Page 63 of Beach Bodies

‘Absolutely.’ I raise my whiskey, then knock the rest of it back. ‘I’m literally here to save lives.’

‘Well, that’s a good thing. Because people seem to die here every summer.’

‘Really?’ I say, as if it does concern me, but not that much, even though my pulse is throbbing in my veins.

OK, I’m a person of interest. That’s becoming clear; why else would he bring up the deaths, if not to analyse my reaction? At least he doesn’t seem to have a handle on my motive, which is neither money, jealousy, hatred nor revenge. I’m here to do a calculated good in the world. To pay a tribute, to leave a legacy. To cut poisonous people out of the world like the tumours they are, and save the people it’s not too late for.

I almost wish I could explain this to Daniel. But no matter how I explained my playbook to him, or proved how much good has resulted from my actions here, he’ll just see a monster. An unhinged violent female who thought she was above justice.Just like it was with my mom.

‘One death per year for the past four years,’ he muses. ‘It’s an awful track record for a wellness resort, don’t you think?’

Shit. I’m losing control of this conversation.

‘And– sorry– are you implying that I know something about these… deaths?’ I say, trying to sound cutely confused.

‘Do you?’ he says, raising a flirtatious brow.

‘Of course not!’ It’s not hard to sound upset. ‘What do you want from me, Daniel?’

‘You asked me that already.’

‘Yes.’ Frustration makes my tone tight, edgy. ‘The afternoon of the storm. And you didn’t answer.’

In fact, he turned the question back on me, and then I lost my mind and practically dragged him to his room.

‘I want to get to know you,’ he says, leaning forward. There’s a shift in his energy, and suddenly he’s brushing one of my fingers with his. My frustration melts and the heat in my thighs climbs higher. OK. I see what’s happening: he’s changing tactics. He seduced the story about my electrical expertise out of me, and now he thinks he has a winning ploy. But even though I see his game, and how easily he’s playing me, I don’t remove my hand.

‘But why?’ I say, wrinkling my nose so that I look confused– I hope. ‘Because you think I can provide useful content for your article? Or…’Because you think I’m the killer.But it wouldn’t be smart to say the last part. As much as I want to get to the heart of things, playing stupid is a better cover.

His finger nudges my hand over, so my palm is now facing up. Gently, sensuously, he strokes a finger down the centre, sending a shiver through me. Fuck, he’s good.

‘You don’t like all my questions, huh?’ he says in a husky voice.

Dear God. Sex was supposed to bemyweapon. I should move my hand away and be very cold right now. Yep. I should do that.

‘Maybe I don’t want to talk about murder, Daniel,’ I say, ashe continues to play with my hand. ‘Maybe I’ve had enough death in my life.’

‘We don’t have to talk about murder any more.’

‘Oh?’ My voice is a hoarse whisper. ‘What should we talk about, then?’

He gives me a look. ‘I was going to suggest that we don’t talk any more at all.’

I bite my lip, lipstick be damned, because the sensations he’s awakening just by touching my hand are driving me crazy. Each light stroke of his finger sends waves of electricity down my body. The heat between my legs is getting sharp, the tight fist of desire inside me so intense as to be painful. All my body wants now is release…

Am I about to let him play me?

You’re smarter than that!the reasonable part of me screams back.

Then again, if I go downstairs with him, I’m back in his room, which could prove useful. This conversation has made it pretty damn clear that I’m a suspect. But suspicion doesn’t send people to prison. Evidence does. He has theories, obviously. But no proof, no foul. Does Mr Lukiewicz have anything substantial on me? That’s the question now. My previous search of his room was rushed. If I get a second chance, maybe I’ll be able to find out if he has anything incriminating on me. And maybe even… get into his laptop.

‘Are we done here?’ he says softly.

I nod.

He flags down the server to get the check.

Chapter Twenty-two

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