Page 47 of A Very Un-Shakespeare Romance
“I’d almost pay to see that,” Buck said with another strangled laugh. “All right, it sounds like your cover is progressing. Keep pulling. We’re going to untangle this case and put the Kellys down. This fire could be just the thing to push things over the edge.”
She pressed a hand to her now upset tummy. A fire during a busy business time was bad enough. Beyond the actual damage it would cause, the fear and intimidation would leave a scar. Next time, it might turn more personal. Would the Kellys go after one of Tara’s employees? Maybe one of Robbie’s other brothers? She’d pulled all of their driver’s licenses. Every last one of them was over six feet, looked Southie tough, and hadn’t smiled for his photo. She had to believe Robbie trusted his brothers to take care of themselves.
She gripped the towel on the towel rack, biting her lip. She wished she could ask Robbie if he knew about the fire and what his fellow cops were planning to do about it. His partner had to already know what was going on, right? So did Internal Affairs. Surely the Southie police would do more drive-bys at Tara’s other nail salons and hopefully some of her employees’ homes. The FBI couldn’t help without blowing their cover.
“Summer!”
Sheila’s shout brought her out of her reverie. “Coming!”
She tucked her phone out of sight since it was charged and tugged on her running shoes. Jogging down the stairs, she found Robbie in the kitchen alongside Billie. They were talking to Sheila, who stood at the stove.
Robbie’s demeanor was the same as earlier, so he hadn’t heard the news yet. He was wearing a T-shirt, evidently not planning on running bare chested. They were in sync on the no-inflaming moves memo. When she entered the kitchen, he immediately broke off what he was saying, his mouth tipping up to the right. Her insides fluttered over her queasy stomach.
Get back into your cover, Lily.
Shaking her hair back, she said, “Sorry for making you wait. I was tugging my shoes on when a friend called on her way to work. I was telling her how great the Outer Banks is. She’s so jealous.”
“Was it Amy?” Sheila asked, serving up scrambled eggs for two. “She texted me last night asking for photos. I fell asleep before I could text her back.”
“Yeah, it was Amy.” She sent her partner a wink—their agreed upon sign to tell her something importanthadhappened to delay her upstairs.
Sheila winked back to confirm she understood, her flirtatious smile remaining in place as she pushed a spatula at the eggs, Billie hovering close. “I’ll text her after I have breakfast with this hunk.”
Billie grinned when she reached over and gave his giant bicep a squeeze. “She’s a doll for feeding me.”
Robbie gave a dramatic eye roll. “Ready?”
She crossed to where he was standing, smiling. “Are you?”
His answer was a grin filled with challenge and heat. Her heart started tapping to its new Robbie cadence in her chest.
Remember why you’re here.
“Hey! Did you remember that you promised Reagan that I can show her how to surf today?” she asked.
His mouth worked like he was amused, and God, the way it highlighted the hardness of his jaw had her falling way too easily back into character. She could lap him up. Summer Sunshine could, that is.
“I did.” He inclined his chin to his brother. “Eat fast. Tim is alone with the Drool Baby and Miss Pixie. You know how Cassidy is in the morning.”
“Wild as a banshee.” Billie pointed to the door. “Run fast.”
Robbie’s jaw tightened as an uneasy silence descended in the kitchen. God, when two alpha males locked horns…
“Oh, don’t worry, Mom,” Billie practically huffed after a beat. “I’ll be back to babysit in no time. Maybe I can even convince our sweet little neighbor to join me.”
“We can dish up our eggs and head over there straightaway,” Sheila told him, patting his hand with an overbright smile.
Lily could see that Robbie was considering saying something, but she decided to head off an eruption between the brothers. They wanted things to stay harmonious. That kind of vibe led to double dates and frivolities. To saying more than was prudent. “Come on. The faster we run, the faster we get back. Unless you’re not up for the challenge.”
That statement had his fiery blue eyes meeting hers. “Oh, I’m up for it. Let’s go.”
She wiggled her fingers at Sheila, who wiggled hers back—God, she hated pretending to be a witless woman. Crossing the terrace, they walked in silence to the beach. She stretched her arms overhead on the way, gazing at Robbie surreptitiously. He was looking back at the house, his jaw tight.
“I’d understand if you don’t want to leave Tim alone,” she told him, bending at the waist to stretch her hamstrings.
He cracked his neck, a sound rife with tension, and started to stretch his own limbs. She had to look away as his muscles rippled from the motion, making her head turn fuzzy with instantaneous lust. So not part of her undercover packet.
“No, it should be fine.” Another crack sounded in his back as he gave a side stretch. “My mother used to say that if someone wasn’t screaming, there probably wasn’t blood on the floor. I don’t hear any screaming.”
