Page 69 of Triggered By Love
She wasn’t going to let on that Ivanna could be going behind her back to get funding to start her own line. She’d deal with the disloyalty on her own.
“She could have called you.” Jason moved so close to Avery he was up against her, sandwiching her between the door and his body. “Let me in for a look-see.”
His heat was palpable, as well as his sexy scent, and fire stirred in Avery’s blood. If she let him into the apartment, he might not be leaving soon.
“You just want to see my apartment,” Avery said.
“Whoever ransacked it left it a mess,” Damon said.
“I can clean it up,” Jason said in a voice mocking Avery’s.
“Fine.” Avery turned and unlocked the door. “There’s nothing to see.”
The ransacking was minor. Pieces of mail were scattered on the floor, and the sofa cushions were displaced. Avery explained where everything belonged, and when she swept her hand underneath a pile of magazines inside a basket, she found her notebook.
“Here it is!” She swung it side to side triumphantly. “Looks like whoever broke in didn’t find it.”
Jason’s suspicious eyes skewered Damon. “Why would you automatically say it was missing? Are you in the habit of keeping track of your sister’s sketchbook?”
Damon shifted from foot to foot and wiped his forehead. “No, but I spotted Ivanna and figured she was up to no good.”
“What do you have against her?” Avery asked. “Damon, what’s going on?”
“Nothing. I don’t like her. I caught her talking about you behind your back, and I don’t think she took it well when you rejected her designs.”
“I was only helping her improve,” Avery said, in keeping with her altruistic image. “She was appreciative. I don’t get why you don’t like her.”
“Her sister is a publicist for Congressman Overton,” Jason said. “Damon suspects your problems have to do with your father’s campaign.”
“Damon!” Avery exclaimed. “Neither me nor Dad scare easily. Stop feeding Detective Burnett conspiracy theories.”
“He’s only trying to help,” Jason said. “He’s concerned about you and wants you to stay safe.”
“You. Stay out of this.” She poked him in his chest. “You’ve looked around. Nothing’s missing. I might have left my door unlocked. There’s no sign of a broken lock or door, so case closed. You’re wasting police resources on a non-burglary.”
Jason skewered Damon with a sharp look. “Filing a false police report is a crime.”
“I never called the police,” he said. “You’re the one who assumed there was a break-in.”
“You made a fuss to get Avery to come back. Why?”
“It worked, didn’t it? I didn’t want her hiding out with you.”
Avery’s jaw dropped. “So, you’re lying about Ivanna?”
“No, she was lurking,” Damon said. “I thought she might have come out of your apartment. She looked suspicious, like she was caught. She had a plastic shopping bag in her hand.”
“She’s working on an accessory for me,” Avery said, glad that the non-burglary had been cleared up. She turned Jason’s body around and pointed him at the door. “Don’t good policemen have work to do? I’m sure you have lots to investigate, and nothing’s happened here.”
“Except this.” Jason held up the evidence bag with the box of chocolates. “I need you to come to the station with me for fingerprinting. If Ivanna didn’t drop off this box, and I doubt she went through your mail or flipped the sofa cushions, then someone else did.”
“It’s not a crime to drop off chocolate.”
“It’s suspicious that he or she didn’t sign the note.” Jason’s jaw jutted as stubborn as a mule’s snout.
“Give those back.” Avery grabbed the plastic bag, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Your reluctance to cooperate makes me believe you know who’s searching your apartment and giving you chocolate.” Jason’s face split into a sly grin as if this were all a big game. “You purposely didn’t look in your panty drawer, and I’m betting you hid something there and you’re dying to see if that long, hard object you have tucked into a knee-high stocking is waiting for you.”
