Page 50 of The Undercover Cowboy

“I’ll take that,” he said, snatching it out of her hand and pocketing it in his pants.

“Maybe Hector Ortiz knows what this is all about.”

“Leave Hector alone. I’ll take care of it.”

“Do you think this is proof that Jaripeo is smuggling?”

“I think you need to stay out of this. If Blevins is smuggling things in from Mexico, I guarantee you it’s not tequila.”

Dolly was going to argue with him, but the sound of footsteps approaching down the hall made them both freeze. Her heart hammered in her chest as she recognized the voice of Debbi, Blevin’s secretary, chatting animatedly on the phone.

“Quick, in the closet,” Nash whispered.

Dolly shoved all the garbage back into the can and scurried to her feet. Nash pulled her into a small closet beside the bookshelves. They ducked inside and closed the door, just as Debbi entered the office, still absorbed in her conversation.

“Give me a sec,” Debbi said into the phone, oblivious that they were hiding mere feet away. “What a freakin’ mess it is in here. And I bet you can guess who has to clean it.”

Dolly and Nash exchanged a frustrated look as they squeezed themselves together in between a suit jacket and a beaded evening gown. What the actual hell was that for?

“I’ve got to check Jackson’s calendar. He forgot to sync the damned thing.”

Dolly peeked through the slats in the door and saw Debbi plunk herself into his desk chair.

“The drive,” Dolly whispered, barely breathing the word into Nash’s ear.

He moved his mouth, his lips brushing against her cheekbone, and he breathed back. “I’ve got it.”

Dolly sagged against him. Cramped in here together, it was hard to stand. She clung to him for support. Their closeproximity sent a jolt of awareness through her, but she pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.

“Got it,” Debbi said. “He wanted me to delete all this junk mail that came in today. I don’t know why that’s so damned important that he had to call me from the hospital to do it right now.” She leaned back and put her feet on the desk. “Yeah, I’ve got a few minutes. Spill the tea. No one is telling me anything.”

Dolly closed her eyes and resisted the urge to groan. This was going to take a while.

“The story I got was some thugs followed him in from the parking lot and robbed him.” There was a pause and then Debbi said, “I don’t know, but the FBI confiscated the security tapes so they’ll catch them.”

“FBI?” Dolly whispered.

Nash rolled his eyes and mouthed the word “later.”

The sound of their breathing filled the small space, mingling with the scent of his aftershave. Dolly could feel the heat emanating from Nash’s body, a steady warmth that both comforted and excited her.

Debbi’s side of the conversation carried snippets of gossip and office politics, but nothing that provided any insight into Jackson’s illicit activities.

OMG why won’t she shut up?

“One sec, I’ve got another call coming through,” Debbi said. “Yes, Mr. Blevins, I just received a call from our contact at the bank. They said the funds haven’t cleared yet, but should be available by tomorrow morning.”

Funds? What funds?

She and Nash exchanged a significant look. This could be the big break they were looking for. They should have hid in a closet a long time ago.

“Yes, sir, I understand. The money will be transferred to the offshore account as soon as it clears. No one will suspect a thing.I’ll delete everything as usual.” A few clicks of the keyboard later, Debbi said, “Okay, I’m back.”

After an eternity, Debbi wrapped up her conversation and left the office, closing the door behind her. They eased out of the closet and Dolly went to the door while Nash went to the desk.

“I think I can save the data she just tried to purge.”

Dolly’s legs were shaking with adrenaline as she glanced down the hallway. “The coast is clear.”

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