Page 116 of Worth Every Penny

“She’s still at home,” I say.

“What?” Matt yells. “You left her in the house when some strange man is visiting? Who is he? What do we know about him? This is a serious lapse in judgment from both of you. Fuck’s sake.”

“We couldn’t kidnap a three-year-old,” Seb explains. “She’s with her mum.”

“We don’t know anything about the man,” I say. “Other than where he lives and that he drives a van.”

“Find out about him before I get back. I’ll be there tomorrow. Early.”

He hangs up, leaving me and Seb blinking at one another.

Seb stands, digs his hands deep into his pockets and looks at his shoes. “I think that went quite well.”

“Absolute car crash.”

Seb meets my eye. “Yup.” He shrugs. “I’ll get Elliot Maxwell on the case. He’ll be able to turn up anything we need to know about the guy.”

“There is one more thing we know.” I lean back in my chair and put my hands behind my head.Casual. “Kate has a picture of his van on her phone.”

Seb’s expression shifts from amazed to smug in half a second, settling into a suggestive smile. “How do you know that?”

I give him my best ‘don’t dare insinuate anything’ glare. “Charlie told me he saw it.”

“Ah. Ask her about it then.” Seb’s eyes gleam with mischief as he scratches the back of his neck, like he’s pondering some new way of teasing me. Whatever he’s about to say is likely to be as irritating as fuck. “By the way,” he begins, his grin spreading wider with each word. “You should get someone in here to clean the windows. There are smudges over there that look a lot like you had a woman pressed up against the glass.”

35

KATE

It’s been a few days since the night in Nico’s office. I’ve barely seen him because he’s been so busy. I don’t know how he’s able to work, because I have little brain power left to think about anything other than him.

He messages every day, at least twice. Sometimes it’s as few words as ‘Morning, beautiful’, but even that coming from Nico is enough to make my stomach flip like a pancake.

Today he sent one saying,My apartment. Nine tonight.

He never asks… everything is a demand. Apart from that one question, the smallest chink in his armor:Do you want me?

Even recalling it now has my heart fluttering. As if there was ever any chance that I would have said no. But the fact that heasked…it’s enough to make a girl swoon, which is pretty much what I’ve been doing ever since.

“Hey, buddy.”

The speaker sounds so similar to Nico that I have to hold back from spinning in my desk chair and greeting him with a bursting smile. But I can’t feel Nico’s energy, or sense his presence. I’m so attuned to him, the fall of his footsteps, the unique quality ofhis voice, the words he chooses, that I know the man standing behind me isn’t Nico.

It’s close though.

I turn to find Seb Hawkston at the side of my desk. I’m about to query him calling me ‘buddy’, when Charlie’s clipped voice replies, “Uncle Seb. Am I staying with you again?”

Seb flashes a dashing smile. I can sense a slight movement around me, as if everyone in our vicinity is edging closer, just to be near him. Friendlier than Nico or Matt, but just as good looking, I can appreciate Seb’s appeal.

“Actually, yes.” Seb swings round, focusing on me rather than the teenager at the desk opposite. “Nico says he has some…thingsto take care of.” One of his eyebrows creeps upward. “Needs the space.”

My body inconveniently heats and I break eye contact. Fortunately, Charlie doesn’t notice.

“That flat is huge,” Charlie says. “I swear it has ten bedrooms. What does he need the space for? I’m not even very big. Tall, but skinny. My cubic volume is tiny.”

Seb snorts a laugh, then glances sideways at me. “Privacy.”

I can’t help but wonder if Nico has told his brother we’re sleeping together. I doubt it, especially after what he said about keeping things secret, but regardless, a fierce blush burns my cheeks. I duck my head, pretending to be focused on my computer screen. Spreadsheets have never been so interesting. Thankfully, my desk phone rings and I snatch it up. “Good morning, Kate Lansen speaking.”

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