One Sizzling Touch
Page 21
“Guys, I’m really grateful.” Zach nodded at his friends. They’d often helped each other out in the past and he hoped that it would work again this time. “The quicker we get a handle on this, the better.”
Michael rose and walked to the wet bar. “And what are you doing in the meantime, Zach?” He reached for the whiskey bottle and poured himself a drink.
“I’m going to get to work on that pretty investigator.”
Michael whirled his head in Zach’s direction, just like the others did. “Pretty? They sent a woman to investigate you?”
Zach shrugged.
From his corner on the couch Xavier said, “You wouldn’t by any chance be planning to seduce the poor woman, would you? I’d strongly advise against that. It will only turn out badly.” He shook his head in disapproval. “If you’re trying to influence her, then you’re going to look even more suspicious.”
When Zach said nothing, but simply held Xavier’s gaze, his friend stared at him, horrified. “You’re an idiot, Zach.”
He already knew that, but he couldn’t go back now. What had happened, had happened. Besides, even if he could, he wouldn’t undo his night with Rochelle for anything.
11
The limousine slowed down.
“Left at the next corner,” Rochelle instructed the driver.
“The three-story brownstone?” he asked.
“Yes. You can let me out right here.”
“Wait, I’ll turn around so you won’t have to cross the street.”
“That’s really not necessary. It’s fine here.”
A moment later he stopped at the curb and she reached for the door handle. “Thank you.”
The chauffeur jumped out of the car, walking around it, but she’d already opened the door herself and got out.
“Good night, Miss Wright. I’ll wait here until you’re safely inside,” he said politely and closed the passenger door behind her, while Rochelle looked left and right and then crossed the narrow street.
She loved the East Village. Even though it was in the middle of Manhattan, it felt like being in a little village. Most apartment buildings had only two or three floors, and on the first floor of most houses, there were small shops. Sometimes the mish mash of boutiques, restaurants, and grocery stores made the area look a little grubby, but Rochelle found it charming. On top of that, the area was relatively safe, which couldn’t be said of all the neighborhoods in New York.
She briefly glanced over her shoulder and saw Henderson, Zach’s chauffeur, get back into the driver’s seat of the limo. Her hand was already in her handbag to reach for her keys, when she noticed that the front door to her apartment building was ajar. Annoyed, she shook her head. Some of her neighbors were truly careless and didn’t always pull the door shut behind them.
“Hey!”
The greeting made her whirl around and sent her pulse into the stratosphere. She let out a surprised gasp.
“Damn it, Steve! Do you want to give me a heart attack?”
“Sorry. But I’m glad you’re finally home. I’ve been waiting for quite a while.” He motioned to the other side of the street, where the limousine still waited, engine running. “Did you win the lottery or something?”
She ignored his question, because even her brother had to realize how ridiculous it was. “What do you want?” she asked instead, in a sharper tone of voice than she’d meant to use. She added, slightly softer, “I’m tired. I’ve had a long day.”
“Well, at least your job comes with some perks. Can’t be all that bad.”
Rochelle sucked in a breath of air and narrowed her eyes at her brother, annoyed by his comment. “If you’re here because you want money, then you could have saved us both the time.”
She turned to the door and pushed it open. In the foyer she marched toward the mailboxes. As expected, Steve followed her.
“I’m sorry if you’re not in a good mood. Did something happen at work?”
She glanced over her shoulder. Did he really think by pretending to be the concerned brother she would open her wallet for him? She didn’t want to fight with him, so she pushed back her retort.
“I’m just tired. Can we talk another day?”
She opened the mailbox, took out her mail, and shoved it into her handbag. She’d left her briefcase at the SEC office earlier, after meeting with Nicole and Antonio to discuss various points of the investigation, and before meeting Zach for dinner.
When she turned to the stairs, she felt Steve’s hand on her shoulder. Involuntarily, she looked back at him.
Michael rose and walked to the wet bar. “And what are you doing in the meantime, Zach?” He reached for the whiskey bottle and poured himself a drink.
“I’m going to get to work on that pretty investigator.”
Michael whirled his head in Zach’s direction, just like the others did. “Pretty? They sent a woman to investigate you?”
Zach shrugged.
From his corner on the couch Xavier said, “You wouldn’t by any chance be planning to seduce the poor woman, would you? I’d strongly advise against that. It will only turn out badly.” He shook his head in disapproval. “If you’re trying to influence her, then you’re going to look even more suspicious.”
When Zach said nothing, but simply held Xavier’s gaze, his friend stared at him, horrified. “You’re an idiot, Zach.”
He already knew that, but he couldn’t go back now. What had happened, had happened. Besides, even if he could, he wouldn’t undo his night with Rochelle for anything.
11
The limousine slowed down.
“Left at the next corner,” Rochelle instructed the driver.
“The three-story brownstone?” he asked.
“Yes. You can let me out right here.”
“Wait, I’ll turn around so you won’t have to cross the street.”
“That’s really not necessary. It’s fine here.”
A moment later he stopped at the curb and she reached for the door handle. “Thank you.”
The chauffeur jumped out of the car, walking around it, but she’d already opened the door herself and got out.
“Good night, Miss Wright. I’ll wait here until you’re safely inside,” he said politely and closed the passenger door behind her, while Rochelle looked left and right and then crossed the narrow street.
She loved the East Village. Even though it was in the middle of Manhattan, it felt like being in a little village. Most apartment buildings had only two or three floors, and on the first floor of most houses, there were small shops. Sometimes the mish mash of boutiques, restaurants, and grocery stores made the area look a little grubby, but Rochelle found it charming. On top of that, the area was relatively safe, which couldn’t be said of all the neighborhoods in New York.
She briefly glanced over her shoulder and saw Henderson, Zach’s chauffeur, get back into the driver’s seat of the limo. Her hand was already in her handbag to reach for her keys, when she noticed that the front door to her apartment building was ajar. Annoyed, she shook her head. Some of her neighbors were truly careless and didn’t always pull the door shut behind them.
“Hey!”
The greeting made her whirl around and sent her pulse into the stratosphere. She let out a surprised gasp.
“Damn it, Steve! Do you want to give me a heart attack?”
“Sorry. But I’m glad you’re finally home. I’ve been waiting for quite a while.” He motioned to the other side of the street, where the limousine still waited, engine running. “Did you win the lottery or something?”
She ignored his question, because even her brother had to realize how ridiculous it was. “What do you want?” she asked instead, in a sharper tone of voice than she’d meant to use. She added, slightly softer, “I’m tired. I’ve had a long day.”
“Well, at least your job comes with some perks. Can’t be all that bad.”
Rochelle sucked in a breath of air and narrowed her eyes at her brother, annoyed by his comment. “If you’re here because you want money, then you could have saved us both the time.”
She turned to the door and pushed it open. In the foyer she marched toward the mailboxes. As expected, Steve followed her.
“I’m sorry if you’re not in a good mood. Did something happen at work?”
She glanced over her shoulder. Did he really think by pretending to be the concerned brother she would open her wallet for him? She didn’t want to fight with him, so she pushed back her retort.
“I’m just tired. Can we talk another day?”
She opened the mailbox, took out her mail, and shoved it into her handbag. She’d left her briefcase at the SEC office earlier, after meeting with Nicole and Antonio to discuss various points of the investigation, and before meeting Zach for dinner.
When she turned to the stairs, she felt Steve’s hand on her shoulder. Involuntarily, she looked back at him.
