But this one wasn’t his problem.
‘I’m tired,’ he said bluntly. ‘And this conversation is over.’
He reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone.
‘What do you mean? Who are you calling? No. Please—’
He felt his stomach soar upwards, snagged by the desperation in her voice even as anger swept over him like lava. Was she really going to keep this up? This pretence that she’d come up here to see the view.
‘I gave you a chance to tell the truth. That you came here to steal from me—’
‘But I didn’t.’ Her voice was husky with emotion. ‘I admit I lied to you. But I swear I’m not a thief.’
He held her gaze. It would be easy to believe her. She sounded so convincing. But then he remembered how she had fought him for the swipe card, with fire—not fear—in her eyes, and glancing at her face he could see tautness—the nervous dread of a skater standing on thin ice, waiting to hear it crack.
But why? What was there left to dread?
His shoulders tensed. And then, as his gaze dropped down to the short black apron, he saw her face freeze. He felt a dizzying anger like vertigo. Slowly he moved in front of her, his powerful body blocking her exit.
‘Prove it. Empty out your pockets,’ he said tersely. ‘Unless you want me to do it for you.’
She shrank away from him, eyes widening with unmistakable guilt, her face pale with shock and uncertainty. ‘Are you threatening me?’
‘I don’t know,’ he said, his voice soft, light, his face sculptured with menace. ‘Do you feel threatened?’
Daisy swallowed. Yes. She did. And not just threatened. Trapped. But how could she do what he asked? If he saw the watch—his watch—there was zero chance of her getting out of the office, let alone the building.
‘I can explain...’ But her words faltered as she realised that she couldn’t.
Rollo stared at her in silence. A sudden vivid memory of his mother saying exactly the same words slid into his head, and he let them echo and fade until he was able to speak.
‘I’m sure you can. But I think I’ve had enough bedtime stories for one evening.’
His words sent a chill through her.
‘Don’t worry though. I’m sure someone else will find them far more entertaining.’ He paused, a cold smile curling his lips. ‘Like my security team. We can go and talk to them right now. They’re downstairs with David—your brother. Waiting to take you both to the police station.’
CHAPTER TWO
DAISY STARED AT him in horror. His words were burning inside her head, so hot and bright she couldn’t think straight. Finally she forced herself to speak.
‘What’s David got to do with any of this?’
But even as the question left her lips, she knew there was no point in pretending any more. There was only one possible explanation for why her brother was with Security.
Rollo knew everything.
The thought made her feel dizzy and she took a quick, shallow breath, trying not to give in to the damp chill sweeping over her skin.
‘You know about...? That David...?’
‘That your brother stole my watch?’
His gaze held hers, the derision in his voice making her cheeks burn.
‘I knew the day he stole it. My office has security cameras. Your brother was caught on film.’
He paused and, looking up, she saw the glittering contemp