“I told you that I’m leaving town first thing in the morning for Toronto, right?”
“Yes, you did. You said you’ll be gone most of the week but will be back on Friday,” she said, smiling over at him.
It was strange for her to know his schedule—it was something he didn’t normally share with any woman but Mattie and Margo. In fact, when he was away on business, he didn’t even accept calls from any other women. They were of no significance.
Rylee, though? She was of significance.
Although they hadn’t been intimate this weekend, they had kissed a lot--a whole hell of a lot. More than once, he’d had to pull back, too close to the point of no return, and hadn’t wanted to break her trust by seducing her on the beach or by the pool. Still, she was a temptress. Especially because she didn’t seem to be fully aware of the feminine power she had over him.
He’d told her that he wouldn’t rush things between them, but all those kisses had made it difficult for him to keep that promise. Still, when it came to something that he truly wanted, Frazier could be a patient man. And Rylee was a woman worth waiting for. When they did make love, it would happen at the perfect time, when she was just as hungry for it as he was.
He wished there was some way he could spend more time with her. Then an idea suddenly popped into his head.
“You ever been to Toronto, Rylee?”
She glanced over at him. “No, but it’s on my bucket list.”
He remembered her telling him that she enjoyed traveling. “All my meetings will be over by noon on Thursday. If I sent my jet back for you, will you join me in Toronto?”
She tilted her head to stare at him. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m dead serious. After all, we’re still in that getting-to-know-you stage. What’s wrong with spending more of that time in a different place?”
He watched her nibble on her bottom lip. Finally, she smiled at him. “You’re in luck. Hank will be back in the office tomorrow, so he’ll take a lot of things off my plate. And I’d thought about taking Friday off anyway. I’m sure if I requested the day off Thursday as well, Hank wouldn’t mind.”
“He’d better not or he’s fired.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Thanks for the invite. I hope I don’t start wearing out my welcome.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem. I really enjoyed spending this weekend with you.”
“And I enjoyed spending it with you and getting to know you better.”
Frazier then turned his attention to the plane’s control panel. “And I loved getting to know you, too, Rylee.”
And in the weeks to come, he intended to know her even better.
LENNOX GLANCED OVER ATRoland, wondering what he was thinking. They had been at the treehouse a week and this morning, he’d just received the call she’d been waiting for…and dreading. The FBI had called to let them know it was safe for Lennox to return home. Samuel Meadows had eluded police for a little while, but in the end, he’d died in a shootout somewhere in Texas.
A number of the men who had been arrested were talking and more arrests were imminent. However, according to the authorities, Lennox’s life was no longer in danger and she could safely return home.
Home.
She still refused to spend a single night in her condo and had decided to stay in a hotel while she looked for another place to live. She’d talked to Joy a few days ago and together, they had come up with the perfect solution.
It just so happened that Joy’s first home, a place she usually rented out, was currently vacant. Joy offered her the use of the place until Lennox decided what she wantedto do. Lennox thought it was a great idea, since she loved Joy’s old house. More than once, she and Joy had gone jogging in the neighborhood. Lennox liked the quaint community of older homes situated on tree-lined streets, with the majestic view of the mountains in the distance.
Since Joy’s rental house was furnished, Lennox didn’t have to worry about buying anything right away. She’d contact a moving company to go in and pack up her furniture at the condo and take it to a storage facility, where it could stay until she decided to get rid of it. When she bought a new home, she would purchase all new furniture. The old stuff had too many memories.
She drew in a deep breath, and asked one last question, the one she needed an answer to so badly. “Now will you tell me what the FBI refused to share with me about DeWalt’s death?”
“Yes,” Roland said, coming to join her at the table. Their time here had been idyllic. They would wake up each morning and go jogging, then return to eat breakfast. During the day, they’d laid in each other arms watching television or they would go up on the roof, enjoying the breeze generated from the waterfall and simply stare out at the mountains.
Lennox loved being here with Roland. She loved falling asleep in his arms every night and waking up the same way in the morning. She knew he had delayed telling her about DeWalt and understood his reasons for it. Since their time here would be their final days shared together, neither had wanted anything to intrude.
She took Roland’s hand. “Tell me, Roland.”
He nodded. “Just so you know, Agents Warner and DuBose didn’t tell me anything either. I only found out through my various contacts.”