Their late lunch turned into supper. They’d spent most of the afternoon under the covers together. With the rain and the clouds, it had seemed like the best place to be. They’d made love, napped and had the most interesting discussion.
‘What do you have against umbrellas?’ Genieve asked as she followed Brody into the kitchen.
He sent her a look from the refrigerator. They’d showered together, and his hair was still damp. He’d put his jeans back on, but not much else. She liked how low they rode on his hips.
‘I don’t have anything against umbrellas. Why would I?’
‘I don’t know.’ She grasped the counter and hopped up onto it. The move pulled his Foo Fighters T-shirt tighter across her chest, and his gaze immediately zeroed in. She hadn’t put many clothes on either. She really hadn’t seen a reason for it. ‘That’s what you told me in your sleep.’
His head dropped, and his fingers drummed across the top of the refrigerator door. ‘Damn. That again?’
She grinned. She liked getting under his skin. ‘We had quite the conversation.’
He gave up and closed the refrigerator door. When he crossed his arms, he looked like he was bracing himself. ‘What did I say this time?’
‘Stupid umbrellas,’ she said with air quotes. ‘Naturally, I asked why they were stupid. You said they were never where you need them.’
He nodded. ‘OK.’
She tilted her head. ‘You know what that means.’
He stood, implacable. ‘No comment.’
Curiosity rose inside her. How did that make any sense? It hadn’t rained until today, and he hadn’t gone outside. ‘You also said we need to squash the bees.’
‘Bees?’
She shrugged. ‘Buzz, buzz.’
He glanced across the breakfast bar into the living room. He’d turned on the television with the remote as they’d passed through the room, and the evening news was in full swing. ‘Well, that one’s pretty clear.’
It took her a moment, but she caught on. ‘You can’t stop gossip, Brody.’
‘Watch me.’ He crossed the kitchen and braced his hands on the counter on either side of her. ‘I’ve been thinking we need to put that superpower of yours to use.’
‘Superpower?’ There was only one place she’d been told she had extraordinary skills, and it wasn’t the kitchen.
He tapped her forehead. ‘You said you can read people.’
She narrowed her eyes on him. No more parlour tricks. ‘I’m trying to delve into your brain right now.’
‘Trust me, you don’t want to go there.’ He nodded towards the television. Gunderson’s competitor was onscreen, complaining about how the senator was using the hotel break-in for sympathy votes.
Which he was…
‘Gunderson’s numbers keep going up, and Kevin Murphy is getting desperate. He’s looking for anything he can to stop the slide. We need to make sure we find out who gave TMI that anonymous tip before he does. Or any reporter on the story, for that matter.’
Even in his sleep, he was trying to control things. ‘Buzz, buzz?’
‘Exactly. You might think things have quieted down, being alone out here, but the story is still big with the press.’
‘Then they need to find another story.’
‘I’ve been looking for one to give them.’
‘Brody!’
He leaned in closer, his arms taking the weight. ‘So where do I go to plug that leak? Who do you think it was?’
Genieve pushed back her hair. She’d turned a blow dryer on it, but it was still damp. ‘Do you think I haven’t tried to figure that out?’
‘So try with me,’ he said softly. ‘Who has a thing against Gunderson?’
‘Nobody – and everybody.’ She rubbed her feet together. She was getting more and more uncomfortable talking about Samuel with him. That link was there between them, but every time it came up she could feel the friction. ‘He’s a nice man who plays the political game well. He never rocks the boat, and he doesn’t have any strong stances – yet that wishy-washiness frustrates some people.’
‘The two of you were at a political party gathering, right? Did he get into it with anyone? Did you get any bad vibes?’
‘I don’t remember anything unusual. It was just another of those boring dinners with dry chicken.’
‘But that event was on Samuel’s schedule. Anyone could have found out where he’d be. All they had to do was follow you to the hotel.’
True, but it had gone beyond that. Those TMI reporters had been told she was an escort, and Luxxor worked very hard to keep that information private. Genieve shivered at the implications. ‘Shouldn’t we be leaving this to Detective Morgan?’
Brody’s jaw stiffened. ‘I’m not trusting this to anyone else.’
