Page 15 of Colton's Secret Weapon
Spending time alone with Dove in the quiet of her studio was not an easy thing. Mitchell found himself almost thankful for the smells of rotten food that permeated the areas he was working on—anything to keep his feet, and thoughts, firmly planted rather than flying around among the clouds painted on a back wall. Or falling into the trance the music Dove had playing was trying to suck him into.
Shame on her for that one. Trying to manipulate him into…what?
Helping her? She already believed he was on board to do that.
To…desiringher? No music needed for that one. The clothes had it covered.
And she hadn’t given any hint of coming on to him. Or even noticing that he was male. He was a lawyer. He was help that she needed to save a business. Not a sexual being.
On his hands and knees, he was halfway across the floor when he heard what sounded like a cow mooing. He glanced over to see Dove standing near the end of the wall of cupboards she’d been cleaning, staring at her phone.
She had a moo as a ringtone? A new thing. He certainly hadn’t heard the sound in her father’s office the day before.
But then, she’d had a call. It appeared that whoever was currently communicating with her had texted.
Getting back to his work on the floor, Mitchell cut off all thoughts of Dove St. James. Whoever she talked to was no business of his.
Her feet walking on his clean floor, heading toward him, was. He looked up as she reached him, saw her handing her cell out to him.
He took it. Glanced at the screen, and then, recognizing the number, gave it his full attention. Switching immediately into work mode, he stood. “Fletcher dropped his offer by ten thousand overnight,” he said aloud what she already knew, while his mind drew the obvious conclusion from the maneuver. The shady businessman was upping the pressure he was putting on Dove. Severely.
A person generally only did that when they believed they had someone over a barrel. When their target was running scared and ready to respond to being squeezed.
Pulling his own phone out of his pocket, Mitchell called Eli. Just like his older brother called him anytime he needed lawyerly advice for a case.
The call was short. Succinct. One sentence from him. And one back. Mitchell had eyes on Dove the entire time. The white lines around her lips, the stark glint replacing the usual warmth in her eyes held him there. As though, by a phone call, he could assure her that she’d have no reason to fear.
And that it was his job to do so.
Neither impression was valid.
“What did he say?” she asked as soon as he lowered his phone from his ear.
Mitchell paused, choosing his words carefully, as was his way, and Dove said, “He said something you didn’t like.”
She was right about that last part. Which anyone watching him closely could have discerned. That didnotmean she had any special powers enabling her to read people.
Him in particular.
“Your face got stern,” she said, helping him along.
“Brad Fletcher has no alibi during the hours this place was vandalized.” He gave her a longer version than Eli had delivered. “He says he was out fishing. Alone. A team has been assigned to keep eyes on him.”
Her cheeks paled as her eyes continued to seek something from his that he knew he didn’t have to give. For a split second there, he almost wished his did.
Until she said, “We have to get to my dad.”
We.NotI.
Blockades shot up inside him. Even as warmth oozed between them at the familiarity. At being considered a part of something that meant so much to someone.
He shook the thought away.
Because she was right. Whaler needed to know what was going on, to protect himself if nothing else, and the lawyer he’d thought he’d just hired was the proper man for that job.
Not the daughter with whom he had emotional investment and who might try to soften the blow.
“I’ll drive,” he told her, dropping his cleaning supplies on the counter and heading toward the door. He waited until she’d collected her purse and joined him and then, with a hand at her back, and eyes taking in everything around them, he escorted her out to his car.
