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“You really think Thadeus will investigate you?”
“Oh, yeah. I bet he called his investigator the second he walked away from us.”
As long as the investigator did the bare minimum, he or she wouldn’t find anything suspicious. And she’d be willing to bet anyone working for Thadeus only did the bare minimum on his behalf. No one would ever want to go above and beyond for that dickwad.
“Why did you use the fake last name?” Knox asked.
“Because following Tenley Taylor’s paper trail doesn’t lead anywhere good,” she admitted quietly.
He nodded as if that answer was good enough. And maybe it was. For now. But eventually, he’d want to know more. She’d have to decide what she wanted to share and what she didn’t. If she was being honest with herself, though, she’d also have to admit that she’d already shared more with Knox than she had with anyone other than Ren in, well, maybe ever.
Who knew kidnapping could be such a great bonding experience?
Tenley took a moment to check out the pool house. On the outside, it was a miniature version of the main house. But inside was another story entirely.
The pool house was full of redwood accents, jewel-toned, overstuffed furnishings, and polished, chic-looking concrete floors strewn with colorful, handwoven rugs. While the main house was clearly designed for shock and awe, this was a space you could actually live in.
She saw instantly why Knox chose to stay here.
It took them a solid half hour to uncover everything, but when it was all done, the place was surprisingly clean. The dust had mostly been contained by the coverings, and with the windows open, everything smelled fresh and clean. It was like his mom’s handmade furniture was so fabulous dust didn’t dare sully it.
Tenley decided she liked the pool house far more than the mansion. It was still luxurious and way larger than a mere pool house had any right to be, but it was colorful and cozy in a way the main house just wasn’t.
Knox looked more relaxed, too. She had to assume part of that was being out of that house and away from Thadeus. She sat down on the edge of the bed and kicked her feet. “So, now what?”
His eyes did that darkening thing again, where it looked like he was having dirty, dirty thoughts. Her heartbeat (among other things) throbbed in response. “I mean, what’s next on the agenda to get your inheritance?”
He shoved a hand through his hair and sat down next to her. “We have an appointment with Luther, my dad’s lawyer, tomorrow at nine. But tonight, there’s someone I need to see.”
Probably an old girlfriend. After all, Knox just got out of prison. She was shocked he’d waited this long to sink into a hot, willing woman. It’s not like it’d be hard for him to pick one up. He could probably walk into a bar, snap his fingers, and have women fist fighting over who got to blow him in the parking lot.
So why didn’t he make a move on you?
Tenley was irritated with her brain for even asking such a stupid question. What did it matter?
But even more than that, she was irritated with her heart for being a little hurt that he’d rather fuck some old girlfriend than her.
She toyed with a loose thread on the fluffy comforter. “Sure,” she said. “I get it. I can just—”
“Want to come with me?”
Her eyes shot to his. “You…want me to?”
He shrugged. “I mean, sure. Yes. Will you?”
She swallowed the overeager reply that tried to claw its way out of her throat and mirrored his careless shrug. “Sure. If that’s what you want.”
His answering half smile did things to her panties she’d rather not think about. Thank God the man didn’t ever seem to really smile. She wasn’t sure she—or her panties—could handle that.
* * *
The drive to Natty’s modest, two-bedroom bungalow on the outskirts of town took only ten minutes. And Knox felt lighter with every mile they put between him and the mansion.
He was still doubting his decision to bring Tenley along on this mission. At his suggestion, she’d changed out of her fancy pencil skirt and sweater into a pair of faded, holey jeans and one of his T-shirts, knotted at the waist. And somehow, she looked even better dressed casually. How the hell was that even possible?
What really bothered him, though, wasn’t her attractiveness. It was the fact that he was starting to trust an admitted thief and con artist. It was that kind of naivete that had landed him in prison in the first place.
Maybe he really was an idiot like his father had always assumed.
