intruder? No way. “I’ve startedthis. I’ll finish it.”
She spent the next half hour at the computer with zero luck. Everything was password protected, and her attempts at guessing his were futile. Finally she gave up and went to help Remy search for a safe.
She followed him from room to room, watched his muscles flex as he moved huge pieces of art and scooted furniture around as if they were kids’ blocks. His strengthwas as amazing as his determination.
Finally she went off on her own, stopping at the door to Lee’s bedroom. She stared at the king-size bed. If she had given in to Lee’s pleas, they would have been lovers in that bed. Between those very sheets. Her stomach churned.
She was about to back away when she noticed something odd about the fireplace. She walked over for a closer look. Not onlywas it a fake structure, but it held gas logs that looked as if they’d never been burned.
The whole setup lacked the elegance of the rest of the room. She doubted his designer had had a say in installing it.
“Come in here a minute,” she called. “I think I may have found something.”
Hesitant to hope for too much, she tried to ignore her skyrocketing pulse as Remy scrutinized thefireplace and even the logs. Finally he located a control knob attached to one of the fake logs.
One turn and the fireplace swiveled, revealing a metal safe big enough for a baby to crawl into.
Nicole gave a whoop and then quickly slapped her hand over her mouth in horror that she’d been so noisy. “We did it,” she whispered.
“Not quite,” Remy said. “We still have to get this babyopen.”
“You have tools.”
“But this isn’t a cheap safe. My tools may be no match for this lock.”
She chewed her fingernails and prayed as he worked. The combination lock didn’t budge.
The clock in the hall chimed five times.
“Okay, Nicole. If you won’t leave, I need you to stand guard at the front window and watch for Lee to return. If you see him drive up, call to me andthen run like hell. Go out the back door and out the back gate and I’ll meet you at the truck.”
“And if you don’t?”
“I will. I promise, I’ll be right behind you. Please don’t argue with me this time, Nicole. There’s no time to waste.”
And then he kissed her quick but hard on the mouth. She dissolved in heat and need and hunger for him, stronger than she could remember ever havingfelt before.
This had to work. They had to get out of here safely. If Remy ended up in jail or worse because of her idea to come here, she’d never forgive herself.
The minutes dragged by as she waited for Remy and watched for Lee.
She recognized Lee’s car even before it turned in the driveway. Terror gripped her, and instead of running to the back door, she ran to the bedroom.
“Lee’s home. Let’s go.”
Remy was squatted on his haunches, rummaging through an open safe.
“We may have hit pay dirt.” He held up a DVD and then quickly slipped it into an inside pocket of his windbreaker.
“Great, now let’s go.”
“Right behind you,” he said, scooping up more contents. “Just have to close the safe and move everything back in place.”
“There’s no time.”
“Okay.” He stood and gave her a gentle shove toward the door. “Move it. I’m right behind you.”
The clattering grind of the garage door’s motor started just as she made it to the back door. She didn’t slow down until she reached the gate in the privacy fence.
She looked back. Remy was nowhere in sight.
Chapter Nine
Nicole closed the gate and leaned against it. Anxiety clawed at her control. Remy had said he’d be right behind her. So where was he?
Had he gone back for something? Was he facing Lee and a police-issued pistol right now? Had Remy lied about being unarmed and stayed behind to lure Lee into a showdown?
If someone gets shot, please don’t let it be Remy.
Her worries were all for him. How could that possibly be when he was more phantom than
She spent the next half hour at the computer with zero luck. Everything was password protected, and her attempts at guessing his were futile. Finally she gave up and went to help Remy search for a safe.
She followed him from room to room, watched his muscles flex as he moved huge pieces of art and scooted furniture around as if they were kids’ blocks. His strengthwas as amazing as his determination.
Finally she went off on her own, stopping at the door to Lee’s bedroom. She stared at the king-size bed. If she had given in to Lee’s pleas, they would have been lovers in that bed. Between those very sheets. Her stomach churned.
She was about to back away when she noticed something odd about the fireplace. She walked over for a closer look. Not onlywas it a fake structure, but it held gas logs that looked as if they’d never been burned.
The whole setup lacked the elegance of the rest of the room. She doubted his designer had had a say in installing it.
“Come in here a minute,” she called. “I think I may have found something.”
Hesitant to hope for too much, she tried to ignore her skyrocketing pulse as Remy scrutinized thefireplace and even the logs. Finally he located a control knob attached to one of the fake logs.
One turn and the fireplace swiveled, revealing a metal safe big enough for a baby to crawl into.
Nicole gave a whoop and then quickly slapped her hand over her mouth in horror that she’d been so noisy. “We did it,” she whispered.
“Not quite,” Remy said. “We still have to get this babyopen.”
“You have tools.”
“But this isn’t a cheap safe. My tools may be no match for this lock.”
She chewed her fingernails and prayed as he worked. The combination lock didn’t budge.
The clock in the hall chimed five times.
“Okay, Nicole. If you won’t leave, I need you to stand guard at the front window and watch for Lee to return. If you see him drive up, call to me andthen run like hell. Go out the back door and out the back gate and I’ll meet you at the truck.”
“And if you don’t?”
“I will. I promise, I’ll be right behind you. Please don’t argue with me this time, Nicole. There’s no time to waste.”
And then he kissed her quick but hard on the mouth. She dissolved in heat and need and hunger for him, stronger than she could remember ever havingfelt before.
This had to work. They had to get out of here safely. If Remy ended up in jail or worse because of her idea to come here, she’d never forgive herself.
The minutes dragged by as she waited for Remy and watched for Lee.
She recognized Lee’s car even before it turned in the driveway. Terror gripped her, and instead of running to the back door, she ran to the bedroom.
“Lee’s home. Let’s go.”
Remy was squatted on his haunches, rummaging through an open safe.
“We may have hit pay dirt.” He held up a DVD and then quickly slipped it into an inside pocket of his windbreaker.
“Great, now let’s go.”
“Right behind you,” he said, scooping up more contents. “Just have to close the safe and move everything back in place.”
“There’s no time.”
“Okay.” He stood and gave her a gentle shove toward the door. “Move it. I’m right behind you.”
The clattering grind of the garage door’s motor started just as she made it to the back door. She didn’t slow down until she reached the gate in the privacy fence.
She looked back. Remy was nowhere in sight.
Chapter Nine
Nicole closed the gate and leaned against it. Anxiety clawed at her control. Remy had said he’d be right behind her. So where was he?
Had he gone back for something? Was he facing Lee and a police-issued pistol right now? Had Remy lied about being unarmed and stayed behind to lure Lee into a showdown?
If someone gets shot, please don’t let it be Remy.
Her worries were all for him. How could that possibly be when he was more phantom than
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