Chapter 7
The bathroom oasis was larger than my bedroom. Marble countertops and floors, a double sink, and the shower, which had six showerheads, was built for the size of an army. A girl could have all kinds of fun in that shower with the right partner. Testing that theory had merit once I’d taken care of business. Istripped out of my jeans and T-shirt, dropping them on the floor before steppingunder the warm cascade of water. The soothing spray eased the tension from my shoulders and wiped the jet lag from my body. I’dneeded the quick wake-me-up.I still had work to do.
When the sink faucet turned on, I grinned. It appeared Maxwell Pierce didn’t mind sharing the intimate space. “So, tell me what we need to do so I can get you back to working on my sister’s case.”
I washed the strawberryshampoo out of my hair before I answered him. “I have to findFillpot, take back the money he stole from the old folks, and then have him arrestedbeforehe can swindle again.”
“Is that all?” Max said as he chuckled.
I peeked out from behind the shower curtain and met his gaze in the mirror. “Yeah, it should be a piece of cake now thatI have his location.”
“You strike me as a woman that goes after what she wants.”
I closed the shower curtain and rubbed conditioner through my hair. “Life is too short not to do anything else. I’m not here to make friends, Counselor. Nothing in the world means more than my family; I’m sure you can appreciate that. So, somebody screws with them, they might as well be screwing with me, and that’s not a smart move.”
“That’s not exactly what I was talking about…” Max’s deep, seductivevoice trailed off before I heard the click of the bathroom door closing behind him.
It was tempting to play with Max. He was sexy and willing to go along with my plans. If we had time, I could have made it worth his while to uncover what I reallywanted.I finished my shower and changed into my clothes before stepping out of the bathroom.
Max was lounging shirtless on the bed, resting against the headboard reading something on his laptop. I walked over to suitcase and grabbed my socks and shoes and plopped on the bed to put them on.
“So, is that why you’re still single?”
Max glanced up at me. “What do you mean?”
“You’re sharing a room with a girl, you’re a sexy guy, and you have your laptop out. So, what are you looking at;porn or work? My guess is the latter.”
“If you were a normal woman, I had brought to the island to share my room, I would havejoined you in the shower and spent the rest of the night making love to you.” His lips twitched and gestured to the computer. “This is work. Similar to what you’re doing here. “Where are you going dressed like that?”
“Recon. I’m out of my element in a foreign place. I need to have a contingencyplan and away off the island. I need to get the lay of the land.”
Max moved his laptop and slid off the bed. “If security catches you dressed like a thief, they’ll want to detain you.”
I grinned up at him “I don’t get caught.”
Maxwell made a living being married to his job; he and I were similar in that aspect between that and our families. He’d sought me out for his family’s safety, for the reason that I was here on this island with him was for mine. I rose from the bed and met his gaze. “You’re a good-looking man, Max. I’d be opento you and me having a harmless, no-strings attached tryst.”
His gaze caressed my face, slowly traveling down to my lips. “I never mix work and pleasure. I always keep my eye on the endgame.”
My grin grew by the second. “I normally go by the same motto, but with you, tempting fate might be fun.”
I grabbed the file the receptionist had handed Max and dumped thecontents onto the desk. There were candid pictures of Fillpot, including the first one that had popped up on my radar. They must have found out who’d taken that picture. There were only two others. I glanced at the report with Fillpot’s purchases, which he’d charged to his room, including a list of all the hotel amenities he’d reserved for the next week. It laid everything out in black and white. Max’s employees had covered everything I might need. I picked up the key card and turnedto find Max standing right behind me, his breath only inches away.
“Did you find out who took the original picture that popped up online?” I asked.
“Not yet.” He sighed. “The other photos were taken by my staff at my request.”
“Smart thinking.” I smiled up at him.
His look turned serious. “If you get caught, tell them you’re with me.”
“I won’t get caught.” I held up the room key. “You don’t care if I take this with me, do you? If you do, I can always grab my lock-picking set.”
“You shouldn’t have told me that. I’m an attorney, Gwen.”
I patted his tanned, muscularchest, resisting the urge to trace his abs. A tingle of electricity sparked in my stomach as I detected a flicker of desire in his intense eyes. I moistened my lips and his gaze dropped to my mouth making me smile. “At least you’re not a cop or a fed.”
I left him standing there as I slid out thedoor into the night. I had work to do, and I was just getting started. If I had my way, I’d catch Fillpot out for an evening stroll and beat the information I wanted out of him. A girl could dream.
