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I really needed to know who Sami had whispered to.

36

CRAIG

Once I’d gotten my cellphone up and running, I felt like my life was coming back together. I still hurt physically, but mentally, it was a step in the right direction. Chloe was the first one I called, and I told her to get over to Jonesy’s condo with the burner phone. An hour later, she was seated across from me with a notepad and the phone.

“Did anyone call that number after I left my fake reporter business cards in Lake Tahoe?”

“Yup. There was one call, but when I answered it using the publishing company name on your cards, they hung up. The number on the ID was from Bally’s Resort,” she replied.

“Okay, well, that means Mr. Sheffield, or a concierge staffer, wanted to check whether I was legit. I can’t imagine it would have been the housekeeper I’d given it to. I doubt she would have reached out.”

Looking at my cellphone, the time read two o’clock. “Hand me the burner phone. I wanna see if this Sheffield guy is in.” Chloe passed me the phone, and I dialed the hotel’s registration number and put it on speaker. After a few rings, they answered, and I asked for the concierge desk. I sat on hold for almost five minutes before a familiar voice answered.

“Bally’s Lake Tahoe concierge desk. This is Simon. How can I help you?” I smiled and winked at Chloe.

“Simon! It’s Craig Beaumont,” I said excitedly.

“Craig…hello. I was thinking about you earlier today,” he said in that cool British accent. Chloe clasped her hands to her chest, listening to his accent. She had a thing for sexy accents.

“Good thoughts, I hope.”

“Always. What can I do for you? Are you coming back for a visit?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’m calling to see if your boss, Mr. Sheffield, is in. I keep missing him. I’d still like to interview him if possible.”

Simon paused. “Uh, he’s on vacation this week. He said he needed to take some personal time. It was rather sudden,” he replied apologetically.

“Damn. I can’t believe I keep missing him, and he won’t call me back.”

“I can tell you one thing. He said he was going to San Francisco for a few days, then flying from there to Europe for another week. So I’m afraid he won’t be back for a couple of weeks. If I remember correctly, you said you were from San Francisco, correct?”

“Good memory. Do you know where he’s staying? Perhaps I can contact him that way.” I replied, glancing at Chloe.

“He didn’t say,” he said regretfully. “Unfortunately, I can’t give out personal information, like his phone number, either. I’m sorry.”

He’d anticipated I’d ask for his personal phone number. “No, no… It’s okay. That’s completely understandable. Privacy and all.”

We chatted a bit more before I ended the call. “That is really weird,” I said, not realizing it was out loud.

“What’s weird?” Chloe asked.

“Simon’s boss, Mr. Sheffield, has been very elusive. And now he’s here in town. It gives me a weird gut feeling with all this pageant stuff going on.”

“He has a sexy voice,” she said, waggling her brow at me.

“Chloe, we had a pleasant chat and shared a glass of wine at the hotel’s restaurant. That was all. You know I’m with Jonesy. Simon knows that, too. I told him immediately after he flirted with me.”

“I didn’t insinuate anything,” she replied, protecting herself.

“Uh-huh. I know how your mind works,” I said, shaking the phone at her. Her face flushed a little, but she didn’t clap back.

After a couple of hours, Chloe made it clear she couldn’t stay—otherwise, Jonesy would have her hide. That was a tad dramatic, but I appreciated her coming by with the phone and keeping me company for a while. After she left, I ate the lunch Jonesy had prepared and then realized how tired I’d become, so I shuffled into his bedroom to nap. The sofa was comfortable enough, but it didn’t do my back any favors. After turning my ringer off, I settled down for a nap.

Even in my injured state, my sex dreams were just as vivid and frequent as before. My lips wanted to chase someone who was bending over me, and my dick was being caressed through my sweats. It felt so real I was sure I’d been moaning in my sleep. I heard a light chuckle, thinking it was just my imagination, but to my surprise, Jonesy was looking down at me when my eyelids fluttered open. He sat beside me on the bed, his hand rubbing the erection my dream had caused. I pushed my hips up to meet the friction.

“Looks like someone is horny,” he whispered, his breath hot against my neck.