Courting Suspicion

The lawyer stopped to talk to the hotel manager. The man in the green jacket wrung his hands and nodded anxiously. Josh wasn’t surprised when Brody reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. This time the exchange of money was clear and out in the open. Josh knew it was to keep the hotel quiet about the senator’s activities.

Although they’d both call it a tip.

The hotel wasn’t going to talk about this incident anyway. It would jeopardise their rating. Guests wouldn’t want to fork over money to stay here if they were worried about camera crews breaking in to tape them.

Josh flexed his hand, unconscious that he’d curled it into a fist. Maybe it was all on the up-and-up. Maybe the senator had just been caught with his much younger, much sexier girlfriend. It would make things so much simpler.

But he and Nina didn’t do simple, did they?

Luxxor. Son of a bitch.

He’d wondered what scandal would pull them together next. He’d been counting on one.

Just not this.

Chapter Two (#u7df92a9e-1b68-5886-bbd2-e10bd2e5c5e5)

A phone call awakened Nina from one of the most erotic dreams she’d ever had. She jerked awake to find the covers kicked off and sweat coating her skin. She was breathing as if she’d just run a hundred-yard dash, but the ache deep between her legs told her she hadn’t won the prize.

‘Ohhh,’ she groaned as she pressed her hands to her face.

So close. She’d been so close.

Heat flared inside her, and she pulled her knees up towards her chest. Then again, these dreams never ended happily, did they? In them she usually did something stupid like roll off the detective or push him away.

Her ringtone went off again, this time waking her fully. Her scrambled thoughts coalesced, and she pounced on her phone on the nightstand. Her sweat-drenched body cooled. It was never good when one of her escorts called her in the middle of the night.

She swiped her finger across the screen and sat up. ‘Genieve, what’s wrong? Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine,’ the woman rushed to assure her. ‘I’m sorry to wake you, but something went down tonight. You need to know.’

Nina clicked on the light by her bed and tucked her pillow behind her. As long as everyone was all right, that was what was important. She could figure out how to handle the rest. ‘What happened?’

‘The senator and I were … inconveniently interrupted.’

Nina blew out a breath. Her heart was still pounding loud enough that she could hear it.

The senator. Gunderson. She pinched the bridge of her nose. He wasn’t one of her favourite people. All show and no substance. He spent more time working on his appearance than on his platforms, but the three-hundred-dollar haircut and hours in the gym had gotten him elected now, hadn’t they?

But wait … He was up for election again, she remembered and winced silently. A scandal involving a candidate and one of her escorts was not good. His money spent just as well as anyone’s, but in her business politicians came with more risk.

‘Where were you caught, and by whom?’ she asked.

‘At the hotel by paparazzi.’

The press was involved. A bit more worry started to niggle at her. ‘You two have been seen together at events. He’s single.’

How bad could it be? They’d been very careful with the story they’d created for the pair.

‘I’m not talking in the lobby, Nina. They broke into our hotel room with cameras running. Again, at a very inconvenient time.’

Nina went still. Not much surprised her any more, but that did. ‘My God. That’s horrible. What were they thinking?’

An uncomfortable shudder went through her. Overheated or not, she pulled the covers over her legs and looked from her clinging negligée to the door. It made her want to check her security system. Genieve must have been terrified … and horrified. She couldn’t imagine Josh letting anyone do that and get away standing.

If she didn’t get to his gun first …

The blue glass butterfly on her bedstand almost seemed to flutter, and Nina closed her eyes. What was she thinking? The man wasn’t her lover and never would be. She was still too close to that steamy dream.

She shook it off and tried to concentrate.

‘I can’t believe this happened at the Emissary.’ She was surprised Henri hadn’t called her already to beg her forgiveness. He knew his four-star rating would be in jeopardy now.

She’d make sure of it.

‘Samuel went after them. He managed to push them out of the room, but not before they got video of the two of us.’

‘How bad was it?’

‘Nothing kinky, but bad.’

Nina rubbed her temple. The magnitude of the situation was starting to press down upon her. ‘Why would they do that?’ she asked. ‘What led them to you? Why be so brazen?’

‘They’re from a website. I don’t think they knew the press’s limitations or the law.’

That was one of the first things Nina trained her new employees on.

‘Nina, they knew I was an escort.’

Nina went still. ‘What? How?’

‘Somebody called in a tip. They were trying to get the scoop.’

As tired as she was, Nina’s thoughts finally became razor-sharp. She’d known the risks she was taking when she’d entered this field. She’d planned for this contingency since Day One, and she had precautions in place. Whatever the press had, it couldn’t be solid evidence. Only those escorts under exclusive contracts knew just how far Luxxor went to please its clients.

‘What’s the name of this news organisation?’ she asked, her words clipped. She had contacts. She had influence. She might be able to plug this leak, whatever it was. ‘Where is that video now?’

Genieve let out a puff of air. ‘Well … the good news and the bad news are the same on that. The police have it.’

The police?

Oh, good Lord. Was Genieve calling from the police station? Did she need bail money? Nina threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

‘Were you arrested?’ What could the police possibly have on her other than some thugs’ purported intel?

‘No, but the reporters were. The senator and I just gave statements.’

Nina stopped and dragged a hand through her hair. It was damp, too. This just kept getting better and better.