Читать книгу Journey to Seduction - Candace Shaw - Страница 11

Chapter 3

Sydney stepped into the empty break room at the GBI headquarters and darted straight to the freshly brewed coffee she had smelled the moment she’d arrived. She poured the piping-hot drink into her oversize mug and inhaled its glorious scent. It was Monday morning, and she was refreshed and ready to get back into the action of work. Her team’s debriefing meeting would begin at ten, and it was only a quarter to nine. Normally, she wouldn’t be here this early on a Monday, but she’d taken the bus since her Mustang had spent the weekend at headquarters.

Saturday and Sunday, she’d decided to take it easy and rest as Bryce had suggested. Megan had stopped by on Sunday evening after returning from Hilton Head with a basket of healthy snacks and to verify that Sydney was fine. Bryce had even called both days to check on her. She’d kept the conversations brief, citing she was about to step out or take a nap. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she saw was Bryce kissing her, and the best thing to do was to avoid speaking to him or being in his presence so she could get over whatever she thought she felt for him.

She headed to her office armed with her coffee and a Danish. She noticed Mumford’s door ajar and stuck her head in.

“Hey.” She leaned on the door.

“Chase?” he said startled. “What are you doing here? You didn’t get my message yesterday?”

She plopped down in the chair in front of his desk. “Yep, but I don’t need a few days off. Besides, I never miss Monday-morning meetings.”

“I know, kiddo, but I’m worried about you. The whole team is.”

“No need. I’m good.” She crossed her jeans-clad legs and tapped her foot in the air. She didn’t like the grimace on Mumford’s red face. The way he inhaled followed by a quick exhale suggested he was anxious about something.

“Syd...” He leaned toward her. “I’ve been reviewing your file and noticed you have over a month’s worth of vacation leave you haven’t taken. It’s all paid, but the time expires soon.”

She was well aware of the paid vacation time she hadn’t taken yet. “No biggie. I’m not going anywhere until maybe this summer.” She shifted in her seat.

“Well...I’m going to give you the month off with pay starting right now.”

She blinked several times. “What, now? You can’t do that.”

“I can and I just did.” He spoke calmly, settling back in his chair.

“What am I supposed to do with myself for an entire month?”

“Sleep in, hang with your sister or get on your motorcycle and ride absolutely nowhere in particular. I... Syd, you almost gave me a heart attack when I saw you passed out. I know we’ve been working around the clock lately, and it has caught up to you. It happens to all of us at some point during this career, and it can happen again.”

“Who’s the profiler you’re replacing me with while I’m gone?”

“Watkins.”

“Watkins? Really? Then you might as well keep me here. Last summer when I was in Memphis, I swear that kid called me fifty times for advice.”

“He looks up to you. He respects your validation.”

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “Fine. Go ahead and process my vacation paperwork.” She stood, unhooked the gun from her holster and set the weapon on his desk.

He patted a folder with a sly smile. “Already did. Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

* * *

That afternoon, Sydney cuddled on her couch searching the internet for vacation spots while Bad Boys played on the flat screen in the background. She couldn’t believe she didn’t fight harder with Mumford about taking the vacation. This wasn’t the first time he’d demanded she take a break, but in the past he’d always lost. She hated to admit that she was looking forward to the month off. Lately, she’d been stressed with the job that she loved and couldn’t pinpoint why all of a sudden she found it taxing. However, Bryce’s statement—there comes a time when you have to move on—had played in her head all weekend. She’d contemplated taking the bar exam just to have it to fall back on. She’d studied for it off and on over the years, but her career had always gotten in the way. Plus, she wasn’t sure if that was the side of the law she wanted to be on. That reason alone was why she had decided not to take the bar after law school, much to her parents’ dismay.

Sydney continued searching for vacation spots while laughing at Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. The movie was on mute, but she knew the lines by heart. She didn’t see anywhere she wanted to go on the spur of the moment, and since it was winter, riding her motorcycle somewhere was out of the question. She thought about the motorcycle fest Bryce had mentioned but couldn’t remember the name of it. After reaching for her cell phone, she scrolled through until she saw his name, but she pushed the screen button off instead.

She jumped up from the couch, tossing the phone onto one of the cushions, and headed to the laundry room to check on the towels in the dryer. Fifteen minutes later, she strolled by the couch, glanced at the phone and released a low groan on the way to the linen closet in the hallway. Afterward, she sat on the floor and slid the laptop on her lap to continue searching for a quick getaway even though the trip to Vegas was the only one she was remotely interested in. Her eyes roamed toward the phone, but she shook her head and searched for motorcycle fests in Vegas instead. Nothing came up.

Retreating to the kitchen, she glanced at the pizza place’s take-out menu on the refrigerator. Next to it was Bryce’s card with all of his contact numbers. How did that get there? She moaned and decided against the pizza. A salad with grilled chicken was the better choice.