She glanced towards the television. Samuel’s opponent was demanding that they get back to the matters important to voters and questioning whether Gunderson had even been injured. There was an angry look in the man’s eyes. Red colour slashed across his cheeks, and he hadn’t mastered the politician’s non-gesture. His finger jabs at the camera were pointed and fierce.
‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘He’s not going to quit digging.’
‘What about Luxxor? Who has it in for them?’
She flinched. That was a loaded question, but she knew why he was asking. ‘Nina’s looking into it, Brody.’
‘What about you? Any enemies?’ he asked, his voice going flat. For once, his expression didn’t fall into step. He couldn’t pretend to be so disconnected any more – and that lit a tiny spark inside her. ‘Or unhappy clients?’
OK, that made the spark flare in a totally different way.
‘Because they were turned down,’ he said quickly. ‘Or because you ended the contract sooner than they liked?’
Now she was the one who wasn’t comfortable in her own skin. She pressed her hand against his chest. ‘I can’t talk about this with you,’ she said quietly.
For so many reasons.
Looking back was making her more and more ill at ease. She was falling into their game of pretend as badly as he was. She didn’t want to think back to any time before him.
He didn’t let up. ‘Somebody out there didn’t like Gunderson being with you,’ he said, his voice like steel.
She looked into his eyes. ‘Other than you?’
The tension in the room rose. It was the truth. She waited for him to deny it, but he couldn’t. He’d hated her being with Gunderson.
‘Damn it, Jenny, I—’
He stopped and his head snapped around when the doorbell suddenly started singing. Genieve jumped in surprise. Brody quickly stepped between her and the window. His hands clamped onto her waist, and he put her on her feet. ‘Go,’ he said. ‘Hide. I’ll get rid of whoever it is.’
She scurried down the hallway, only the balls of her feet hitting the carpeting. She spun into the guest bedroom and hid behind the door. She left it open a crack so she could hear, but her breaths were too loud in her ears.
Who was it? In her time here, nobody had dropped by, not even a deliveryman. Come to think of it, the only time Brody’s phone rang, it seemed to be for business. She needed to get the boy out sometime, but that only left people she didn’t want to see. Like the press…or Samuel…or Detective Morgan…
She heard rapid knocking on the door. Whoever was out there was insistent. They wanted in.
* * *
Brody waited until Genieve was out of sight before he headed to the front door. It was so rarely used, the foyer felt foreign to him. The open, vaulted space let the knocking echo, and it was swiftly followed by the ring of the doorbell again.
Somebody wanted attention, but they hadn’t been invited. He checked for the baseball bat stowed in the corner behind the door before undoing the deadbolt. He opened the door and quickly stepped into the open space to block it. He knew how the slimy press machine worked.
‘Yeah?’ he barked.
‘I—’ The woman’s brown eyes widened, and her gaze travelled over his bare chest. ‘Wow.’
Brody realised he was still only in his jeans. His shoulders tightened. He was used to fighting his battles in a suit and tie, but, when you came onto a man’s home turf, you needed to expect anything. And he wasn’t leaving to go put on something more appropriate. There were two people at his door, a pretty woman with long brown hair and a guy who looked as if he was made from granite.
Brody honed in on the mean-looking dude. He didn’t see a camera, a tape recorder or even a pad and pencil, but that only made his antenna go up higher. Who were these two?
‘This is private property,’ he said coldly. ‘You need to go.’
The pretty woman snapped out of her reverie. She jumped when he closed the door in her face, but the mean guy behind her stopped it with a bar arm.
Brody locked eyes with him.
‘No, no,’ the woman squeaked. She pressed her back against her companion’s chest and smiled brightly. ‘I’m Rielle. From Luxxor? Nina sent me over with this.’
She held up a manila folder, and Brody stopped edging towards the ball bat. That didn’t mean he took his eyes off the man. He was still a threat.
Brody held out his hand. ‘Thanks. Tell Nina I’ll bring your copy back tomorrow.’
The woman snatched the folder back and held it to her chest. ‘Oh, no. I’m here to see Genieve, too.’
The smile on her face might look friendly to most people, but Brody felt the back of his neck prickle. Did the delivery girl have some game, too?
‘Rielle!’
He stiffened when he heard Genieve’s feet pattering against the hardwood flooring. He reached out to stop her, but she ducked under his arm. Before he could control the scene, the two women were bound together in a tight hug.
