Page 101 of Possession

“That’s not all.” I strode away from her and moved to the coffee table. Grace had stacked magazines there and right away, I’d noticed the one on top wasn’t the same as this morning when we’d left. “Architectural Digestis missing.”

After setting down the notepad, she crossed to me and grabbed the stack, checking them herself as I’d known she would do. “You don’t even read these,” she said finally. “How can you know if one of them is missing?”

“Easily enough. AD had a feature on me this month. I’d forgotten until I saw the mention on the bottom of the cover.”

She flushed. “I hadn’t gotten a chance to read that one yet. Normally, I would have, but?—”

I waved it off. I certainly wasn’t the sort who needed stroking from my lover. Not that kind, anyway. “Point is, I saw it on top this morning. Now it’s gone.”

“But why? Why would someone sneak in here to mess around with your notepad and to steal a cheap magazine?”

“Hardly cheap.” I sniffed. “I’m not profiled in cheap publications.”

She rolled her eyes. “You get my point, Moneybags. I’m just saying that they aren’t the usual items for a break-in.” Her gaze sharpened as she glanced around the room. “What else? There has to be more. You checked out the whole house.”

“A few minor things. The phone in the master bedroom was moved. A pillow askew. Nothing that would immediately arouse suspicion. I also have cameras, Grace.” I didn’t want to scare her more than I had to. “But there’s no one in the feed. Just a brief shadow. I’ll look over the footage and see if I can find any other clues.”

“You’ll figure it out.” She returned her focus to my face, and for once, something other than derision, amusement or lust transformed her finely boned features. If I wasn’t mistaken, this time it was closer to... admiration. “Clearly, they underestimated you, Blake Carson.”

“Not the first,” I said quietly, stepping to her and giving in to the urge to clasp her elbows to haul her close.

It wasn’t the time for this. It never was. Everything between us had been inappropriate from day one, all the way back to when I’d had a secret crush on a girl barely more than a child. Now she was my employee and lived in my house and slept in my bed and I still couldn’t stop crossing every line that separated us.

Soon, there wouldn’t be any left that I hadn’t breached.

“Blake,” she said again, her voice huskier. “Shouldn’t we call the police? Or...or someone?” she pressed when I made a dubious sound in my throat. “You can’t just ignore this.”

“No. I can’t. And believe me, I won’t.” I gentled my grip, circling my thumb along her inner arm. Even through her coat, I knew she could feel my touch. She was trembling, and it wasn’t just because our home—myhome—had been invaded.

Again.

“I’ll up my security.” I’d be talking to Chapel—tomorrow.

There was no toning down my fury, because how many times had I done this? Made concessions to block out those who chose to betray us. And I was becoming increasingly certain that these weren’t distant enemies. This might not be a personal enmity, but itwaspersonal. The people involved were closer than we thought, and they were taking advantage while I was standing here like a moron making googly-eyes at my assistant.

“Let’s call Jack,” she suggested, and that only made me turn away to rake a hand through my hair. Jesus, could I even trust my best friend?

Wasanyonesafe?

She headed back into the foyer to snatch her purse and pull out her phone. I was at her side in three strides to grab it. “No. Let’s just think for a few minutes.”

“Iamthinking, thank you very much, and I know we need to bring someone else in on this. He’s already involved, and he’s the closest to you?—”

“No, he’s not.” I snagged her hand and pulled her against me. “You’re the closest to me, and you keep asking me to take risks with your safety.”

She sighed. “God, not this again.”

I pressed a hard kiss against her forehead. “Tell me why I shouldn’t just book you on a first-class flight out of here to the farthest, most exclusive corner of the earth, where no one can find you and touch you.”

Not even me.

She drew back, her brows pinched low over her eyes. “I’m not going to go into shrew mode because I know you’re worried. That’s why you’re acting like I’m a brainless twit who is incapable of making her own decisions. Not because you, you know, actuallythinkI’m a brainless twit who just happens to be really good in the sack.”

My lips twitched despite the situation. “I don’t recall commenting on your skills there.”

She shrugged. “Hello, given.”

The doorbell rang and I reached for her without thought, pushing her behind me.

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