Page 43 of To Catch a Sub

Landon looked over at Colette. There was an odd expression on her face. Probably worry about getting in trouble for talking to him.

He’d protect her. The museum director didn’t have the right to know his sources, especially since right now the man was at the top of the suspect list.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he said in a low voice.

“Tonight.”

* * *

Landon’s gaze skimmed over the gorgeous woman in the red dress standing in the entrance to the restaurant, but didn’t linger. Not that she wasn’t stunning and worth looking at—but she wasn’t the one he was waiting for.

Landon leaned to the side, trying to see out into the small hotel lobby. It was only six minutes past seven, so she was hardly late. It’s just that he’d been here since six-thirty, having come straight from the museum, and with each passing moment the anticipation built to the point he had to actively work to keep his foot from jiggling.

The woman in the red dress was blocking his view of the door. It only got worse when she started walking towards him, her hips rolling with each step.

He flicked his gaze away from her, but there was something…

Landon looked back, brow furrowed.

The woman wore impossibly high black heels with a pointy toe and a little bow at the heel. Her legs were cream pale, her calf muscles lightly defined.

The hem of the red dress swished around her knees as she walked. It was form fitting from the hips up, the neckline a deep V that showed off the inner curves of her breasts. A diamond choker hugged her neck, and her dark hair was loose in perfect waves in a style that made him think of old Hollywood movies.

She stopped by his table, holding a small black clutch nervously in both hands. It was the way she held her purse that made him blink and say, “Colette?”

“Hi, Landon.”

The nervous way she held her purse was the most recognizable thing about her, as it mimicked the way she’d held the precious list she’d created for him.

Everything else about her was different.

Landon shot to his feet, nearly tipping over his chair. He caught it, clearing his throat as he turned to face her.

She was grinning, and it lit up her face.

“You…wow. You look incredible.”

“Thank you.”

Landon quickly moved to the other side of the table, pulling out her chair. He hoped he wasn’t being obvious as he studied her, stunned by how different she looked.

It wasn’t just that the formfitting dress revealed her figure to be different than what he’d imagined—though her ass looked even better in the dress than it had in the pants. Her face looked different, more of a heart shape than it had been earlier in the day, and without her glasses her eyes looked bigger.

They’d been thick-looking glasses, so that fact that she looked different without them wasn’t a surprise. As for the different face shape, she was probably wearing makeup. What was it called…contour?

But it wasn’t just physical—the woman who walked across the restaurant seemed more confident and mature than the person he’d met.

He took his seat, studying her face. She smiled, but it started to fade the longer he stared at her.

Shit, he was an ass.

He scrubbed his hand over his own face. “Sorry, long day.”

“Did…did you tell the director about the room? And the key?” Her anxious expression was more familiar than that smile had been.

“I did. But I didn’t mention you.”

“Thank you. I really don’t want to lose my internship.”