‘Genieve, we’ve been so worried about you.’
Brody wavered between a rock and a hard place. Finally he relented and opened the door to let their visitors in. ‘Come in. Quick, before anyone sees you.’
Apparently where the brunette went, so did the scary dude. Brody let him in too, but poked his head out the door. Dusk was on the horizon. Most of his neighbours were home for the night. Some were out walking their dogs and one little boy was squeezing out the last few minutes of bike-riding time. He didn’t see any reporters. He also didn’t see a car.
‘Where did you park?’ he asked.
‘At the park one block over,’ the man said. He sounded as dangerous as he looked – especially when he smirked. ‘This isn’t our first rodeo.’
‘I’m sorry,’ the woman with him said. ‘I’m Rielle. I work with Genieve, and this is…’
‘The Enforcer.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Darien,’ she hissed.
Genieve just laughed. Brody’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest when she walked over and hugged the guy. All she was wearing was a T-shirt.
‘Jenny,’ he said softly. He knew he couldn’t take him, but he’d try if he had to.
She looked over her shoulder in surprise, but then a devilish look came over her. ‘Don’t worry, Brody. Darien’s already taken.’
Going up on tiptoe, she planted a kiss on the man’s cheek. He let out a grunt of pain, and she pulled her hand away quickly. ‘I’m sorry. Did I get your stitches?’
He put his hand over the tender spot at his side. ‘Never let it be said I can’t handle a kiss from a beautiful woman.’
Genieve smiled.
‘This is Brody,’ she said as she came over and took his hand.
‘It’s nice to meet you,’ Rielle said.
Darien nodded. Brody returned the gesture, but he wasn’t comfortable. He didn’t like people in his private space, and he especially didn’t like drop-ins. The situation was way too exposing. Not only were he and Genieve not dressed for guests, he didn’t like strangers poking around his life.
Yet when he saw Darien wrap his arm around Rielle’s waist, he knew this wasn’t a matter of competition. It was a matter of protection.
He could appreciate that.
He closed the door and locked it.
‘Sorry to just pop in like this,’ Rielle said. ‘Nina wanted this contract signed as soon as possible, but…it looks like the two of you decided you don’t need it?’
Brody stiffened. Together, he and Genieve were wearing barely enough clothes for one. For someone who specialised in putting up fronts, the feeling of being exposed was intolerable. He didn’t like people analysing and judging, and, if tough guy Darien didn’t stop looking at Genieve’s legs, they were going to get into it.
Genieve glanced up at him, a hopeful look in her eyes, but then her lips flattened.
He’d missed something there.
‘We negotiated terms,’ she said crisply. ‘We just got started early.’
He struggled not to flinch. Was that how calmly they discussed these things? In the office, was it so orderly and matter-of-fact? They were talking about sex here. What he and Genieve had done all afternoon was nobody’s business but theirs.
Rielle shifted uncomfortably. ‘I tried to call, but nobody answered. I got nervous.’
‘Sorry,’ Genieve said. ‘I’m still not used to that phone. I tried to pick a ringtone, but I might have muted it. Or it might have fallen under the be – bureau.’
Brody said nothing. If the phone had rung, he hadn’t heard it. He didn’t even know if it had been in the room.
‘I could have dropped by the office for the contracts,’ he said. They were taking a chance coming here like this. He’d tucked Genieve away for a reason.
‘It’s not a problem,’ Darien said, once again looking like the Rock of Gibraltar. ‘Rielle wanted to check on how things were going.’
And make sure her friend was safe? Brody fumed. She was safe with him. He wasn’t as sure about her safety at Luxxor.
He held out his hand. ‘She’s good. We’ll sign now, and you can take Nina back her copy.’
‘Oh, Brody,’ Genieve said. ‘Do they have to go so soon?’
He looked into her crestfallen face. She had been going stir-crazy out here alone. He’d given her a backup phone, but it wasn’t the same – especially if her friends couldn’t get through.
Rielle gestured towards Darien. ‘It might have been presumptuous, but we brought food.’
The guy was carrying plastic bags. The scent of Chinese food wafted through the foyer. On cue, Genieve’s stomach let out a growl. She’d missed lunch because she’d been angry with him.
