She bristled. “I told you. I got lost.” But the lie sounded even worse this time around.
“And you accidentally wandered into Konrad’s closet?”
“That’s right.” It could have happened.
“You’re damn lucky I have a forgiving nature.”
“Ha,” she managed to scoff.
He sat down on the carpet beside her and lifted the album from her hands. “I’ve already forgiven you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Then why is your neck going all red and splotchy?”
Devin’s hand automatically rose to cover it up, and Lucas grinned at the telltale action.
Then he shook his head. “I just hope I never need you to lie for me.”
“That seems unlikely,” she sniffed.
Instead of pressing further, he turned a page of the album. “You were very beautiful,” he told her.
Devin turned her attention to a photo of her and Monica. “We threw out our pictures,” she admitted. “Yeah?”
She nodded. “We chucked my bridesmaid dress, too.”
“She must have been pretty mad.” He turned to a page that showed the bride and groom cutting the cake. Their smiles seemed so sincere.
“Can you blame her?” Devin asked.
“She made a terrible mistake.”
“By marrying Konrad.”
Lucas butted Devin with his shoulder. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
Devin gave a shrug. “You might have decided to finally be honest.”
He shook his head in disbelief, folding the album shut and replacing it on the shelf.
Then, to her surprise, his hand slipped around to the back of her neck. His palm was warm, his gaze intent, and his voice sent a predictable quiver through the pit of her stomach. “You have got to be the most exasperating woman on the planet.”
She struggled to hold on to her equilibrium, keeping her tone tart. “What? The women you know don’t usually talk back?”
His lips relaxed to a half smile, and he leaned meaningfully toward her. “At this point, they usually stop talking altogether.”
“Is that how you like it?”
“It makes the kissing easier.”
“Don’t you dare.”
He grinned. “Why not?”
“Because you promised.”
“I didn’t promise a thing.”
She ordered herself to stay strong. “Have a little respect.”
“For what?”
“For this-” she gestured around them, hushing her voice in reverence “-for where we are.”
“We’re in my brother’s closet.”
“Exactly.”
“You’ve never made love in a closet?” He was moving closer.
Of course she hadn’t. She put her palm flat against his chest to hold him off. “Have
“Not that I recall.”
“You’re joking, right?” How could a person not recall something like that?
“It’s a pretty roomy closet,” he pointed out, ignoring her question and making a show of testing the softness of the carpet.
“The truce is over,” she reminded him, eyeing the closet door. She was sure she could make an escape. And she was positive it was the right thing to do.
“I’m willing to renegotiate,” he told her.
“Lucas, be serious.”
“What makes you think I’m joking?”
“I’m saying no.”
He clamped his jaw. But he let his hand fall away. And he rose to his feet, holding out a hand. “Then, let’s go.”
She was glad he’d back off. She really was.
She stuck her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. He kept hold of it, tugging her out of the closet and across Konrad’s bedroom, through the open door to the hallway.
“Just so you know,” he warned her as he pulled it shut behind them, “this room will have a lock on it from now on.”
Eight
Devin couldn’t pick locks, so Konrad’s room was out of the question. But, she figured there were two people involved in this conspiracy. And if Lucas felt it necessary to lock Konrad’s door, that meant there was something for Devin to find. If there was something to find in Konrad’s room, there might also be something to find in Lucas’s room the next day. So, the next day she set another plan in motion.
There were only a couple of weeks until the custody hearing, and she hadn’t found anything in the rest of the house. Staff were either loyal to Konrad, or they had genuinely loved the man. Nobody had a bad word to say, and they all seemed to think Monica had been happy back then.
Devin waited until Lucas had left the mansion, and until Lexi, her stalwart partner in crime, had Byron’s attention again at the pool. He’d put on a bathing suit today and joined her in the water. Devin was sure she’d get an earful about that from Lexi later tonight.
But, for now, she had Lucas’s room in her crosshairs. Teresa turned out to be a godsend. She’d offered to take Amelia out in her stroller, up to the stable area where they could watch the horses. Amelia seemed fascinated by anything that moved.
The hallway was quiet outside Lucas’s room.
Devin gingerly grasped the door handle, holding her breath as she gave it a turn. But the mechanism clicked, and the latch gave way. The wide door swung open in front of her.
She gazed inside his inner sanctum, squelching the surge of guilt that washed through her stomach. This was even harder than it had been yesterday in Konrad’s room. But there might be evidence in here that could help Amelia.
She forced herself to take a giant step inside. She pushed the door firmly shut, hearing the latch click back into place. Then she leaned back against the cool, solid wood while she gazed around the room.
It was rectangular. The ceiling was high, and the windows numerous, giving the room a light, airy feel. Leafy, dark green plants bracketed a set of glass doors that led to a balcony. A cream-colored sofa provided a centerpiece to a sitting area. The floor was polished maple, while the curtains and bedding shimmered with gold and emerald- green threads.
Devin was surprised to find the pale green wall panels lined with family portraits. For a few minutes, her attention was distracted as she peered at an old photo of a couple who were obviously Lucas and Konrad’s parents. There were photos of Lucas and Konrad as young boys, and one of an older man that she strongly suspected was the grandfather who’d willed Amelia his shares in the company.
There was a portrait of Konrad and Monica that Devin had never seen. Monica was sitting in an elegant chair, wearing a low-cut, frosted pink, satin evening gown. Konrad stood behind her, a hand on her shoulder. He wore a tux with a pocket kerchief that matched the dress. It took a confident man to pull off pink satin.
Devin couldn’t help wondering why they’d dressed up. Was it a party? One of the charity balls? Had Konrad
