* * * * *
Morning sun dappled the sidewalk through the hanging branches of a tree. Charlize stood at the restaurant entrance and glanced at the arrangement of tables. From the far side of the room, Rebecca raised a hand in greeting and Charlize walked to the table.
“Hi, Rebecca.”
Rebecca looked up from behind dark glasses. A snug black hat covered her brown hair. “Hi.”
Charlize’s eyebrow quirked involuntarily. She’d deliberately chosen a place outside the immediate vicinity of Halifax for privacy. So why’d Rebecca feel the need to come to breakfast incognito? Charlize glanced over her shoulder and nodded to Jason, who lingered on the sidewalk. He stepped back a few paces and leaned against a wall.
She pulled back the spare chair and lowered herself into it. Rebecca remained as still as if she’d just seen Medusa.
“Can I get you a coffee or something for breakfast?” Charlize asked with a smile.
“No thanks. I just want to get this over with.” Rebecca pulled a folder from her lap and held it to her chest. “I just hope you understand I was only doing my job, I don’t even know if it’s anything—”
“It’s fine, Rebecca. Whatever you have to tell me will be fine. You won’t be held accountable for what your superiors have asked you to do.”
Rebecca’s chest quivered. “Thank you.” She glanced around then handed Charlize the folder under the table.
Charlize took it and held it at her side. She opened the folder and slid a couple papers out, just far enough to read a few lines.
Invoices, account details, employee wages.
“I knew there was something off when they asked me to pay for invoices that didn’t correspond to any vendor details registered in the system. Then there were paychecks issued to employees who apparently didn’t exist. I wanted to say something but until you had lunch with us yesterday I didn’t know who to go to. You said we could contact you about anything.”
Charlize pushed the papers back into the folder and gave Rebecca her best reassuring smile. “You’ve done the right thing.”
Rebecca tugged a nail with her teeth.
“Who asked you to process these?”
“Gregory—I thought this might have something to do with why he was fired so suddenly.”
Her stomach churned. “No he was fired for being uncooperative,” she muttered then strengthened her voice. “Since he’s been gone has anyone else come to you with requests like this?”
“No it was only ever Gregory.”
Charlize tapped the edge of the folder and glanced toward Jason. Perhaps Gregory had operated alone but she doubted it. Most likely the rest of the rats had smelled the cat. Well Charlize intended to keep prowling for answers.
“Do me a favor? Let me know if anything comes up, anything at all?”
Rebecca nodded. “Of course.”
“Thank you, Rebecca. This means a lot to me.”
A waitress came to the table just as Rebecca slipped out of her chair.
“Can I get you anything?” the waitress asked, gaze following Rebecca’s retreating back.
“Actually I might just get a couple of coffees to go…”
The waitress rang up the order. Five minutes later Charlize walked out of the restaurant and handed Jason a tall coffee.
“Drink up. We’re going to be busy.”
Chapter Seventeen
A week—a goddamn week since he’d touched her. A week since he’d poured his heart out to her and she’d walked away. Connor strode through the hall to her office, his limbs heavier with each step. Every hour waiting for her to come to her senses only made him ache worse, only built the fear that she wouldn’t ever change her mind. He’d hardly made an appearance at Halifax in the last week. Couldn’t stand the way she avoided his gaze. Couldn’t stand seeing Jason posted outside her door. Couldn’t stand knowing that if Gregory showed up, Connor wouldn’t be the one there to protect her. He wouldn’t be far away though.
He walked through the empty reception area and a peal of laughter halted him at her office door. The sound touched his heart like a lick from a flame. That warm, husky sound. The last time he’d heard it he’d been tangled in her limbs—tangled in her.
Lia stood next to Charlize, a hand on her shoulder as they leaned toward the computer screen. That laugh rang out again and he couldn’t stop his blood, his cock from responding. She’d be the death of him. There was no resisting her, only wanting her. He’d always known she’d be the kind of woman who could break his heart—the kind of woman who’d never give all of herself.
Yet she had so much to give, she just couldn’t see her worth. Was too busy hiding anything that didn’t fit into the rigid cage she’d carved for herself. Lia’s high-pitched giggle joined Charlize’s and Connor’s chest expanded. He watched them, watched Charlize cover her lips with her fingers and glance at Lia. Charlize was socializing. Fucking socializing. With her assistant. A tension he’d been carrying around since he’d met her finally dissipated. He smiled—a smile that started in his heart and spread its way through his body to his face. He longed to step in, grab her and kiss the marrow right out of her bones.