“She … he …” Holly pointed back and forth between them.
“Oh, good heavens,” Mia spit out. “Zeke upset me. I jumped out of bed in my knickers. He flipped out and tried to pull his shirt over my head to cover me up. Holly walked in and dropped the food at that inopportune moment. Then you walked in. Believe me,nothingromantic was happening between us.”
“Oh.” Joseph blew out a breath. “Um … interesting. You’re feeling better, I take it?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Her feet and hands were still regaining circulation and didn’t feel great, but the anger at Zeke had pushed any fatigue away. “I just need some answers out of this misguided chap.” She tugged on Zeke’s arm.
“Not until you’re dressed,” Holly said primly.
“Fine. Give me that shirt,” she gritted out. She tugged the tee from Zeke’s grip, pulled it over her head, and threaded her arms through the huge arm holes. The soft cotton draped over her, the sleeves hanging past her elbows and the shirt itself covering almost to her knees. She had often noticed how large Zeke was, but he was truly built like a barge.
Zeke’s gaze traveled over her. She thought her being covered would calm him down, but if anything his look was even more heated.
“Now explain that barmy comment,” she shot at him.
Joseph and Holly exchanged a look.
“Your dad is finishing up his meeting and FaceTiming us in fifteen minutes,” Joseph said to Mia. “He refuses to let us dismiss Commander Lewis.”
Zeke growled and whirled to face Joseph. “That isn’t an option. The guy is after Mia and tried to choke me out in the water. This is beyond him trying to prove he’s tougher than me.”
Suddenly Zeke’s body stiffened. All those lovely muscles engaged. She wanted to reach up and touch one, but she was too angry at him.
“What if … Joseph? Have they checked thoroughly into each of the duke’s security personnel? Not only background checks, but alibis for when each of those women went missing and the night Mia received the note?”
Joseph’s brows lifted. “I don’t know what the police have looked into this morning, but it wasn’t in the notes I have. I can find out.”
“It would make complete sense if Lewis was the stalker. He gets Mia away from her family and friends. He disdains all of us ‘Americans’ so he doesn’t think any of you are a match for him. But he knows now he’s wrong, and he didn’t plan on me. So he tries to kill me in the water and make it look like a posturing match.”
Mia stepped up next to Zeke. “No way is Blaine the stalker.”
He glowered down at her. “You’re defending him?”
She rolled her eyes, but then something occurred to her. “He was on guard duty the night I got that note.”
An icy chill pricked at her. She leaned closer to Zeke. If only he would wrap her up tight, but he was too tough and she was still mad at him.
Zeke cursed softly and looked at Joseph. “I’m not a detective, but this fits. You have to admit it fits.”
“There are a lot of questions for sure.” Joseph looked down at Holly, then back at the two of them. “Mia, you’d better shower quick and get dressed before your dad calls. If he sees you in Zeke’s shirt,” his eyebrows lifted, “he’ll blow a gasket.”
She nodded. He was right. Her dad was all about decorum and things looking “proper.”
“Zeke, we’d better tread carefully until we can dig into some answers. I don’t know if we dare throw accusations around. The duke is livid enough right now.”
Zeke nodded shortly. “Where’s Lewis?”
“Upstairs showering. I’ll help Holly clean this up.”
“I’ll help too,” Zeke said.
“Not yet, you won’t.” Mia grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the bathroom. Amazingly, he didn’t pull from her grasp and allowed her to lead him. She shut the door behind them, ignoring Holly’s questioning glance. Releasing his hand, she glared up at him. “Why would you think I sleep around when I already told you I don’t?”
Zeke stared down at her. “Lewis said to me, right before our stupid competition in the lake, ‘intimacy with Mia is ruddy brilliant, isn’t it’?”
Anger rushed through her. She thumped her fist against that lovely chest of his. “And you believed him?”
“I was stunned and half frozen then we were fighting in the water.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I know he’s a lying idiot and of course he wants you, and …” He stared deeply at her. “I was jealous and stupid, and I realize he was trying to upset me to make me have even less oxygen so he could beat me. No, I don’t believe him, Mia.” His gaze got warm, almost a true blue. “Forgive me for questioning you earlier. Thinking of you dating other men, especially Lewis … it makes me jealous and stupid. I’m sorry.”