Imminent Danger (Adrenaline Highs) (18 page)

Leo handed over his credit card at the register.

“What are you doing?” Kim said, pulling her wallet out of her purse. “I don’t expect you to pay for my clothes.”

He exchanged a look with Cesar. “It’s not a problem,” Leo assured her. “Let’s call it a down payment for the work you’re going to do for me.”

She considered that. “It depends how much this comes to. You’re not paying for my clothes.”

When had he ever had a woman insist on paying for herself? Uh…
never.

“What’s the damage?” she asked Cesar.

Leo gave him his card. “Here. Take it. We’ll call this a retainer,” he told Kim.

She scowled, but showed a little give. “I don’t like it.”

Cesar, smart businessman that he was, had already run Leo’s card. His smile dimmed as he blinked at his computer screen. “Um…” he glanced at Leo and regained his smile. “I’m sure it was just a mistake, eh? Let me try again.” He slid the card through the machine and the same surprised look came over his face. He leaned in close to Leo. “Your card was declined,” he whispered.

Leo felt a rush of heat to his cheeks. Kim closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

“Couldn’t be,” he told Cesar. He whipped out another card. Platinum. “Use this. Someone must have stolen the number somehow. I’ll call the card company when I get home.” Goddammit. Not what he needed right now, but credit card fraud ran rampant everywhere. He paid for card insurance so he’d be fine.

Cesar ran the new card and his eyes widened as he read the information on his screen.

What the hell? Leo felt his heart thumping harder behind his ribs. Cesar shook his head.

Kim opened the wallet she never replaced in her purse and whipped out a card. “Here. I’ve got this. No need for him to pay,” she told Cesar. “What’s the damage?”

Leo gave Cesar a very clear look. “Didn’t you tell me you’ve got a seventy-five percent off sale happening on last season’s line?” There was at least ten thousand dollars of merchandise sitting on the counter. Probably more. Even a fraction of that was going to cause Kim to balk.

Cesar read Leo’s deliberate stare. Leo had told him when he’d called that if Kim wouldn’t let him pay for the whole thing, he’d at least cover what she couldn’t afford. He was a longtime customer and good for the money. Not to mention the advertising of his clothes when Kim wore them while on Leo’s arm. Cesar knew what good business entailed. “Yes,” he said, beaming at Leo then Kim. “Seventy-five percent off. You came at the perfect time.” He started punching numbers on the register. “It’s your lucky day. Your total is two thousand five-hundred, twenty-seven dollars and sixty-four cents.

“Two thousand five-hundred and…” Kim swallowed. “twenty-seven dollars.”

“And sixty-four cents,” Cesar added.

“Can’t forget that,” she murmured. She started going through the pile again, clearly looking for pieces to discard.

“What about your first time shoppers discount?” Leo asked, giving Cesar another pointed look that said,
you know I’ll pay you every dime, just get us the hell out of here.

“Right!” Cesar jumped on the excuse. “How could I forget?” He punched more buttons on his register and brought the total down another five hundred dollars and change. He nearly whimpered and Leo coughed to cover the sound.

Kim tilted and shook her head at the same time. Didn’t look as if she was buying any of it. She separated two more items before requesting another tally. The bill came to just under eighteen hundred dollars. “Well, bottom line is I love your beautiful clothes and I need them so I’m in.” She handed over a credit card. After a hesitant glance from Cesar, Leo nodded slightly and Cesar finished the transaction. The card went through without a problem and Leo felt another wave of heat against his neck. Cesar carefully folded the clothes between tissue paper and lovingly eased them into handled shopping bags with the store logo on the side.

He came around the counter and gave Kim a massive hug before holding her shoulders and pulling back to look at her. “You will do my clothes justice.” He kissed each cheek then turned to Leo. “She is special. I like this lady. You will bring her in again, yes?”

“Cesar, you are a wonder with fabric, and I thank you for your
sale
.” The tone of her voice very clearly indicated she smelled the bullshit. “But I won’t be in town long. I just had a clothes emergency and Leo was nice enough to help me out. I can guarantee the next time I’m in town, I’ll be back for a visit. I have a feeling it might a take a couple of trips to make up for the favor you did me today.”