‘Please, Brody. Can they stay? I want to hear all the latest.’
He relented. When she looked at him like that, he couldn’t say no. He was a loner, but she needed to be social. Nina had warned him, and he could deal with her friends. Her work was becoming a more bitter pill to swallow.
‘It’s probably a good idea to get caught up.’ He pointed down the hallway. ‘The kitchen’s that way. Just give us a minute, and we’ll join you.’
The moment he got Genieve to the safety of the hallway, she bounced up and planted a hot kiss on his lips. ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me,’ he muttered. ‘Death by Chinese food would have been embarrassing.’
She laughed. ‘Darien’s not that bad.’
‘Just put on something modest,’ he said. Her friend might have the guy on a leash, but there was no need to put a steak in front of a wild dog.
Uneasy with strangers in his house, Brody quickly put on a white shirt and shoes. Not formal, but not as casual as he’d been with Genieve here alone. He was rolling up his sleeves when he passed the guest bedroom and heard female voices. Rielle had apparently joined Genieve for some girl chat, leaving him alone with…
Great. The Terminator.
Brody nodded as he stepped into the kitchen, and Darien jerked his chin up in response. Brody wanted this over and done as quickly as possible. He looked at the set-up. There was room for four at the kitchen table by the window, and, with food in boxes and Styrofoam containers, it seemed like the best option. The lower-key he kept this, the better.
He moved to the cupboard to get plates. ‘You work for Luxxor?’ he asked.
‘Nope.’ The man wasn’t forthcoming with his place of employment.
Brody nodded towards the spot where Darien was unconsciously rubbing his stomach. ‘Do you need some ice or something?’
He planted his hand on his hip. ‘I’m good.’
‘An injury?’
‘Got knifed.’
Brody’s head swung around. ‘You’re screwing with me.’
Darien shook his head slowly. ‘Someone came after Rielle. I wasn’t going to let that happen.’
Brody put the plates on the counter. ‘I get that.’
‘I thought you might.’ The man crossed his arms over his chest, and his biceps bulged. It wasn’t that he was overly big or bulked out. It was more about the way he held himself, and the way he watched everything as if he was always on guard or ready to strike. ‘I was sent here to make sure you’re treating Red right.’
Brody paused while getting the silverware out of the drawer.
‘Am I going to get stabbed again?’ Darien asked dryly.
‘You’re getting close.’
‘Good,’ the tough guy said. He broke rank and went to the table to unload the food from the bags.
Brody frowned.
‘I’d break your wrist before you could get close, but it’s the thought that counts.’ The man opened a container and peered inside. He put it at the seat next to him. ‘Genieve’s important to Rielle and the people at Luxxor. It’s good to know she’s important to you, too.’
Brody cleared his throat. ‘My client needs this swept under the rug. It only makes sense to give her a place to hide.’
Darien laughed. ‘Right. And you decided to tuck her into your bed for safekeeping.’
Brody went glacial. Friend or not, the guy needed to tread carefully when talking about Jenny. He might not be able to beat him in battle, but, with a name and not much more, he could find information to end him. ‘Watch it.’
Darien looked at him impassively. ‘You know, I heard you were a viper, but in this case I think that may be a good thing.’ He pointed a stern finger. ‘Just don’t fuck her over.’
Brody bristled, but heard the steady stream of female chatter coming down the hallway. ‘You take care of your girl, I’ll take care of mine.’
Darien nodded. ‘Fair deal.’
Rielle and Genieve walked into the room, and Brody’s gaze naturally honed in on the redhead. She was wearing the sundress she’d managed to save from the bread fiasco. It looked breezy and sexy on her. She was infused with energy, and the smile on her face made him ache. She’d given him that smile a time or two now, but he only now realised how much this situation had worn on her. She should be smiling like that all the time.
Her grin widened as she took a deep whiff of the food they’d set out. ‘Oh, that smells good. I’m so hungry.’
She tucked up against his side, and Brody draped his arm around her uncertainly. He supposed it was no secret. They’d been stripped down when their guests had arrived and they were bringing them a stinking sex contract, but still…he wasn’t used to such open and natural easiness around people. Or such trust.
He pulled out a chair for her while Darien passed a white box to Rielle. ‘Here’s your broccoli beef.’
