of Mertens. Forget Zimmer’s sticky lies.

Working with Connor empowered her, yet being in the same room with him left her feeling weak. No, not weak. Unfocused. She wasn’t used to the persistent distraction of his masculine scent lingering in the air. And although they’d worked together, his voice sounded different when he was close.

The excuses about being a solitary person weren’t convincing anymore.

“Sonya?”

“Right.” She jerked her mind away from her infatuation. Three girls might well disappear forever if they didn’t dosomething. “Those condos have a dock. Do you think that’s how he’ll get them out?” Her stomach twisted into knots. “Could he be planning some kind of exchange out in open water?”

“It’s a logical solution.” Connor crossed to the table and his own laptop. “Give me the name of the charter company.”

She read it out to him and let him get to work. “Should I cancel it? Notify the authorities?”

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