Page 48 of The Daredevil

She was a mistake that kept reappearing, and each time she morphed into a bigger problem for me. Even after I’d broken things off, she kept showing up to my work, waiting for me. She kept calling and emailing. Her obsession was frightening. I’d considered a restraining order, but those things didn’t work. A restraining order would only escalate the matter.

We make the perfect couple. You should give us a chance. Being with you was the best thing that’s happened to me. Don’t you feel our chemistry?

That had been her response every time after I ended the relationship. I remembered that day clearly. I had just gotten back from assisting some rafters who had gone overboard. People could have died at my resort on my first official day of taking over the business.

Years later, I’d bumped into Fiona a few times at galas, seen her with dates, and assumed things were fine, but then the emails started coming. Thank God she didn’t have my new private phone number.

I wished I could delete her like an old email or sever ties like a bad business transaction, but it was more complicated than that. Her father, Andrew Clark, was the CEO of Global Bank, the biggest funder for the Volcanic Sustainability Research Program. To ensure the program received funding, I forced myself to look the other way as long as she stayed on her turf.

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

ROYCE

When we madeit back to my apartment, I felt like a different person. Michelle went to shower in her private bathroom, and I strode into mine.

The event at NewYou Beauty Resort shifted Michelle and me to a different level. When we went therethis morning, Michelle was my friend, but she came home as my fake girlfriend. The falsehood seemed more real than any relationship I’d ever had. She ignited a thrill I’d been searching for, but I kept that thought to myself. I didn’t want to frighten her.

Something interesting was brewing between us. I sensed the charged energy thrumming whenever she was around me. There had been desire in her eyes, coupled with caution. I could understand her situation. We both had our reasons for this caution, which would make this relationship easy to end when the time came. Neither of us wanted more than to show the public we were together.

I owed her a favor, which she’d collect when she figured out what she wanted from me.

Why didn’t she get along with Fiona? What had happened between them? Was it a personality conflict? I had a feeling Fiona didn’t have a lot of friends unless those friends bent to her rules. Michelle wouldn’t do that. Audri and Kiera were her best friends, as close as I was to my boys. I could trust them. Fiona wasn’t the type to be trusted.

A thought occurred to me. Fiona also worked for NewYou Beauty, and Michelle had mentioned a difficult coworker. Could Fiona be the person who had tossed the rock into Michelle’s window? Had Fiona written that note, which wasn’t an outright threat but a catty comment?

If I were a detective, Fiona would fit the bill. When I had worked at the Whitewater Family Resort, she had left several notes on my car windshield asking me to call her or meet her for lunch. She stalked me for a while until I called the police on her. Her family had money and made everything go away. That was before I worked for the Volcanic Sustainability Research Program, which her father now funded.

Had Fiona developed a hatred toward Michelle because of me? Knowing Fiona, she probably researched Michelle and me and assumed we were together even though there hadn’t been anything between us until now. I picked up my phone and called my PI.

“Can you look into Fiona Clark? I want to know if she had searched Michelle Yates or me and if she was anywhere near Michelle’s apartment. I’ll send you the address.”

“Okay.”

I had to thank Remington for referring me to his PI and for allowing him to take on this extra job, as he worked exclusively for Remi.

“By the way, Einar Hallsson’s business is suffering, and he’s also going through a divorce. Other than that, he hasn’t been up to anything out of the ordinary. But I’ll keep looking just in case.”

“Thanks. Make Fiona Clark your priority.”

I had also been chatting with some associates, who confirmed Einar had cheated on his wife of ten years. People in stressful situations often committed unimaginable crimes. It was better to be thorough than to be sorry.

After a quick shower, I walked out to the kitchen and found Michelle on her hands and knees on my tiled floor, wiping something with a paper towel. She wore cotton pants and a T-shirt, nothing provocative. But damn, the way her body moved aroused the hell out of me.

Leaning on the wall, I folded my arms across my chest and enjoyed the spectacular view. If I were a decent man, I’d walk over to assist her. But at the moment, I preferred indecency because the seductive sight of her on my floor stirred up a slew of tempting images.

The way her ass shifted beckoned me, sending heat rushing through my body. I’d never been this turned on watching a woman clean my kitchen floor. She was the first woman to do so in my home, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else.

What would she look like if she wore lingerie while making me coffee or dinner? Though I’m not the breakfast kind of guy, I’d have her every morning.

Michelle shifted into a downward dog position, stretching out her back. Her perfect ass was in the air, calling me as she stretched out one leg and then the other.Fuuuck.If she kept that up, I’d slap her butt for provoking me. Then I’d take her on my kitchen floor.

“Are you going to help, or are you going to stand there and be creepy?” She straightened up, tossed the paper towel into the trash, washed her hands in the sink, and turned to meet my gaze.

Smiling, I pushed myself off the wall and walked up to her. Unable to resist, I cupped her face with both hands. “As your boyfriend, I have permission to be as ‘creepy’ as I want. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with admiring my girlfriend cleaning my kitchen floor. That was the hottest thing ever.” Then I kissed her lightly on the lips.

I figured since we were fake dating, I might as well take advantage of this and do all the things a boyfriend should do.

She made a face but didn’t prevent me from kissing her once more before releasing her.

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