“Are you worried being sexual will overcomplicate matters?”
It already had.She was getting attached, and working closely together would only make things worse.She needed to distance herself.“Sex always does.”
Barry took a step back.“So let me get this straight… Sleeping with me was okay when you thought I was a tourist, but now that you know I’m not, it’s no longer okay.”
“Now it feels unprofessional.”And it would be safer for her heart.
Barry didn’t look happy about her decision.Honestly, she wasn’t much happier either.“If that’s what you want.Though we may at least have to look like a couple, for appearance’s sake.”
“Why?”
“It will be the perfect ruse too.Miles and his people won’t become suspicious if we seem cuddly together.”
“Fine, but as a ruse only,” she warned with a pointed finger and wagged it in his face.
“As you say.”Barry’s grin was back on his face as if he had a plan.“Have I answered all of your questions?”
“Only one more.Where do we start?”Because she didn’t have a clue, and apparently, he was an expert.
Chapter 17
Barry was still stuck on the no sex thing, but that was a matter for another time.Mac was probably feeling vulnerable about finding out his true motivation for being on the island, so she was trying to safeguard herself.He would break through those barriers.
The first way to do that was to show her the research he had already done.Show her how committed he was to helping her.“When I was looking around the hotel yesterday, a woman that works there said Miles had been advised to build on the north side of the island, but he’d built in the current location despite all the warning of storms on this side.”
“That’s true.This side takes the brunt of the weather.It’s a terrible spot for a hotel, but it opened job opportunities for many of the locals, so no one questioned it.”Mac looked thoughtful for moment before her eyes widened.“Wait, what do you mean, walking around the hotel?You were actually inside?”she asked, sounding surprised.
Barry grinned.Mac had yet to realize what he was capable of.Soon she would learn.Even Emma didn’t know the full extent of his skills.“I was.”
“How?”
“I snuck in.”Though it hadn’t been all the hard to get into the building.It was only getting close to Miles that had been the challenge.Miles didn’t seem to care much about the security of his building so much as himself.
“How?”she repeated.
Barry wasn’t going to get stuck on the particulars.“The how isn’t important, but I put a bug in Annabelle’s bag.I listened to her having an argument with Miles about the hotel costing money to keep fixing with no income coming in.”
“I personally have never been there, but from what I hear, it’s nowhere near ready for its opening in a few months.”
“No, when I was there, the electrical wasn’t functional in half of the building.The power kept going out, and they’ve already replaced the roof and several windows.The painting was only completed on a few floors.”
“So, the answer to the sharks disappearing isn’t in the hotel.”
“Well, there aren’t any answers in the water either.”
“I found the chum.”Mac reared back, looking miffed.“And the bottom trawling marks.”
“But there is no way to track that to anyone.”Or was there?“How many fishermen are on the island?”
“Hundreds.”Mac grimaced.Barry concurred.
“Not a way to track that.”
“I had an idea about that,” Mac said, looking eager.It was cute how excited she looked about this investigative work.He was sure it was only because it was for her sharks.If she had to do it in the middle of the desert for terrorists, she would likely have a different reaction.
“What’s that?”He was all ears for suggestions.
“We know where they are chumming; we can do like a stake out and watch for the boat to come in.”
