Page 7 of Sasha’s Secret

“Really? Then why live in such a—”

“Such an ostentatious display of wealth?” Sasha shrugged. “Because she can, I guess. And for privacy. The only area where she might be seen by the paparazzi or members of the public is the riverside, and she never goes down there. Why would she, when she has three outdoor pools to choose from?”

“Three outdoor pools? Then there’s an indoor one, too?”

Sasha sighed. “Two of them.”

Rocco nodded. “Understood. I’ll still need to take a look down by the river. It provides open access and a gift of an opportunity for attack. Securing that area may be… problematic.”

As Sasha had tried to point out when Linzi had first shown an interest in the property. Linzi, however, had set her heart on the place and Sasha had lost the argument. Especially when Gerry Brookes had weighed in on Linzi’s side, no doubt motivated by all the prospective opportunities to enjoy the facilities.

“I’ll have the plans and blueprints for the whole property retrieved from the archive, but as soon as I return to my office, I’ll contact the architects for the electronic versions.”

To Sasha’s surprise, Rocco chuckled. She almost wished he hadn’t, because her body responded with a squirming feeling that reminded her how long she’d been without a lover.

“Tell me,” he said, “are you always this good at anticipating people’s needs?”

“I get a lot of practice with Linzi. Her focus is on her songs, her dance moves, and her fan base. I have to take care of the practicalities of life for her. Besides, if I were looking at security, it’s what I’d want to see.”

A string of colorful curses that would have done her father proud zipped through her mind. Rookie error. Her last statement was a throwback to her former life—the key word being former.

Not to mention the fact that she’d prefer to keep that part of her past from Rocco.

His eyes narrowed—she definitely wasn’t imagining that. Time for diversionary tactics.

“That’s what they’d do in the movies, right?” She gave Rocco her brightest smile and flicked her hair back. Okay, so it was a stereotype—she was winging it and hadn’t had time to prep her cover.

For a split second, he had the look of a man hovering between believing her and calling her on it, then the corner of his not-unattractive mouth turned up in a half-smile. “Something like that. I’m ready to move on when you are.”

“Okay. We might as well make our way through the house, then take Linzi’s usual route to the studios, which should get us there in time for your meeting. The studios are housed in a block away from the main house and the other accommodation,” Sasha explained. “As well as the recording studio, there’s a general rehearsal studio, a dance studio—Linzi has a choreographer who comes to teach her the moves for her official videos—the media suite, restrooms, and a relaxation area.”

Rocco collected his jacket from the back of the long, brown leather couch, where he’d dropped it just a few moments earlier. “Are the videos made here?”

“Not so far, and I doubt that’ll ever change. It’s a privacy thing. And I guess a security thing, too,” she added, still trying to ignore the perfect fit of the white dress shirt that had been concealed by the jacket. What she couldn’t ignore was the reassuring sight of the Glock 19 nestling comfortably in the shoulder holster he wore. It was good to know the Brit—half-Brit—wasn’t a wuss when it came to bearing arms.

“I assume she has dancers who accompany her on the videos—do they ever come here?”

“Sometimes, but they always travel with the choreographer, and don’t stay long enough to need to stay over. Also, it’s probably only for one or two sessions, just before the video is filmed. There is one exception, though—her boyfriend, Ram. He’s one of her dancers, and he sometimes stays for a few days.”

“He doesn’t live here?”

Sasha shook her head. “They haven’t been together long.”

“I see. Does Linzi have any dance sessions confirmed for the next couple of weeks?”

“No. She’s busy rehearsing for a new album, so her focus is on her songs right now. The recording sessions are booked at a professional studio in Austin about a month from now.”

Rocco opened the door and stood back to allow Sasha through first. “She can’t record the album here?”

“She could, but the equipment at the Austin studio is state-of-the-art, and it’s where the backing tracks were put together. That’s what she’s using to rehearse, although perhaps rehearse isn’t quite the right word.”

“It isn’t?”

“The music business, in some respects, is as much about technology as talent. With the equipment here, they can get a good idea of how they’ll need to set everything up for the master recording.” Sasha’s mouth curved into a wry smile. “At this point, I’d be really grateful if you didn't ask me to go into any more technical detail, because… let’s just say, I’m not looking for a career change in that direction right now.”

“How about if I ask you to take me to the studio instead?”

His wry smile had probably charmed a lot of women in far more intimate locations than this. She stomped down hard on the embryonic fantasy that she wouldn’t mind being one of them. Keep your mind on the mission at all times.