Thirty minutes later, she plopped back on the couch with her hearty salad and stared straight ahead at the roses on the mantel. Even though Bryce only bought them because they were the seller’s last dozen, she couldn’t help but love their presence in her home. She glanced at her cell phone again, then back at the flowers.

Sydney still couldn’t shake her thoughts of him. Everything from his tantalizing scent to his sexy smile to his charismatic nature burrowed into her brain. The way he kissed her. The way he handled her. She couldn’t help but fantasize how he’d be if things ever went any further. His warm, brown skin on hers, caressing and stroking her naked body while bestowing his skillful tongue over every inch of her, sent a shiver of raw pleasure through her veins.

“This can’t be happening,” she screamed out loud. “I’m not sitting here thinking about that arrogant, conceited man.”

But he’d been none of those things when he’d held her hand tightly in the hospital or when he’d cooked her dinner and made sure nothing happened to her while she slept. The man she knew from the courtroom wasn’t the man who took care of her. Who had called her twice to check on her, and gave her roses that were blooming so beautifully and filling her living room with a sweet fragrance.

Sydney glanced at her cell phone again. “Okay. I’m only calling to ask for some information. Not a date.”

* * *

Bryce strolled confidently out of the meeting with his real-estate broker in the Equitable Building in the downtown Atlanta area. He’d found the perfect location for his law offices in midtown Atlanta and would close in less than a month. Turning the corner on Peachtree Street, he decided to grab some dessert at Café Intermezzo before heading back to his home in Buckhead.

The vibration of his cell phone interrupted his perusal of the menu. The phone had rung all day with business calls, and he really wanted to turn if off, but he needed to get things squared away before he left for Vegas on Wednesday afternoon. A surprised grin etched across his face at the picture of the sleeping beauty that was displayed on his screen. He’d snapped it on a whim and had found himself staring at it every now and then for the past few days. Now seeing it flash on his screen had him curious as to why she was actually calling him.

“Hey, Syd. Everything okay?” He sipped his café au lait and closed the menu, deciding upon a tiramisu cheesecake.

“Everything is fine. I just had a quick question if you aren’t busy...”

“Go ahead.” He leaned back in his chair. “I’m all ears.”

“I just wanted to know the name of the motorcycle fest you mentioned in Vegas. I’m thinking about going if it’s not too late, but I can’t find it online.”

“No, it’s not too late.” The waitress came back and he opened the menu, pointing to the cheesecake. “I’ll text you the information in a moment. It’s hosted by a private motorcycle club I belong to for professionals. That’s probably why you can’t find it. I’ll add your name to my guest list and send you the access number you’ll need to register.” He grabbed his iPad from his briefcase to place her name on his friends and family list.

“Oh, wow. Thank you so much.”

“No problem. So you’re taking some time off after all?”

“I don’t have a choice. My boss gave me a month’s leave of absence. It’s my built-up vacation time.”

“You have that much vacation leave that you haven’t taken? It’s definitely time for one then. That’s what your body has been trying to tell you.”

“Well, apparently, everyone but me realized it. I’ll check out the fest and decide if that’s somewhere I want to go. I’m looking at a few other places, as well.”

He rapidly tapped his finger on the table as his brain worked in overtime. “How about you ride with me? My trailer holds two motorcycles. I’m leaving Wednesday around two in the afternoon. I could use another driver.”

“Oh...no. I’ll probably fly. I may not even go. I’m just looking at all options.”

“Well, let me know if you decide to go. Maybe we can hang out since we’re semi–getting along now.”

“Um...I’m sure if I go we’ll run into each other.”

“Yeah...or you can call me,” he suggested in a low, sexy voice.

She laughed nervously. “Um...I gotta go...wash this conditioner out of my hair, but please text me the information.”

He chuckled silently. He hadn’t heard that excuse from a woman in ages.

“Will do, Syd.”

* * *

“What kind of excuse was that?” Sydney asked herself out loud. “Wash the conditioner out of my hair?” However, the lazy, seductiveness in his voice when he’d said, “Or you can call me,” surely had an underlying message. The profiler in her heard it. She even imagined him saying it through his inviting lips that had probably curled into a jaw-dropping, arrogant smirk. If it had been in person, he would’ve stepped into her personal space and winked. Maybe even licked his lips and pulled her hard against him as he had in the hospital, gripping her hips or maybe her butt this time.

Argh! Why can’t I get this man out of my head?

Sydney took a deep breath and opened the website for the festival. While it wasn’t too late to attend, the late registration fee was five hundred dollars. The airplane ticket was way too much, so she decided she would have to drive. That way she could hitch up her motorcycle trailer to the back of her Mustang. She’d done it before. No big deal. Sure, it would be a two-day drive, but, heck, she had a month off. What else was she doing? And if she ran into Bryce, so what? She was a tough cookie. She’d dealt with the most wanted criminals for the past five years saying all types of sexist things to her or wagging their tongues at her, among other rude gestures. A few even had the audacity to touch her and had ended up with a broken finger or five. She could handle being around Bryce Monroe.