If you thinkI’m bored out of my mind, you’re wrong. Honest to God, I don’t remember the last time I sat at home and did this on a Saturday night. In my role as C.F.O. of Adler Technologies, I’m often required to attend dinners, fundraisers, and other tedious events. One point that Willa made earlier is absolutely true, I don’t sit at home and spend an evening like this often enough. My brain and my body need some downtime. My work as part of the ownership team for the Hawks coupled with my full-time job at my parents’ company is taking a toll.
“So? Have you figured out who done it?” They’ve just discovered a body that had been buried in the garden years prior. I have an idea who’s behind it all, but if I’m wrong, she may laugh at me or worse, toss me out onto the street.
I’m willing to take a chance. “What do I get if I’m right?” I arch my brow. Petting Barney who has warmed up to me considerably during this visit, I wait. “You already have the answer, right?”
“Yes.” She pauses. “What do you get?” Willa looks up, giving this some real thought. “I suppose you’ll get the satisfaction knowing you solved the crime.”
“No. I mean… what do Iget? I’d like something tangible.”
“Tangible?” She glances around her room. “I don’t have anything to give you that’d you want, anyway.”
“That’s not true.”
“Oh?” She looks nervous. “What do you want?”
I hope she doesn’t run off when I ask for this. I’m going for it. “A kiss.”
“A kiss?” Her voice cracks. “From me?”
“No.” I chuckle. “From Barney.” Barney’s growl sounds right along with his purrs. “Yes. From you. A real one.”
“You want a real kiss? From me?”
I’ve wanted that the first day I met her. “I do.”
Pushing her shoulders back, I can see what she’s doing. She’s preparing for my solution to the crime. My incorrect guess.
“Fine.” She sighs. “Who do you think did it?”
I lean in closer. “The brother did it.”
My pretty girl gasps. “How did you know?” She places her hands on her waist, looking rather defiant. It’s fucking sexy as hell. “Hudson Adler. Have you seen this before?”
“Nope.”
I get her pretty scowl next. “Read the book?”
“Never.”
“Then how?”
“Instinct. He seems sketchy to me. Every answer he gives is a bit too perfect. Like how he talks about her father. He’s lying.”
“I c-can’t believe you figured it out. My dad couldn’t even get this one.”
“I’m sure your dad was a genius at these things, but I’m good at reading people.” I lean in closer. “Take you, for example.”
“Me?” There’s that cute little squeak again.
“Yes, you, Willa Clariday.”
“What do you think you can tell–about me?”
I scoot a little closer, to the center of the sofa. I raise my hand to touch her smooth as silk cheek. “You want to kiss me too?”
“No.” She shakes her head back and forth slightly.
“Yes. I know this because, my beautiful girl, the closer I get, the more dilated those golden-brown eyes of yours get.” Willa quickly shuts those eyes. She can’t keep them like that. “So, admit it, sweet Willa. You want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you.”
