CHAPTER TEN
MARIANNACLENCHEDTHEdoor handle as the black Mercedes swerved in the countryside, far beyond Sydney traffic. Her stomach lurched. If she lived here in Australia, she’d probably never get used to this dry, rolling landscape. Miami was wet and flat.
Simon had barely said a word to her since he left the bedroom, though the silence wasn’t awkward, at least not at his house. At his kitchen table, he had watched her unabashedly between bites, so she hadn’t hesitated to stare back. His eyes were clear and dark, assessing, his large hands relaxed for once. What was going on in his head?
But when they climbed into his sleek black car, the tension returned. The air hung heavy between them, despite the blast of air-conditioning aimed straight at her. They swerved around another corner, and her stomach lurched.
“Do you always drive like this?” she asked.
“Yep.”
She frowned. “Even though we’re on the wrong side of the road?”
“You mean the left side?”
Driving on the opposite side of the road didn’t seem to bother him. Just her. Every time they turned down a new street, she had to hold back the urge to tell him to move over.
“You have a barf bag in the glove compartment, or should I just roll down the window?”
He had the decency to slow down a little. “Sorry. We’re running late.”
“How far is the drive?” asked Marianna.
“Maybe a little over three hours,” he mumbled. “I want to get there before dark.”
More silence. She stared openly at his profile as he drove. If he noticed, he didn’t react. His dark sunglasses hid his beautiful eyes, eyes the green of the ocean. His lush lips were pulled together in a line. The same lips that had met hers, so soft and hungry, for a kiss that changed everything in his bedroom. They slowed for a turn.
“You back to ignoring me?” she asked.
He looked over at her, the corners of his mouth turned up. “Nope. Just thinking.”
About what the hell had happened between them back at his house? Or about what would happen if she was right about William, about Ruiz Imports? She was trying hard not to get worked up about either of those two puzzles. And failing.
“Your friend Donovan left the hotel shortly after we did,” said Simon as they crossed a bridge. “I don’t want to be on the road in the dark, when I can’t get a good view of the surroundings.”
She wrinkled her brow at him. “How do you know Donovan left?”
Simon raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t answer.
“He told me he was going to the Hunter Valley, even before we decided to go this morning,” she protested.
Simon shook his head. “Not a coincidence. You have to trust me on this.”
“Who is he?” she asked. “I’m sure you’ve checked into this...somehow.”
“He’s a consultant.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And in your line of business, that’s code for bad guy?”
Simon chuckled. “Sometimes.”
“This isn’t just you getting worked up about some guy hitting on me?”
Simon sighed. “Maybe it was in the airport. But no, not at this point.” He rested a hand on her knee. “This is the reason I brought Derek and Max in. Because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just being an asshole.”
She smirked.
“I saidjust,” he added. “I can be an asshole and also be right.”
