Barefooted, I stepped out of my room into the quiet hallway. Before I could lose my nerve, I crossed the hall in one step but didn’t knock. My heart began its odd beating again. Perhaps waiting for the morning would be a better idea. What could he do with my new-found information in the middle of the night?
As I contemplated what to do, the door opened wide, and Andrew’s broad figure filled the frame. A well-after-five-o’clock stubble highlighted his sharp angles. He wore gray cotton pants and a cream shirt. The top four buttons of the shirt were undone, revealing some chest hair. My mouth went dry.
“Everything okay?” He leaned out, turning his head left and right.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I noticed a shadow lurking under the door.” His eyes perused from my face down to my breasts, lingering there a beat longer before meeting mine once again. Uh, yeah, no bra.
“I wasn’t lurking. I was standing and thinking.”
Andrew dropped his hand off the door. “Do you want to think in my room?”
With my heart boomeranging in my chest, I maneuvered around him. His bed was made, the overhead light was on, and the breeze from the open balcony door played with a sheer curtain. The lamp on a writing desk cast a bright light on his journal, the book, and the letters we’d found today.
Andrew closed the door and pressed his back against it, crossing his arms. “Are you here to help with the Arnold Cipher? William was right, by the way.”
“You were able to decipher the code?” I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I crossed my arms too.
“Yes. I used Jorge’s book.”
“And?”
“They planned to move the cargo to the palace when it was completed. I had no idea Augustine was building something like this.”
“By any chance, did they mention the location?”
“No. This is something we’ll have to figure out. And in the last letter, Augustine planned to visit his old ranch in March to see love birds. That’s all I got so far.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Love birds?”
He pressed his lips together and shrugged.
“Could they be talking about the palace in the sketch?”
“I’d assume.”
“So earlier, when you said Jorge returned from a cathedral-size construction, maybe that’s what they were building. And the complicated mechanism with pulleys and wheels could be a security system to store the treasure at the palace.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “Exactly my thought.”
I stayed calm but wanted to squeal, giddy with excitement. We’d made progress. The puzzle pieces we started with were connecting. I was sure some elements were still missing, but I had no doubt we would find them with time.
“So why were you in the hallway?” Andrew uncrossed his arms and slid his hands into his pants pockets. I’d gotten so wrapped up in his news I forgot why I was here in the first place.
“I also have something to share. If you hold the bracelet at a certain angle, it becomes a geographic layout.”
Andrew arched an eyebrow. “A map?”
“Yes. I’ll show you.” I approached him, raised my wrist, and slowly moved it. “Do you see it?”
“No.” He pushed off the door and narrowed his focus on the gold band. “We might have too much light.” Andrew’s hand found the switch on the wall and flipped it off, dowsing us into semi-darkness.
“Now?” I asked, peering at his face, which was somehow even more gorgeous in the dimness.
Andrew chuckled. “It’s too dark now. Let’s try it with the table lamp.”
We moved to the desk, and I had no doubt my t-shirt was turning transparent in this light. Andrew took my hand into his, the warmth of his touch fused with my skin. His gaze drifted to my breasts, and the heat spread all over my body. How much could he see? Did I want him to look? At that thought, my traitorous nipples turned painfully hard, making this situation even more awkward. Andrew cleared his throat and dragged his eyes to the bracelet.