‘Mmmm, thank you for bringing this,’ Genieve said.
‘I got orange chicken for you, but we weren’t sure what you like, Brody.’ Rielle smiled softly. ‘We brought an assortment.’
Brody decided he liked the pretty brunette. She was sweet, but there was an element of iron beneath it. She’d stood toe-to-toe with him at the door to get in to see her friend. ‘I’m not picky.’
They dished up an assortment of way too much food and sat down together.
‘How are things at the office?’ Genieve asked. ‘Are they quieting down?’
Rielle and Darien shared a look.
‘Um…no,’ her friend finally responded. ‘There were reporters staked out outside the building today.’
Brody went still. ‘Looking for Jenny?’
She nodded.
He’d known they’d be digging for more information. ‘How far did they get?’
‘The address,’ Darien said dryly. He took a drink of the iced tea Genieve had brought to the table. ‘The building is secure. They can’t get in, and nobody is talking to them.’
‘But they’re digging into Luxxor?’ Genieve asked.
‘Nina is dealing with it,’ Rielle said, patting her arm. ‘I think what they really want are pictures of you.’
‘You mean pictures of me crying,’ Genieve said with a roll of her eyes.
Brody’s jaw set. Those photographers were going to be waiting a long time. He wasn’t above much when it came to spinning a story his way, but he wouldn’t make her do that.
‘What about Luxxor’s computer systems?’ he asked. She’d been working on database information all afternoon.
‘Secure,’ Darien said.
There was no hint of doubt there. Brody looked at the man for a long moment, then decided to take him at his word.
Rielle patted her mouth with a napkin. ‘Nina was called down to the police station for questioning, but I think she nipped the investigation into Luxxor in the bud.’
‘Morgan?’ Brody and Genieve asked at the same time.
‘Cleared her.’ Darien and Rielle echoed each other, too. ‘And Luxxor.’
Concern still lined Rielle’s forehead. ‘But Nina needs to step carefully. That’s why she sent me over here.’
‘We weren’t followed,’ Darien said.
Genieve slumped back in her chair. ‘I thought things might be getting back to normal.’
Normal. Brody swirled his fork in his lo mein. He was going to have to change her definition of that. Life at Luxxor was not normal, even at the best of times.
He levelled a look on Darien. He had a sense that maybe he had access to information he himself hadn’t been able to get. ‘Has there been any progress on finding out who put in the anonymous tip to TMI?’
‘Morgan is working on it. He’s like a bulldog. He won’t give up until he knows who did it – and why.’
Rielle shrugged. ‘Well, it does involve Nina.’
Yes, but it also involved Genieve, and Brody didn’t want the detective finding out about her line of work. That solution wasn’t a solution for them at all.
‘Gunderson seems to be coming out of it smelling like a rose,’ Darien said. He lifted an eyebrow. ‘How does that work?’
Not well, and it was getting clunkier all the time. Brody pushed his food around his plate. He worked for Gunderson, but he wanted to protect Genieve. The two goals didn’t always converge.
‘It’s my job,’ he said flatly. He dropped his fork and sat back. Genieve looked at him worriedly, but he patted his full stomach. He wasn’t going to ruin her evening for her. ‘That hit the spot. Thank you.’
‘Mmm, so good,’ Genieve agreed as she snagged another egg roll.
Rielle nudged Darien. ‘I told you so.’
She stood up to clear plates and between the four of them the cleanup was quickly handled.
‘Well, I suppose we should get down to the matter of business.’ Rielle said the words crisply, but her expression had turned uncomfortable.
Brody watched her steadily, not giving an inch. It made him feel better that not everyone at Luxxor took this so casually.
‘Let’s go to the living room,’ Genieve said. She sent him the evil eye as she grabbed her drink and breezed on by.
They gathered before the fireplace. Brody took a seat next to Genieve on the sofa and watched as Darien and Rielle settled into the easy chairs across the coffee table. The tough guy had quieted down again and, from being the energy in the space, had gone back into protector mode.
Brody didn’t like all the watchful eyes. This was something personal that he and Genieve had already worked out together, but he wasn’t backing down. Not with reporters swimming around DC like sharks, looking for her. He needed to keep her here, safe and sound. If he had to pay to do it, he would.
‘Where do I sign?’ he asked.
