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There were few things Doogan loved more than the chance to do his own manipulating, too, though. Once he saw that pulling the Mackays in would actually take some effort, he would have done exactly as he did: rushed straight to Somerset and set his plans in motion. Plans that would get him killed if they managed to harm even the first silken hair on Eve’s head.
* * *
Eve stood in the large bathroom staring through the window that looked out onto the water and the small beach with its long dock extending out to deeper water.
It was the faint sound of the boat’s trolling motor moving up the waterway that had urged Eve to crawl from the bed and go to the bathroom, where she could see the beach more clearly. And boy, had she gotten an eyeful that she hadn’t expected.
It was easy to recognize the three men Brogan had just been talking to. Jedediah Booker and Elijah Grant, the two building contractors staying at her mother’s inn, along with Chatham Doogan, were meeting with Brogan.
She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she’d been able to follow their expressions. Brogan had been trying to hide his irritation and suspicion, where both Jedediah and Elijah had looked more amused than anything else.
The one thing that had clearly come across, though, and really pissed her off was the fact that Brogan and Doogan obviously knew each other very, very well.
Liars. She hated them. There was something about deliberate lies and deceit that reminded her far too much of Chandler Mackay.
As Brogan moved toward the house, Eve turned and rushed back to the bed, knowing he would come straight to her. He wouldn’t wait; he wouldn’t find anything else to do.
Crawling back into the huge, obviously custom-made bed, she pulled the sheet to her breasts just as Brogan entered the room. He came to an immediate stop as he saw she was awake and waiting for him.
Instantly wariness seemed to settle around him, though his expression didn’t change. It didn’t flicker in his gaze, and there was no tension in his body. So she had no clue how she knew he was suddenly unsettled by the fact that she was waiting for him.
“You’re awake,” he stated softly, moving toward her as she watched him closely.
“For a while now,” she agreed. “I wondered where you were. ”
“I had some business that couldn’t wait. ” He grimaced as he rubbed at his jaw. “We’ll discuss it later. Are you ready for breakfast yet, or would you like a hot bath first?”
They would discuss it later?
Eve could feel an impending sense of panic settling in her stomach.
“I’d rather discuss the business first,” she argued.
Brogan shook his head, his lips tilting in that little partial grin she thought was so sexy.
“Breakfast or bath. ” Evidently, those were her only choices. “Which do you prefer first? There are some bath salts to ease the soreness in your muscles, imported all the way from China. ” Rueful amusement tinged the blue-gray depths of his gaze.
“Bath, I guess. ” She shrugged. “Brogan?”
He paused as he moved to turn to the bathroom, staring down at her questioningly instead.
“This business we’re going to discuss,” she asked as her heart began beating hard and sluggishly. “Is it something bad?”
“No, it’s nothing bad. ” He shook his head. “Don’t worry, sweetheart; everything will be okay. I promise. ”
But he didn’t really believe that. He wanted to, she thought. He might be trying to convince himself it would be, but she could sense his uneasiness, and that was freaking her out just a bit. She shouldn’t be able to sense anything that he wasn’t showing the obvious signs to.
“I’ll start your water. ” Turning, he headed back to the bathroom before pausing at the door and glancing back at her. “You have several changes of clothes; wear whatever you like. I thought we’d take a walk after breakfast, but the path is easy enough for sandals or sneakers. ”
A walk sounded nice. Or was that when he was going to discuss the business of Chatham, Elijah, and Jedediah’s morning visit?
Checking the bag he had brought, Eve pulled out one of the heavy plastic hair clips she used to pin her hair up. Twisting the long strands to the top of her head, she clipped it in place before moving to the bathroom when he left.
True to his word, he had started her bath. The water was deliciously warm without being too hot. The bath salts gave it a silky, caressing feel as she settled into it, sighing at the luscious sensation of the water easing overused muscles.
The tub itself was large enough for two or three people. There was an open shower larger than her entire bathroom. The vanity and sleek modern overlarge sink sat on one side of the room, a pair of heavy padded chairs beside it. The toilet was in a room by itself, separated from the bathing area with a sliding wooden door that pushed into the wall. Heated ceramic tiles covered the floor, while more tile covered the walls and gave the bathroom an elegant, charming feel. It was luxurious and ultrarich, with enough wasted space to house two more regular-size bathrooms.
The entire house was a rich person’s play den, nothing more. One of those places the megarich kept as a hidden sex spot: wild parties, mistresses, booze, and drugs. Hell, in the other bathroom there had been an eight-ball of cocaine sitting in the medicine cabinet in plain view.
She hadn’t checked this bathroom that well yet.
Finishing her bath with the fragrant soap Brogan had laid out for her, Eve stepped from the tub nearly half an hour later. Drying herself, she brushed her hair until the silky sheen gleamed a blue-black, then dressed quickly.
The white lace panties and matching bra she’d found in the bag comprised one of her nicer sets. Trust Brogan to pick out the best she had.
The short cream-colored chiffon skirt and matching sleeveless top slid over her skin as she dressed, caressing it with cool silkiness.
