Burning Seduction (16 page)

“You bet.”

Trent stood. “I need to get back, but if you think of anything that Elaine said, or Bill for that matter, about the relationship, let me know.”

“You can count on it.”

Chapter Fifteen

C
harlotte had just
enough time to put the finishing touches of paint on Mrs. Goddard’s new room, rush home to shower, and then head to the airport to pick up her parents.

No sooner had she pulled up to the arrival door than her parents walked out hand-in-hand, each dragging a suitcase behind them. Charlotte was thrilled they looked so happy.

She jumped out of her car and opened her trunk. “Did you have a good time?”

“Yes,” they said in unison then smiled at each other.

From the lustful look they exchanged, perhaps it would be wise not to ask for too many details about their second honeymoon. She hugged her mom first since her dad was busy loading the suitcases. Once he finished, he embraced her.

“Is Rock Hard still in one piece?” he asked.

“Yes.” She’d tell them about Bill Goddard’s murder after they had time to unwind.

Knowing Dad, he’d want every gory detail, and then try to tell her how Trent should run the investigation. Sometimes having a father as a private investigator and an ex-FBI agent wasn’t always the best thing.

Charlotte couldn’t wait to get her mom alone so she could tell her about her budding relationship. The entire strip poker event, however, definitely needed to stay private.

On the way home, they called in a to-go order at Italiano’s since her mom said there was nothing edible in the house.

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said. “I didn’t even think to stock up the fridge for you.” Once she’d moved out, she hadn’t looked back.

“That’s okay, hon, I’m too tired to cook anyway.”

Fifteen minutes later, Charlotte pulled in front of the restaurant in a slot designated for take-out. “Be right back,” her dad said as he pushed open the door.

As soon as her father disappeared inside, Charlotte faced her mom. “Trent and I have been seeing each other.” The bubble of excitement had been building for too long to stay quiet.

Her mother’s face remained unreadable, though Charlotte understood why her mom would worry. A cop’s life was fraught with danger. “How’s that going?”

Charlotte was a bit disappointed that her mom didn’t act thrilled, but she’d expected that reaction. “He’s like Dad in some ways, and quite unlike him in others. For the most part, Trent’s able to express his emotions.”

“Your father’s a changed man now.” A knowing smile filled her face. “He can be quite expressive when properly motivated.”

“Mo-om!” She so didn’t need to hear that. The divorce, coupled with him leaving the FBI, had forced him to see the light.

“Just be careful,” Mom said.

“Of what? That Trent might hurt me emotionally, or that someone who wanted revenge against him could come after me, just like they did against us?”

Her mother’s shoulders sagged. “I was thinking of both, but you’re a grown woman. I shouldn’t be telling you what you already know. Just do what feels right for you. If you’re happy, I’m happy. No matter who you’re with, you could be hurt, I suppose.” Her mom leaned back against the seat. “For the longest time, I was too cautious with your dad, mostly because I had you to take care of. Perhaps if I’d been more understanding, things might have turned out differently.”

“But you had a second chance. You two seem to have figured things out now.”

Light returned to her eyes. “Yes, we have indeed.”

Her dad returned with three large bags and slid into the back seat. “It’s cold out there. Two weeks in Hawaii spoiled me.”

“I imagine it would.” The aroma made her stomach rumble. “Smells divine.”

Before she broached the subject of Bill Goddard’s murder, Charlotte wanted to have a peaceful dinner, though she saw no reason not to share her good news about the job. For all she knew, Sharon had already texted her dad about it. “While you were gone, I landed a new client!”

“That’s fantastic, hon,” her dad said. “How’s it going?”

Charlotte detailed how the woman’s husband had died, and that she wanted to toss all of his furniture. “She let me keep several awesome pieces. She seems really pleased with what I’ve done so far, and since she’s wealthier than sin, I’m hoping she’ll recommend me to her friends.”

Her mom reached out and squeezed Charlotte’s thigh. “I can’t tell you how happy I am. It means you’ll stay in Rock Hard.”

“I’m not leaving any time soon, that’s for sure.” She planned to stay for more than just her job, however.

*     *     *

It might be
from a lack of sleep, or his guilty conscience was working overtime, but Trent wanted to believe nothing had happened between his brother and Mrs. Goddard during that fateful Christmas party. What a travesty it would have been if Bill Goddard thought Harmon was a threat to his marriage and then followed through with setting him up as the fall guy for the insider trading scam. Jumping to conclusions, though, wasn’t Trent’s style, despite wanting Harmon to be innocent.

After he’d spoken to his brother yesterday about Elaine Goddard, Trent had returned to the office because he’d been unable to get a hold of her brother, Richard, to confirm Jayson’s story. Before he approached Vic about doing some surveillance, Trent wanted to learn as much as he could about both John Samuels—the man who’d replaced Bill—and Richard Delaney.

Trent had debated calling Charlotte last night just to hear her voice, but she’d told him she was picking up her parents from the airport after work. As much as he wanted to know how things had gone, if he spoke with her on the phone, she’d have convinced him to stop over, and then they’d end up making love again. Probably any thirty-one year old male would have jumped at the chance to delve into luscious Charlotte’s body again, but for both of their sakes, he needed to take things slow. Right now, his life was in flux, and he didn’t trust himself to make good judgments where she was concerned.

Besides Cade and one other detective he could think of, too many of the men in his department had issues with their marriages because of the stresses of their jobs. If they didn’t, it often meant they weren’t doing their job to the fullest.

