Treasured by Thursday(17)

“When are you going to tell me the real reason you needed to get married in such a hurry?” She removed the kettle from the stove and started to pour.

He wasn’t expecting the question and had no intention of answering it. She’d find out eventually, but he wasn’t prepared to tell her now.

“About the time you reveal the reasons behind all your conditions in our contract.”

She stopped pouring and held perfectly still. “That will never happen,” she told him.

“Then I’ll just have to find out on my own.”

She glanced over her shoulder and scowled. “Why bother? You have what you want. We’re married and will stay that way for the duration of the contract.”

He lifted his chin. “Eighteen months is a long time to keep secrets.”

Gabi set the kettle down and placed both hands on the counter. “Where do we go from here?” she asked, changing the subject.

He glanced at his watch and then removed a folded paper from the inside pocket in his suit. “I have a meeting in New York tomorrow. I’ll be leaving in a few hours.”

She sighed, as if relieved, and twisted around to face him.

“I expect you to begin the search for the home today. If you don’t find something suitable in a week, I’ll find one.”

“Why the hurry?”

“We’re married, Gabi. No one will believe it’s for real if you’re living here and I’m somewhere else in the same city.” He handed her the paper, watched her unfold it. “Phone numbers, addresses. We should be able to keep a lid on our marriage until I return. If something leaks, call me.”

“I’m not one of your employees,” she told him.

He wanted to contradict her, decided against it. “Please.”

She turned the paper toward him, pointed at a number. “What’s this?”

“The code to the parking structure in my building.” He tapped his fingers on the counter. “What do you drive?” he asked.

She shook her head. “My car is in the shop.”

“I’ll have one of mine brought here for you.”

Was that a grimace? “My insurance was canceled.”

“Your . . . what?” he asked.

“My auto insurance. It’s a long story.”

Hunter looked at the time. “A long story will have to wait. I’ll fix it, bring you a car.”

Gabi rolled her eyes. “Do you fix everything with money?”

Yeah, he did. “And wives.” Was that a smile? “I’ve got to go.”

She turned away and picked up her cup. “I’d wish you a safe trip, but if your plane goes down, all my worries are over.”

It was his turn to smile.



“Judy?”

Rick called her name from the open door of his office.

“Yeah?”

“Can you come here?”

She pushed away from her drafting desk and the project she was working on outside of the office. The desire to move up the architectural ladder was crying out.

The familiar wall of monitors and equipment that Rick surveyed filled an entire wall. There were a dozen homes, plenty of coming and going . . . lots of conversations that they most often didn’t listen in on.

Judy slid her arms around the broad shoulders of her husband’s back. He reached up and kissed one of her hands before clicking into his computer and bringing up one of the houses.

The image of Gabi standing over the sink in the kitchen of the Tarzana home looked innocent enough, then Judy realized the shake of her shoulders. She was crying, which cut Judy to see. “Oh, no. I thought she was doing better.” Judy looked away, feeling like she was invading the other woman’s personal space.

“I did, too. Russell told me she had a visitor, so I searched the video.”

Rick cued the images, turned up the volume.

“Who is that?” Judy asked when a tall man walked in behind Gabi. His business suit told her he had money. He looked directly into one of the cameras and frowned.

“I’m not sure.” Rick pointed at the kitchen feed. “Notice how Gabi is ignoring him.”

“She’s upset.”

“Pissed, listen to her voice.”

Why do you care?

“Wow. She’s spitting venom at the man,” Judy said.

“Keep listening,” Rick told her.

It didn’t take long for Judy to realize that the man was a client for Alliance, then Gabi laid into him. You have what you want. We’re married and will stay that way for the duration of the contract.

The strange man stared at her and said, Eighteen months is a long time to keep secrets.

“Oh, my God.” Judy sucked in a breath. “Did he just say what I think he said?”

Rick turned in his chair and lifted both eyebrows. “He sure did.” He pointed back to the live feed and zoomed in.