The top was held up by fragile straps over her shoulders, while the shallow vee cut of the bodice revealed the upper curves of her breasts. The skirt fell just below her thighs, the soft flare of the material making her legs appear much longer and sexier.
She was dressed now and ready to face whatever lies or perhaps explanations Brogan might have.
Nervously she left the bedroom and headed to the main part of the house. There she found Brogan in the large open kitchen sliding pancakes onto a plate with steaming eggs. Beside it sat another plate, while bacon, sausage, and fluffy biscuits filled a platter.
“I thought we’d sit on the breakfast patio. ” Grabbing the two plates and silverware, Brogan nodded to the platter. “Grab that. The coffee’s already out there. ”
The breakfast patio held a wide table and seating for six. Sitting across from Brogan at one end, she stared at the tall picture windows that surrounded them on three sides.
Eve enjoyed the view outside as they ate in silence. At one point, a doe moved through the trees beyond the glass, and a thought piqued her curiosity.
“What happens if hunters accidently shoot this way?” Hunting season would be coming around in a few months.
“The windows are actually bullet resistant. The glass itself has a special coating that blocks anyone outside from looking in. ” He volunteered more information. “All the windows in the house are similarly secured. The basement has a security room with its own backup generator, and that wall”—he indicated the mural painted on the wall leading into the living area—“has a hidden panel to a safe room. There are satellite phones, cell phones, and a landline. The wires to the landline are buried nearly six feet deep and run through metal pipes. The phone and electrical wiring runs through the house in titanium tubing, and it’s almost impossible to open the access panels without the proper key. ”
“Wow. ” Sipping her coffee, she turned back to him. “All the comforts of home, huh?” She grinned.
“Just about,” he agreed as he bit into a sausage li
nk.
“So, which ultrabillionaire does it belong to?”
“The government. ” He finished his coffee before placing the cup on the table. “Are you ready for that walk now?”
“I don’t know,” she answered, staring back at him with a sense of nervous awareness. “Are we taking a walk to avoid the questions I’m going to ask?”
“To answer your questions, Eve,” he promised her softly. “Whatever you want to ask. As soon as I tell you a few things, then you can ask all the questions you like. ”
Rising from the table, he held his hand out to her, his expression closed and guarded. “Walk with me, baby. ”
Placing her hand in his, Eve let him draw her to her feet and lead her through the open kitchen and living area to the wide patio she’d sat on the night before. Opening the glass patio doors, Brogan stood aside, allowing her to step into the cool mountain air before he closed the doors behind them. Eve couldn’t help but feel she should have stayed where she was.
She should have waited.
She should have begged him to make love to her one more time before she learned something that could destroy every possibility of her staying with him.
She should have never gotten out of the bed at the sound of the boat motor and taken a chance on seeing the men who had arrived. If she hadn’t, she would have never known he was hiding anything. And that, she thought, was her biggest mistake.
Getting out of the bed.
If she had just stayed, then when he returned to the bedroom she would have done as she had been fantasizing. She would have tempted him to lie down with her again, perhaps convinced him to allow her the exploration of his body before he took her again.
But no, Eve had to be nosy.
She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like the consequences of that nosiness now.
THIRTEEN
Stepping from the cool interior of the luxurious house to the heated summer warmth of the sun was a comforting feeling. This was the part of Kentucky that Eve loved so much: the heat overhead, the cool, sheltered shadows of the surrounding trees, and the lush vibrancy of the mountains.
“It’s so pretty here,” she said as he led her along a decorative gravel path that wound through the trees. “And peaceful. ”
He settled his palm against the small of her back as they followed the path, and Eve swore she could feel a sense of hesitancy filling him.
“It’s not very peaceful when the parties get started up here. ” He sighed. “Sometimes it’s been a veritable den of iniquity for days at a time. ”
He was giving her the perfect opportunity to delve into the questions she’d claimed to want to ask.
“You can’t tell it’s been anything but this peaceful,” she commented as they continued along the path. “I remember when we first came to Somerset. Timothy flew us in and pretty much surprised Dawg with our existence. But I remember the drive to the house Timothy was living in at the time. The mountains were so beautiful and so green. After spending most of our lives in northern Texas, it was like an alien world. ”
She was aware of him glancing down at her thoughtfully. She rarely talked about their arrival in Kentucky. The years in Texas hadn’t always been pleasant, and remembering them was something she rarely enjoyed.
“How did Dawg react to meeting four sisters and their mother? Hell, Mercedes is younger than he is, isn’t she?” he questioned her curiously.
Eve nodded as she pushed her hands into the hidden pockets at the side of the skirt. “He’s older by several years. The day we arrived at the marina, Momma was sick. Timothy was trying to explain to Dawg who we were when Zoey rushed in accusing him of not wanting us. ” She grinned at the memory. “The rest of us were in the truck with Momma, but I remember seeing his face when he came out to where we were. He looked completely stricken. ”
“Good God. ” Brogan gave a surprised laugh. “There’s no way in hell he could deny he’s related to Zoey. Look at her and you’re looking at the image of his daughter in a few more years. ”