Page 44 of Love Over Time

My skin crawled at the thought of everything my uncle had done out of greed. I jerked to my feet, stuffed the will back into the inside pocket of the jacket, and hung it in the closet. I already had proof that Jonathan had stolen from me. No doubt Mom had left something in that security box that proved he had also killed his own brother.

When I reached the grand staircase, I stopped in my tracks—the Great Wall was gone.I couldn’t help but smile at Nikki’s antics—the thief who wore all her emotions on her sleeve. I sat at the bar in the lobby and waited for her, though it had already been the half hour she’d said it’d take her to get ready. I reached over the bar, grabbed a beer from the cooler, and froze. Nikki’s perfume infused the room, and my entire body stood at attention.

I turned to face her. We should’ve stayed in bed. My mouth went dry at the sight of her in that skin-tight white dress and all that hair draped over defined shoulders. She grinned at me and shook her head, as if she could read my thoughts. I glanced at my watch. I’d been waiting for her for almost an hour. Jesus, she was worth the wait.

“You look incredible.” I met her at the bottom of the stairs.

“Thanks, darling. I love going to the bank.” She laced her arms around my neck.

“No.” I gripped her wrists and brought them to my chest. “Please. No more Nikki Swift stunts. This isn’t a con. Mr. Paredes was a friend of Dad’s. We’re doing this my way.” I let go of her hands and crossed my arms over my chest. She pouted, doing her usual act. I cocked an eyebrow. “This Nikki stuff doesn’t work on me. You know that.”

“Your way takes too long.”

I reached for her waist and pulled her to me. “You didn’t seem to mind last night.”

She looked upward. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

“You kind of did.” I chuckled.

“Fine. But don’t you think for a second that this isn’t a con. We’re going to the bank with a stolen key to open a box that isn’t ours.” She headed for the door. “This is a con.”

I followed her, my eyes trained on her ass. I was going to a bank with a stolen key and an incredibly beautiful woman with a knack for thievery.My first con.“What’s with the huge purse? We’re not robbing the bank either.”

She glanced over her shoulder, an innocent smile on her face. “It matches the dress.”

“So what’s the plan?” Nikki asked when I opened the door to the bank. “I’m thinking something simple. Security is minimal, if not nonexistent.” She craned her neck to take in the room.

“Well, I was thinking we could talk to Mr. Paredes and ask him, very nicely, if we could please have access to my mom’s security box.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“Henry.” Bill, the security guard, greeted us. “Here to see Mr. Paredes again?”

“Yes. He’s expecting me.” I patted him on the shoulder.

“Go on in.” He grinned, tipping his head to Nikki. To the untrained eye, she was all hair and tight dress. But I could tell she’d already pegged him for an easy target. I shook my head, rubbing the stubble on my face. Life with Nikki would never be boring. Overnight, she had dissolved my fear of spending the rest of my days alone.

She took my arm, smiling. “Your way is so civilized. I like it. We even have an appointment.”

“Henry.” Mr. Paredes met us in the lobby and ushered us into his office. With his eyes on Nikki, he gestured for us to sit.

I took the seat he offered while Nikki snaked her hand around the crook of his elbow. “Darling, your office is incredible. Look at that view. I can see our hotel from here.” She winked at me.

Nikki couldn’t take no for an answer. What the hell was she up to?

“I’m so sorry.” She leaned on his chest for support. “You gentlemen have business, and here I am, babbling away, taking up your time.”

Mr. Paredes’ ears turned red, a dazed look about him. “Not at all. You know, I’m here so much, sometimes I forget to just take in the view.”

I sat back in my chair. Jesus, he was pathetic. How could he not see that it was all an act? I didn’t have time for Nikki’s games. “Were you able to find out if I’m on the authorized list for Mom’s security box?” Great. I forgot to say “please.”

“Henry. I hate to keep giving you bad news.” He sat in his chair while Nikki roamed the office. When she made her way back to the desk, she shuffled a few papers out of the way to get to a framed picture of his family. She smiled at it fondly, and Mr. Paredes stood a little taller.

“Darling. I told you it was unsavory to put Mr. Paredes in such an awkward position.” She turned to him. “Thank you so much for your time. Your view truly is spectacular.”

Mr. Paredes mumbled a few more apologies as Nikki escorted me out, closing the door behind her. She didn’t head for the exit. Instead, she dragged me down the corridor to the left of the tellers and pulled me into the women’s bathroom.

“What the fuck, Nikki?”

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