Read Online Flawed Perfection (An Eve Sumptor Novel) by Jourdyn Kelly - Free Book Online

damn doorbell.”
    “Calm down. I thought perhaps you and Adam may still be celebrating, so I was just being careful.”
    Eve couldn’t hold back the smile thinking of her night with Adam. She bumped Lainey’s shoulder. “You do realize we have a daughter, and Lexie is here, right? What would we possibly be doing?”
    Lainey caught Eve’s smile, and even though she felt the slight sting of jealousy, she was happy for them.
    “Actually, I forgot Lexie was going to be here.”
    “Oh? You must have had a good night, as well.” The smile Eve gave Lainey was wicked, and knowing. Lainey flushed slightly, because Eve was very right. Her night with Jack had been better than good. In fact, it had been amazing. She felt Eve’s hand take hers as Eve pulled her towards the kitchen. “Coffee?”
    Lainey cleared her throat—and, her mind of the night before—and grinned. “Yes, please.”
     

     
    “What will happen if they can’t find the paintings?” Lainey sipped coffee from her to-go mug. They pulled into the parking lot of Branson’s delivery warehouse, and Eve swung into a parking spot and cut the engine.
    “Insurance will get involved, and we’ll have a lengthy period in which they’ll investigate, try to devalue the paintings and then bitch and moan while writing out the check.”
    Lainey’s shoulders shook with silent laughter at Eve’s answer. It was a terrible situation, but she was glad Eve could find a little bit of humor.
    “You’re hoping they find them.” Of course she would rather have the paintings than the money. That was how Eve was. The money wasn’t worth as much as the art to her. Lainey knew that art may have been the one thing that saved Eve’s sanity, perhaps even her life, during that horrid time in her past.
    “Hmm. I’m not getting my hopes up. Those paintings could be halfway around the world by now.”
    Or, somewhere too close to home, Lainey thought silently. She still wasn’t convinced that this had nothing to do with Eve’s father. She had no idea how or why, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. It was ridiculous really. Tony was dead, and Eve didn’t think it was related. She just wished she could trust Eve’s instincts. Despite the warm spring air, Lainey shivered at the thought.
    “Cold?” Eve was at Lainey’s side then, and rubbed her hands down Lainey’s arms a couple of times to warm her up.
    “Not really. Someone walking over my grave, I guess.” Lainey’s mumbled reply was a bit distracted by the thoughts that came into her mind when Eve’s hands were on her. She shut it down, quickly, and smiled. “Let’s get this over with. The less time I have to spend near that man, the better.”
    Eve shook her head with a smile at Lainey’s back. Lainey had once been very timid, thinking she was just a boring old mom. After their affair, Lainey’s attitude changed completely. Even becoming quite bold, as Eve remembered affectionately. The new Lainey kept Eve on her toes every day. It was an adventure Eve enjoyed a lot.
     

     
    “Ms … er, Mrs. Riley! I told you I would contact you if I had any information!” Mr. Branson’s chubby face reddened with frustration.
    “I’m not very good at waiting, Mr. Branson. I would like to take a look around.”
    “Absolutely not! This is not a gallery.”
    “Clearly.” Eve scoffed. Her surroundings were deplorable to say the least. Thinking of precious art in the dingy, stuffy warehouse made her shudder. She was seriously considering opening her own distribution center just to cut Branson out. It was certainly something to evaluate, she thought as she deliberately walked past Branson.
    “You cannot go back there!” Branson positioned himself between Eve and the entrance to the expansive area holding paintings and sculptures encased in cloth or brown paper wrappings.
    “Watch me.”
    “Mrs. Riley, don’t you need a warrant or something to come crashing in here and searching my place of business?”
    “She’s not