“That must be your dad’s.”
“Yes, it’s his. The smell brings back so many memories.” She leaned into him. The comfort of his arms around her meant everything. As the ache in her heart lessened slightly, she replaced the cap on the bottle and placed it back where she’d found it. “I’m so tempted to take it even though I know she’d notice.”
“She would notice,” said a voice behind them.
Scarlett looked in the bathroom mirror and let out a yelp, her heart hammering against her ribs. Laylani stood behind them, her expression mocking, like she’d found them exactly where she expected them to be. “But you can keep it. I don’t want it.”
Scarlett spit out the excuse she’d concocted in case this very thing happened. “I want to give Beni Dad’s watch. I was wondering if you had it in here somewhere.”
“Of course. That makes sense, to come in here to find it on your own instead of asking me,” said Laylani with a smirk. “I do agree, though, and I’ve sent the watch to the jeweler to get it resized and cleaned for Beaufort.”
“Thanks for the cologne.” Scarlett took Brayden by the hand and left the room as quickly as she could.
“She must have done that on purpose. Told us she was going across town so she could catch us searching her shit,” saidScarlett as they made their way back to Jules’s study.
“We lost nothing by her catching us,” said Brayden. “The civility between you is clearly wafer-thin.”
Scarlett huffed out a laugh. “True.”
Back in Jules’s study, they found Tyler showing Beni and Cass how to use the new surveillance app on their phones. Scarlett and Brayden eagerly pulled out their phones to join in.
Scarlett studied her phone. She could flick between feeds to view the exterior of her home from several angles, and she could set up a million different kinds of alerts. “This is so much better than having to go into the study to check the feed.”
“We’ll all sleep better tonight,” said Cass.
She looked at Brayden, her unspoken question obvious. He gave her a quick nod and crooked smile.
Yes! The self-imposed exile from my bed is over!Her smile was overbright, earning an odd look from Cass and a chuckle from Brayden.
“Congratulations,” said Nori, sounding amused.
Behind the closed door of the study, Scarlett relayed what she and Brayden had discovered before Laylani surprised them.
“No laptop, and a whole lot of nothing,” finished Scarlett.
“You don’t need her laptop necessarily,” said Tyler. “Get me a list of companies she’s affiliated with and any personal information you have—everything you can think of. Where she gets her cosmetic surgery, her gym, everything—and we can try to get her that way.”
“I can do that.” She sat down at her dad’s desk and picked up a pen.
CHAPTER
THIRTY
That evening was Otis Garfield’s charity event at the National Theater. Brayden emerged from the dressing room in a black tuxedo with satin lapels. Scarlett stared at him, clean-shaven and pink-cheeked from the shower, with his hair in artful disarray, and had to remind herself to breathe.
“Look at you. So handsome.” She rose from her desk and ran her hands up his chest, letting him see plainly on her face how much she wanted him.
Brayden’s gaze raked over her red satin dress. He brushed his fingers over the glossy waves of her hair, arranged that afternoon by a stylist just for the event. He let his hands rest lightly on her hips. “You’re so gorgeous I’m speechless.”
“I wish we had more time tonight.” All she wanted was to spend the evening in bed with him, but they were due to depart for the charity event any minute.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her to him. “Me too. But we have tomorrow. No Parliament tomorrow.”
“And now that Cass is here, do you feel better?”
His face was so close to hers their noses touched. “Much better. Especially with the new security setup.”
Her smile became devious. “Maybe we could—”