Cesar beamed.

Two minutes later, they climbed into Stella. Leo had no clue what to say and Kim gave him a sidelong glance.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” Embarrassing himself? Giving her something to go to the tabloids with? He could see the headlines now.
Leo Frost Destitute and Living on His Last Dime.
Great. He started the engine and Stella purred.

“For talking Cesar down about twelve thousand dollars’ worth of clothes. I’m not stupid, you know. Just out of my league. There’s a difference.” She adjusted the delicate silver watch on her wrist. “I should’ve rented a damn car and gone to the mall, but you hit my weakness. Beautiful clothes. I’m just treating this as next year’s vacation budget.”

Leo felt like shit. He hadn’t planned on her paying anything. Add to the fact she couldn’t really afford it when he could. He intended to make this up to her.

Back at Leo’s house, Kim put away her new clothes. After Cesar’s place, they’d stopped at a luggage shop, a pharmacy to pick up essentials and Sephora for more essentials. A girl needed her makeup. And if she planned to stick around town another week, she needed to look halfway decent instead of her current zombie state.

Time to put on her big girl panties—thank God Cesar had sold underwear too—and help figure out what happened to Stephanie, not to mention looking over Leo’s finances.

She went downstairs, wearing one of the newly purchased outfits. A short, flowing black skirt, with a cream-colored sleeveless top. The three-inch black and cream wedges tied it all together and along with a little bit of height, the shoes were surprisingly comfortable. As she neared the kitchen, she heard Leo in his office.

“I don’t give a shit what your computer is saying. It’s wrong. I’m not even close to maxing out any of my cards.” He paused and Kim heard rustling. “What?” She barely caught his whisper. “That’s not possible,” he said. “I would’ve known, I would’ve—” He stopped or got cut off and Kim continued toward the kitchen. It seemed almost impossible to spend as much money as he made per movie, but if this house and his cars were any indication, then the man had expensive tastes. She’d heard he had homes in New York, Hawaii, Paris and London.

Talk about excessive.

Not to mention that he used Carl’s crooked accountant. It all added up to trouble.

Kim poured herself a glass of ice water and stared out the French doors that overlooked the massive backyard. A tennis court and pool surrounded parklike grounds. Two wicker sofas with green cushy pads bookended a large fire pit. A perfect place for entertaining.

Leo stormed into the kitchen and stopped short when he saw her. He quickly covered his scowl, but she watched his color deepen. He was still embarrassed about the shopping trip.

“You know, I didn’t plan or expect for you to pay for my clothes. I don’t know why you have such a bug up your butt about it.”

“I don’t have a bug up my butt,” he insisted. He opened the fridge door and pulled out a beer. It was still early afternoon. “You want one?” He held out the Stella Artois. The man had a fascination for all things Stella.

“No, thanks.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Look, I couldn’t help but overhear and it seems too coincidental to me. Maybe I should just start on your stuff now. The faster I begin, the sooner I get out of your hair so you can…” she gestured to the bottle in his hand and lifted an eyebrow, “…do whatever it is you do when you get upset.”

Leo looked at the beer in his hand and glanced back at her. He shoved the thing back in the fridge and slammed the door shut. He paced the massive kitchen, a tiger on the prowl, his hands running over his head with nervous energy. Finally he stopped and faced her.

“Look, apparently, I’m in a deep hole of shit and I had no idea.”

“You picked up your files a few days ago when we got Carl’s. Didn’t you go through them?”

Leo leaned back as if she’d spoken something taboo. “Go through them? It’s like reading another language.” He shook his head. “Numbers are not my friend. The more of them on a page the more my brain shuts off. I was waiting for a couple of references before I just took the files to someone else to figure out.”

“That’s why I’m here, remember?” She gestured toward the office. “Lead the way. Let’s get this party started.”

