Chapter 11
By sunrise, Trent decided Natalie’s logic was infallible. Lying awake all night in a bed had been a big upgrade from lying awake all night on the floor.
Her scent filled the room. Every soft breath or movement from her bed caught his attention. Attention he should be applying to dropping a net over Royer. He didn’t want her scared, but she needed to be smart about this. A killer had taken way too much interest in her.
Quietly, he rolled out of bed. In the adjoining bath, he took a fast, cold shower. Cinching the towel around his waist, he opened the door, intending to go back to his original room for his toothbrush and clean clothes.
Natalie, sitting up in bed, her hair and shirt rumpled from sleep, stopped him. “Morning,” she said, covering a yawn.
“Right.” His entire body was tuned to her and if he didn’t move swiftly, the evidence would be too obvious. “Morning. I’ll, um, be right back.”
“Okay.” She flipped the covers back and touched her toes to the floor. He couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering up from her feet, over her bare legs, to the hem of the shirt she’d slept in. One of his shirts.
He’d offered it last night, a lame attempt to make her more comfortable, and her acceptance had made him want to slay dragons for her.
Seeing her now, that unfamiliar possessiveness surged once more.
He aimed for the door, silently determined to find an ounce of composure waiting for him in the first room.
He pulled on shorts and a shirt and shoved his feet into deck shoes while he brushed his teeth in record time. Hustling back, he found Natalie dressed and making the beds. “What are you doing?”
“The job in front of me.” She spread her arms wide, a lovely smile on her face. “You opted out of daily housekeeping. According to the website registration.”
“I did.” He didn’t know what to do with his hands when all he could think of was holding her. “I should’ve insisted Jess bring you clean clothes last night.”
“I’m fine.” Natalie waved off his concern.
“This feels weird,” he admitted.
She cocked an eyebrow as she crossed the room. “You’re not having some weird hotel maid fantasy are you?”
This woman. “Now I am.”
She laughed and patted his chest. “Well, you’d best adapt it to a chef fantasy,” she said with an exaggerated flutter of eyelashes. “I’m starving. Come on.”
He followed her down to the kitchen, trying to keep his mind on the work instead of her. Not easy when her every move mesmerized him, making him want to forget everything else. “Our date is tonight,” he blurted out as she started pulling eggs, milk, and bread from the fridge.
She peered at him from around the edge of the refrigerator door. “We’re still on?”
“I’m counting on it.” He’d bought ingredients for a chicken pot pie and he planned to follow through. He’d hoped to surprise her, but that ship had sailed. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”
Her smile flashed and her eyes sparkled. “Not a chance. I can’t wait.” She set a griddle on the stove top. “Is French toast good for you?”
“Can’t wait,” he replied, echoing her. “Want help?”
“Not if you have other things to do.” When he hesitated, so did she. “Do you not have the time for breakfast?”
“It’s not that.” He struggled with the easy domesticity of the moment.
Sharing a kitchen wasn’t a regular occurrence.
He deliberately avoided it. As much as he loved his big family, he typically avoided anything that felt like having a family of his own.
He wasn’t ready. And tying any thoughts to the contrary to Natalie was silly.
The attraction was there, no doubt. Something to consider more seriously later. When he wasn’t on the job.
“If you have something to do, I can manage this alone.”
“It’s some additional prep work for today, if you don’t mind.” Jess had suggested he go back through any footage from the drone while he wasn’t flying it. “If I handle it now, we can go straight to your place after breakfast before I start my search today.”
“Sounds good to me.” With a smile, she reached for the eggs to start the batter.
Walking to the breakfast table, he opened his laptop and cued up the footage.
As the video began to roll, he changed the settings to slow down the playback speed.
With luck, he’d caught something that would be helpful despite Royer’s departure from the construction site.
It helped knowing the Guardian Agency researchers at headquarters were also combing through the images for anything actionable.
As he watched, the savory scents of a hearty breakfast filled the kitchen.
Sausage, egg wash, and a dash of cinnamon.
His stomach rumbled, anticipating the meal she was preparing.
Shifting, he focused again on the screen.
The drone cruised over the trees, a flash of color catching his attention.
Startled, he struggled with the online controls for a moment, rewinding and pressing play once more.
“Coffee.” Natalie set a cup within reach. “Black, right?”
“Thanks,” he didn’t take his eyes off the screen. Going back and forth, enlarging the still image as much as possible, he thought the color had the image of a kayak. As if someone—probably Royer—had shoved it into the trees.
He opened the text app and sent a text to the research team, marking the time on the video for easier reference. If anyone had the tools to find that kayak in or around the island over the past few days, it was the Guardian Agency.
“Natalie, I could use your opinion when you get a second.”
“Sure.” She walked over, her own cup of coffee in her hands.
“What do you make of this?” He angled the screen for her.
Her brow knit and she leaned closer. “Why would someone shove a kayak into the woods?” She stood, met his gaze.
“To hide it,” they said in unison.
“I can’t believe I didn’t see this yesterday.”
“Overhead and with the shadows, I can’t be sure, obviously, but it definitely resembles the kayak out there when I picked up the sail cloth.” Her nose twitched and she darted back to the French toast on the griddle.
When it came to color, he trusted Natalie. He sent another text to the research team. “How long until breakfast?”
“It’s ready when you are.” She added the fresh slices of French toast to the warming tray. “I can fix a plate for you.”
He shook his head and closed the laptop. “Thanks.” He moved the computer and made room for the napkins and forks she’d set out. She brought over loaded plates, then went back for butter, syrup, and a bowl of powdered sugar.
“Wow. That’s a setup.”
“Hospitality duchess at your service.” She gave a quick curtsey. “But we all bow to Celeste. She’s the queen.”
The food was delicious and they both ate with enthusiastic focus. Over a last cup of coffee, he called Jess and the three of them worked out a plan that protected Natalie and gave him some room to work.
Jess would pick up Natalie and drive her home to pack and work. Another protective detail was in place there, making sure no one threatened Natalie or her sisters at the house Roni had purchased a year or two ago.
Although he could see Natalie wasn’t happy about what she called house arrest, she promised to cooperate. On her way out she touched his shoulder, let her hand slide down until her fingers laced with his. “See you tonight.”
Ignoring Jess’s curiosity, he smiled at Natalie. “I’ll be pick you up at Roni’s around seven.”
“Do you want me to bring something back for us to cook?”
He shook his head. “It’s all under control.
” He’d already factored the timing. On his first day in town, he’d ordered groceries and had everything on hand for a chicken pot pie.
Knowing she was anticipating a campfire too, he planned to use the cast iron dutch oven.
He could bake it early and then heat it up over the firepit when she arrived.
He watched through the window until Jess’s car pulled out of the driveway and then he got to work, determined to identify Royer’s accomplice before his first official date with Natalie.
And he planned on starting with Corey at the marina repair shop.