Page 19 of Buck Baxter and the Mysteries of Love

I opened my mouth to finally unbottle my genie,to tell him about Bugsy, but as I did, he silenced me with a finger to my lips. “Sshh. I told you, I don’t wanna fight. Not tonight. I’m sorry all you see is Holden Hart when my father’s around. But never forget, when it’s just you and me, I’ll always be your Harry.”

With a naughty glint in his eye, he opened his robe, wrapped it around me and pressed his naked body against me, his hardening cock warm and beckoning against mine.

“Come back to bed,” he whispered in my ear.

With his body pressed against me, I felt safe.

I felt loved.

I felt like I had found the only family I needed, right here in my arms.

No, there would be no fighting tonight.

CHAPTER 10

I drew a deep breath.“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Harry was wearing only a towel as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, shaving. It was the next morning, and our lovemaking had managed to ease my troubled mind enough for me to get one or two hours’ sleep. But the moment I woke, I knew I had to tell Harry everything.

“What is it?” He stopped shaving and turned to face me, his handsome jaw half covered in white foam.

I felt exposed, and it had nothing to do with the fact that I was stark naked.

“I…” Hesitation took hold. I didn’t want to keep my secrets from him any longer. And yet, just as I tried to push the words from my lips, my brain chickened out and changed the subject. “I… I… I need to get access to your family mansion. I need to see if there are any clues that might help break this case.”

He nodded. “You think it’ll help? Of course it will. My mother could have a bundle of love letters hidden in the drawer of her writing desk. There could be anything that might confirm—”

“Actually, it’s not your mother’s desk I need to rummage through. It’s your father’s.”

Harry looked puzzled. “What’s my father got to do with any of this? It’s my mother who’s having the affair.”

I stepped forward. “Harry, do you trust me?” I didn’t know why the hell he should, given the information I was keeping from him.

He nodded again, not a doubt on his face. “Of course I do.”

“Then you need to believe me when I say, I think your father is up to something. I think your mother’s affair isn’t what it seems. I think your father is hatching some dicey plans, and I think he’s doing it with the help of his new German pals.”

Harry squinted, confused. “Wait, what do you mean? Dicey plans? Like what?”

“I have no idea, which is why I want to go through his den and see if I can find anything. When can we get into the house without either of your parents finding out?”

He plucked his towel off and wiped the foam from his face, his brow etched in worry as he said, “I know they’re both due to attend a breakfast at the Governor’s office. My father is presenting details of the railroad he’s built for theMillenium Express. He recently struck a deal with the Governor to cover half the costs of the rail construction. After that, I’m supposed to meet them for lunch at the Rainbow Palace. But that’s not until noon. There’s no reason we can’t go to the house right now.”

He moved quickly toward the bathroom door, but I caught him by the arm. “Harry, I only want you to get me inside the house. After that, you need to leave.”

“Why?”

“Because things could get dangerous.”

“Buck, this is my family we’re talking about. If they’re in danger, I need to protect them. I need to help you get to the bottom of this. You can’t stop me.”

CHAPTER 11

If a medieval castleand a fairy-tale palace had a love child, it would be the Hart mansion. The house and the grounds it sat on were larger and more palatial than I’d ever imagined.

“This is where you grew up?” I asked from the front door, gazing at the elaborate hedge maze, the tennis courts, and the swimming pool inspired by the fountains of Versailles.

“It wasn’t as fancy as this when I was a kid. My father has made a few changes in recent years.”

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