Page 39 of Sasha’s Secret

Silence at the other end of the call made Rocco wonder if Nick was expecting a different kind of answer. If he was, then he’d be disappointed. There was no way Rocco was admitting to any other kind of relationship—not yet, at any rate.

“Good to know. Anything else?” Nick asked.

“Just one thing—have you managed to dig up anything on Frank Schofield yet?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, only what you’d expect of someone with his kind of history. Run-of-the-mill record as a cop, with nothing to indicate or explain any involvement in this campaign against Linzi. I’ll send it to you. Did you expect there to be anything suspicious?”

Rocco wasn’t sure. “Maybe, maybe not.”

“You aren’t convinced.”

“No, but if that’s all there is, that’s all there is. Thanks anyway.”

“No problem. Unless there’s anything else, I’ll just wish you good luck with Sasha—let me know how you get on.”

Nick’s tone hinted at a degree of amusement, but unless he was way off track, Rocco also thought he detected a certain level of sympathy. The implications of that gave him food for thought. Nick had originally come to the US to provide financial oversight of the company’s plans to expand into the country, and had ended up staying when he met the woman who became both his wife and his world. Now Rocco could understand why. It could also end up being an option open to him, too.

Having wandered as far as the atrium during the course of the conversation with his boss, Rocco stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. He didn't like secrets, but sometimes they were necessary. His service in the SAS had pretty much mandated them, so he could understand why Sasha hadn’t divulged anything about her past.

And that just about decided it for him. He wouldn’t stand by forever while this was bothering her, as it so clearly had all morning. He’d give her another day to come clean, but that was all—there was no way he’d risk letting her past or his come between them.

* * *

Sasha automatically looked up at the sound of the door opening. The expression on Rocco’s face stalled her smile before it was even half-formed. “Not bad news, I hope?”

“Huh? No, everything’s fine.”

Rocco’s preoccupied tone would have been enough to tell her everything was not fine, but add to that a smile that wasn’t reflected in his eyes, and Sasha was pretty damn certain the conversation he’d just had hadn’t been all sunshine and roses. “You look like you could use another cup of coffee. I could use a break.” She checked the time. “In fact, how about we take an early lunch?”

“That’s a great idea. Besides, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Hopefully, it would be whatever was on his mind. “Okay. We’ll grab something to eat, and… do you want to talk here or find a corner someplace else?”

“Somewhere quiet where we won’t be interrupted or overheard would be ideal.”

Now she was more concerned. They were already careful about what they discussed and where they discussed it, but for Rocco to make a point of it, he must have had something major on his mind. “In that case, how about we have this conversation in my apartment? Or yours, if you’d be more comfortable there?”

“Yours would be perfect.”

A couple of minutes later, Sasha was checking the contents of her fridge, while Rocco was making coffee. He made the best cup of coffee she’d ever tasted, which was another reason why she wouldn’t mind keeping him around.

Phenomenal sex, great cooking, and fantastic coffee. Man, he was ticking all her boxes…

Sasha banished the frivolous thought from her mind. “So, how would you like to try my homemade chili? I usually have rice with it—is that okay?”

“Rice will be fine. It’ll be amazing. And delicious. Anything I can do to help?”

“Thanks, but I’ve got it. Should be ready in about twenty minutes—will that be long enough to talk about what’s on your mind?”

“I imagine so.”

A hundred possibilities exploded in her mind. She could cope with any of them, except maybe one—the one where he told her he was being reassigned with immediate effect. She’d need time to process that. “You go sit down, and I’ll be right with you.”

A couple minutes later, she took a seat beside him on the long couch, where her coffee was waiting for her on the low table in front. After an initial reviving sip, she turned to Rocco—to her lover. Thinking of him that way made her lady parts turn jubilant somersaults, which was perhaps not ideal for the middle of the working day—or during a serious conversation. “So what happened this morning?”

“I need your permission to send some information over to Nick. It’s connected to the financial records.”

Okay, so, not what she’d expected. “You have it, but I’m not sure how this could be connected to the threats.”