Page 28 of Tempt Me
“Isaac.”
Rue’s voice saying my name stops me from hammering Luca to death for being such a fucking idiot.
“What?”
“Luca had nothing to do with this. He was told, and he investigated.”
“But someone got in the house and shoved a dangerous snake in the box meant for you,Misty.” The jealous snarl comes out before I can stop it.
Our gaze locks.
Her lips part, forcing me to drop my glare to them, wishing I could drive my tongue into her mouth and kiss her like she should be kissed, deeply, passionately, fervently. Dragging my stare back up to her eyes, my frown deepens.
“It wasn’t Luca,” she says. “He’s worked for me for years. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
She has left me no choice but to let go of him. Shoving him roughly into the chair, I step back, trying to control my temper.
“I’m watching you,” I warn him before I turn and slam through the door to the staircase, escaping the stifling confines of Rue with her expensive perfume, taking in a lungful of fresh air as I burst out of the building, almost shaking with jealousy, envy, regret and the fact that my only lead, led nowhere.
Chapter16
Rue
Glaring at Luca, wishing I could follow Isaac and cool his temper down, I snap, “What the fuck is going on here?”
“Nothing,” he says steadily, standing up. “You know I would never do anything to hurt you, Misty.”
Gritting my teeth, I exhale through my nose. “Don’t call me that in front of Isaac,” I murmur.
Seeing the flash of jealousy in his eyes, I increase the intensity of my stare until he shuts it down. I don’t have time for this. I know he is in love with me and has been for a while now. The nickname is cute, and I don’t mind it on occasion, but he is using it now to rile up Isaac, which doesn’t sit right with me. I know Isaac thinks there is more to it than there is, but the truth is, it’s nothing. Luca was first assigned to me when I was a mid-teen, and he called me Miss. Di’Castello. As time went on and he went practically everywhere with me, it was shortened to Miss. Di, which eventually turned into Misty. There’s no lovey connection there, I have never touched Luca, but I could see the jealousy in Isaac’s eyes. It’s probably why he came down so hard on Luca in the first place. It sends a thrilling shiver down my spine when I think about how crazy he will be when I get married.
And then I hate myself for that thought.
“Why didn’t you tell my parents about what you saw?”
“You know how this works, Rue,” he says, minding my words, but the damage is done, and Isaac isn’t even here now. “Shit goes down all the time that I don’t tell your parents about. If I went to them every single time we had someone snapping photos or loitering on the other side of the wall, I’d never be out of their offices.”
“Fair point. But this is different.”
“I looked into it, and it came to nothing. The snake had nothing to do with whoever was outside last night. Think about it; no one could’ve gotten inside. That snake traveled with the box from Arachon. It has to be.”
What he says makes sense, but the niggling feeling that there is more to this, nags at me. “I need to get back to my office. I don’t have a fucking clue what I’m meant to be doing.”
“Go, Jez is downstairs and I’m here just in case.”
Nodding, I turn and head back into the dingy bullpen, wishing Isaac were here instead. My stomach suddenly forms a knot that has nothing to do with the snake or the creep last night but everything to do with Wednesday night. That’s two days away. How will I pretend to be happy about this engagement when all I want to do is get out of it so badly that I’m willing to slice Antonio’s throat and call it a day? Wanting to speak to Isaac about this more than anything, I gingerly sit in the shaky office chair that reeks of Cedric’s aftershave, hoping that the Facilities Management team gets on my request for all new furniture as soon as humanly possible.
Peering into a file full of bills that have been filed for consideration, my hand shakes when I pick up my pen to mark one as interesting enough to read thoroughly later. Swallowing, I close my eyes briefly, but all I see is Wayne’s rat-like face gloating that he got to me. The soft yet clear sound of the trigger being pulled on an empty chamber and the fear I felt that my life was over. Isaac killing him meant nothing. It didn’t take the memories of what he did to me away. If anything, it’s brought it all back.
Dropping my head into my hands, I spin in the chair and force myself to look out over the Bay. It’s beautiful and serene from up here, the blue water and white beaches stunning and inviting. Closing my eyes again, a small smile playing on my lips, I push Wayne away to the dark recesses of my mind where he belongs and imagine myself frolicking in the waves in my black string bikini with Isaac, his strong arms wrapping around me as he picks me up and twirls me before we fall to the sand and make love as the soft waves ripple over us. It’s only a fantasy, but a hot one. Sex on the beach, while a fabulous cocktail, is, in reality, a very different beast. No one wants sand up their hoo-ha, but a girl can fantasize, nonetheless.
My thoughts of Isaac wander back to what Luca said. Could this all have originated in Arachon? It makes perfect sense. But who? Why? Why me and not Dad?
I could drive myself crazy with all these questions, so instead, I turn my back on the coast and bury myself in the legislation of Coe Bay, boring myself to near death in the process.
Chapter17
Luca