A few hours later, he’d gathered all he could about John Samuels and Richard Delaney. It was time to head over to Vic’s office for his appointment and hire him to tail Samuels.

As soon as Trent arrived, Sharon looked up and grinned. “There he is! Charlotte’s protector.”

“Former protector.” Sharon always seemed to focus on what he’d done during that one fateful week. Unless something happened to Charlotte again then he’d protect her just as fiercely as before.

“How are you and Charlotte doing?”

Trent inwardly groaned. “You tell me. Has Charlotte been telling tales?”

Her cheeks pinkened, matching the streaks in her hair—hair that had been blue just a week ago.

“No, but Vic mentioned you were seeing his daughter.”

“Did he now?” Charlotte must have spilled the beans. In truth, he’d be a little disappointed if she hadn’t told her parents they’d seen each other a few times.

“Go on in and see the man. He’s waiting for you,” Sharon said, the grin still taking up residence on her face.

Trent headed down the hallway, knocked on Vic’s office door, and stepped in. His friend slipped off his glasses and smiled. He was tanner and looked like he’d put on a few pounds, weight Trent thought he could use. “How was Hawaii?”

“Beautiful, but a little busy for my tastes. Reminded me too much of Washington DC during rush hour.”

“Ouch. And the beaches?” Someday he’d like to go there, but he doubted he’d have the patience just to sit on the sand and listen to the surf. Then the image of having Charlotte with him surfaced, and he imagined what he’d like to do with her on the hot sand.

“Fantastic, but I would’ve liked it if the water had been warmer. The waves were terrific though, but I bet you didn’t come here to ask about my honeymoon. Charlotte mentioned the night your brother returned to town, his former boss was murdered. Want to tell me what happened?”

Since Vic understood confidentiality better than anyone, and Trent wanted to hire him to do some surveillance work, he had no problem sharing the intel. For the next hour he detailed everything he knew.

Vic leaned back in his seat and tapped his fingers on the desk. “You want me to watch John Samuels or Richard Delaney?”

“Samuels. I’ll interview Delaney and then see what Frank Hamilton is up to.”

“What do you expect to find?”

“I have absolutely no idea.”

*     *     *

Charlotte had spent
all day Thursday going store to store locating the perfect furniture and the best artwork for her new project. In the end, she was thrilled with her choices. Every piece seemed to match Mrs. Goddard’s sophistication and her vulnerability. The greens, blues, and peaches all blended to make a soothing room.

To Charlotte’s delight, the stores promised to deliver everything by three that afternoon, which was perfect. The paint would be dry and the area rug she’d ordered would already have been laid down. Rather tired and a bit anxious to finish the job, she hurried to Mrs. Goddard’s home to begin the final phase of decorating.

Once she was shown inside, Charlotte went to work cleaning every surface before the major pieces arrived. Within an hour the van showed up, and the men unloaded everything, saving her a lot of time arranging the pieces herself.

Mrs. Goddard tapped on the closed door. “May I see the room?”

Charlotte liked to have the reveal only when it was totally done, as it made for a bigger impression. She poked her head out the door. “Not yet. It shouldn’t take me more than an hour or two to put everything in place and hang the pictures. Is that okay?”

It was her house, and Mrs. Goddard could do what she wished.

“Sure.” She smiled. “I feel like it’s Christmas. I can’t wait to see it. Let me know when it’s ready.”

“I will.”

Charlotte loved the design process, picking out the fabrics and trying to make designer magic, but it was putting everything together that really had her creative juices flowing. Fortunately, the expensive furniture arrived assembled.

As she arranged the artwork on the shelves, she wondered what it would be like to have a big home like this someday with children running around. As much as she dreamed that Trent would be by her side, she wondered if there was room in his life for a relationship. Her dad had put off having the family he wanted until he was no longer able to work at the FBI. She hoped Trent didn’t want to wait that long.

Thinking about the future would only distract her, so she focused on the job instead. Charlotte hustled from one end of the room to the other, looking at the arrangement from every angle until she was satisfied. She couldn’t wait to see the excitement on Mrs. Goddard’s face.

Charlotte exited the room, closing the door behind her to make it more of a surprise. She walked down the hall. “Mrs. Goddard?”

“Are you ready for me?” Her excited voice floated in from the kitchen.

“Yes.”

When they reached the door to the retreat, Charlotte opened it, and as she stepped out of the way, she gently clasped Mrs. Goddard’s shoulder so that they wouldn’t bump.

The woman winced and grabbed her arm.

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said. Sheesh. She’d barely touched her.

“It’s okay.”

Charlotte didn’t believe her since pain still raced across her face. Perhaps she’d recently had shoulder surgery. As soon as her client stepped in the room, she covered her mouth. “It’s amazing. You captured everything I wanted in the room.”

Charlotte was thrilled by her response. “Thank you. Sit in the chaise lounge and see how comfortable it is. I think you’ll really like it.”

Mrs. Goddard eased her way over to the lounge chair, taking her time to study the two paintings on the wall and the assortment of art spread around the room. “This is so beautiful. Too bad Bill can’t see how you’ve transformed his room.”

Charlotte doubted he’d appreciate losing his office. She followed Mrs. Goddard across the room, and as she leaned over to sit down, Charlotte couldn’t help but notice the yellow bruises right below the woman’s collarbone on the opposite side of the sore shoulder. These could have come from a seatbelt bruise if she’d been in a car accident. Given it was on her left side, she’d have been a passenger. However, it wasn’t Charlotte’s business to ask what happened.