But Leo didn’t move.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“The bank said…” He couldn’t finish. “Look, today. I need to apologize.” He faced her. “You’re right. I did want to buy you those things because you’ve had a tough couple of days. Your friend is gone. You lost everything you came here with besides the clothes on your back and even those were basically ruined because I tackled you.”

“I’d rather have ruined clothes than be dead, and that’s what I would’ve been if I’d gotten closer to the house. I can handle that as a price to pay. You’re the one who got burned.”

He closed his eyes, shook his head and waved her off.

“As far as the clothes…” She waited for him to look at her. When his cobalt blue eyes landed on her, she got an unwanted blast of tingles across her arms. “It was a nice thought on your part and I appreciate it, but I take care of myself. No one buys me stuff other than me.”

His lips curved upward in a barely there smile. “Even for your birthday and Christmas?”

“Those are two exceptions. The other is Valentine’s Day. I’m a sucker for chocolates and flowers, but don’t tell anyone.”

He studied her and a wave of heat followed the tingles. “Why can’t people buy you things?”

“That’s a topic for a different day.” No way did she plan to unload her garbage on Leo Frost. He might’ve been acting like a decent guy, but he was in a crap load of trouble for one reason or another, and not only was he paying her to find out what it was, but she wanted to know for herself.

Chapter Twelve

Though Blake had slept in his own apartment the night before, he was happy to be back at his boss’s house the next day, working on a new missing person’s case. The woman in question had last been seen at her husband’s nightclub and Blake had been checking her recent credit history to see if any leads arose from out of the ordinary purchases. Usually, he’d be working from the office in Century City, but shadowing Abbey made it necessary to work from Troy’s home office.

Julie had called Troy away from the computer to ask him a question about the upcoming remodel of the guesthouse, so when a scream came from the kitchen, Blake dropped the file in his hand and ran full out across the house, his heart slamming against his ribs. He slid into the kitchen in time to see Abbey dancing happily around the center island with the phone to her ear. He nearly dropped to his knees in relief.

“Got it. Bye.” She hung up and let loose another sound, this one closer to a squeal.

Julie and Troy ran in from the backyard.

“What?” Julie asked. “What happened?”

“I’ve got a callback!” Abbey flawlessly moonwalked across the floor then turned in a perfect Michael Jackson spin. “This afternoon.” She looked up at the three faces watching her. “I have to go back to my apartment for some stuff.”

Julie hugged her fast and hard. “Wonderful!”

Blake looked at Troy. They’d discussed this already. Any time Abbey left the estate, she became a target. Though no one could definitively say that the speeding car had been intended strictly for Abbey, neither Troy nor Blake believed in coincidence.

“You guys!” Abbey said, her aggravated reprimand clear in her tone. “Showing up to this screen test without the right clothes and makeup is just as bad as not showing up at all. Julie, will you please tell them that I have to do this.”

Julie looked from Troy to Blake then back to Abbey. “You have to do it, but you also have to be really careful. Troy knows his stuff. If he’s concerned, then there’s something to worry about.”

Abbey looked at Blake and gave him her best sad face.

Shit, she played him like a fucking maestro and like any instrument, he just sat there and took it. Blake rolled his eyes as much from his own lack of backbone as her puppy-dog pout. “Yes, I’ll take you. Quit with the face.”

Abbey clapped her hands and squeaked again, as excited as a toddler, and Blake couldn’t help but smile at her happiness. This was the Abbey he loved to see, the free-spirited lady who’d stolen his heart a year ago.

An hour later, she sat shotgun next to him as they headed for Abbey’s apartment with Troy following to watch for any tails. Troy peeled off after twenty minutes and went back home.

At her place, Abbey changed and came out of her bedroom a vision in black and green. The form fitting black leggings outlined the outrageous curve of her perfect ass, and calf-high black boots with a three-inch heel gave her even more height than usual. A green flowing top draped seductively over her figure inspired imagination. The sheer material over her collarbone and shoulders had him itching to touch the soft skin beneath. She rummaged around a pile of papers on the small desk in the corner of the room and pulled out a headshot before they left her apartment. Walking back to his SUV, the light breeze plastered the fabric against her chest and made Blake long to feel those curves for himself.