‘Not so fast.’ Rielle pulled two copies of the contract out of the envelope and put them on the table. ‘This has our standard terms of payment, liability and confidentiality. Please read that last part carefully. You’re bound to disavow any knowledge of Luxxor, its employees or its line of work.’
Brody nodded. There better be a confidentiality clause. He wasn’t planning on going from the frying pan into the fire. He read through the agreement carefully, but frowned when Genieve just turned through the pages. How many of these had she signed? His shoulders stiffened until his neck pulled, but he got through the verbiage. It was pretty standard contract fare, but airtight in the places he needed it to be.
Rielle tucked her hair behind her ear with an unsteady hand. ‘Nina said the two of you would work out the…uh…scope?’
The kink in Brody’s neck twinged, but Genieve just pointed at the notebook still on the coffee table. He flipped through the pages and tore out the one they’d negotiated. He grabbed a pen to write down the addenda and stared at the list hard.
‘What was that last condition you added?’ he said quietly to her.
Her green eyes flashed dangerously. ‘No mention of my job.’
Right. That mistake that had nearly gotten him banned to the couch for the night. After the afternoon they’d spent together, he hoped that wasn’t still in force.
He showed her the list. He couldn’t remember any more.
She skimmed it slowly, showing more interest. It assuaged some of his irritation with the whole process. This wasn’t standard practice. He didn’t care how they acted.
She nodded and he got up. ‘Let me make a copy of this.’
He went to his office alone and stood over the copier, wanting to punch it as it spewed out the guidelines for their personal relationship. This wasn’t what he’d wanted at all – but he had to take what he could get. Without a Luxxor contract, he would never have met her in the first place. He reined himself back in before rejoining the others in the living room. He put the papers face-down on the table and returned to his seat.
‘OK,’ Rielle said with relief. ‘I guess the only thing left is time frame? I left that blank, because I didn’t know what you were thinking.’
Thinking? He hadn’t been thinking. He’d been playing catchup on this whole thing ever since he’d received that call from Genieve in the middle of the night. A scandal wasn’t something even he could plan for. He’d been spinning things as he went along, but now they wanted to know when it would end. The most important thing was to keep her protected. You didn’t put a time frame on that.
He looked at her hard. ‘That’s up to you.’
He was bastard enough to feel better when she shifted uncomfortably.
‘Open-ended until one of us decides to terminate?’ she said.
‘So an ongoing arrangement?’ Rielle suggested.
‘Done,’ Brody said.
Rielle jotted down the agreement and, finally, leaned forward with two pens. ‘If you’ll both sign each copy?’
Brody signed fast. He just wanted this over. The contract was a necessary evil. He dealt with those every day, but this one’s bite had a lot more venom.
Genieve took more time. She wiggled the pen and ran her finger down the contract, line by line. Brody frowned and rubbed her back. Was she having second thoughts? She was the one who’d pushed things to another level.
‘If you don’t want to, that’s OK,’ he said softly.
She let out a breath and leaned forward. The papers soon had her signature right beside his. Brody felt her hand slide into his and he gave it a squeeze.
Rielle gathered up Luxxor’s copy and tucked it into her envelope. She sealed the end and then looked at them, watery-eyed. ‘I don’t know if you two can see it, but you’re good for each other.’
‘Don’t screw it up,’ Darien said bluntly.
The visitors looked at each other. ‘I guess we’ll be going.’
‘Oh, no. Not yet.’ Genieve scooted forward on the sofa. ‘It’s still early. Stay.’
Darien lifted an eyebrow. ‘Sure we won’t cramp your style?’
Brody nearly growled at him, but he saw the look in the other man’s eye. He wasn’t being tactless. He knew this hadn’t been easy for either of them.
Brody let out a breath and squeezed Genieve’s hand again. Whatever she wanted was fine by him. ‘What were you thinking?’
She rubbed her chin as if deep in thought. ‘We could play darts.’
‘Darts?’ Darien said in surprise.
A happy smile spread on her face. ‘Brody’s been teaching me.’
An unexpected laugh escaped Brody, but he quickly covered it with a cough. The little con artist.
She patted him on the back. ‘OK?’
‘Sure. Darts it is.’ He looked at Darien and deadpanned. ‘She needs the practice.’