‘Autumn! You wait!’ Nathan bellowed, turning his attention away from Teo and Jazz and toward her.
She gritted her teeth in irritation but turned back to face him, smiling. She could do this. In minutes, she would be inside, out of this sweaty day, rambling around a house so big she would be able to lose herself in it—and find a phone.
‘There is another Jeep in the garage for you. Keys,’ Teo said as he handed them to Nathan.
‘Thanks.’
‘We stay at house, just over there. There are maps inside,’ Teo informed him.
‘Thanks,’ Nathan said again.
‘See you tomorrow,’ Jazz added.
Nathan waved. ‘I’ll be in touch.’
Autumn opened and closed her purse in impatience. She wanted a bit of the five-star luxury she was used to, and, from the exterior appearance of this place, she was going to get it.
Nathan watched the Jeep until it was out of sight then pointed to the bags on the tarmac.
‘Grab one of these, will you? Oh, and, anywhere new, I go in first,’ he said, strolling past her, two of the bags on his shoulder.
She looked at the bags, the sheer bulkiness of them. She knew exactly what was inside. Weapons, guns of all kinds, and probably other lethal devices to inflict pain on unsuspecting potential kidnappers who dared to cross Nathan Regan’s path.
She took hold of the straps of one and jerked it upwards while balancing her purse on her other arm. It barely moved. He was halfway up the steps when he turned back.
Why did he always try to humiliate her? She wanted to weep. She was so close to somewhere that looked decidedly better than anywhere she had been with him, but still, he had to degrade her, keep her from anything remotely comforting.
She bit her lip and pulled the bag with all her strength. It moved a couple of inches.
‘That’s it, Autumn, put your back into it. Apparently, we have a sunken double bath inside. I can’t wait,’ he said.
That grin was on his face again. That self-confident, verging-on-smug expression he used whenever he thought he’d said something clever. He was utterly detestable, and when this threat was over, she would ensure he never worked again.
*
Everything he’d asked for was there. Matthews was a loyal friend, and he’d obviously earned the same amount of respect from Teo and Jazz somewhere along the line. The house had four bedrooms, a den, a large kitchen and dining room, two bathrooms, and a deck right across the front of the building with a view of Lake Michigan. Steps led down from the deck onto the beach, and that’s where he was now, staring out across the expanse of water, thinking about what to do next.
This was always what happened in his line of work. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but this time, for some reason, he was. He needed to get back in control of this situation before it all went to shit. He needed a plan—another beer and a plan.
*
If she closed her eyes in this bath, she would fall asleep. There was no doubt about that. She had walked into a huge double bedroom, with an uninterrupted view over the lake, and had jumped in excitement when she found that the row of closets had clothes in them. Granted, they weren’t designer, but they were stylish and they were clean, and that was a luxury. She’d peeled off the Audrey Dupont suit and threw it into a bin by the dressing table. She couldn’t possibly wear it again after all it had been through.
Her eyelids flickered closed, but she snapped them open. She couldn’t fall asleep. She needed to stay alert with him around. She wouldn’t put it past him to just walk into the bathroom, unannounced, and demand her out of the bath for some reason, perhaps another photographer to menace.
Her stomach rumbled as she smoothed bubbles over it with her hand. She’d not eaten since the pizza the night before. That was good. She’d been so busy being dragged across the world, she hadn’t even thought about eating. Or not eating.
She lined up the miniature bottles of bubble bath at the side of the tub, counting them into place. She was hungry now though—well, a bit. Actually, she would kill for fries.
After she’d dried her hair and dressed in a simple white cotton dress she’d found, she made her way into the kitchen. What she saw took the breath from her chest for a second. It was Nathan, at least, she thought it was, but he looked completely different. He was dressed in pale linen trousers and a light blue T-shirt, his feet bare, his hair freshly washed, and not a hint of stubble on his chin. He’d shaved and the transformation was almost unbelievable.
He stood over the stove, stirring something in a wok. ‘So, do you drink red wine or white?’ he asked, not looking up from what he was doing.
‘Um, well, I…’
‘Dunno why I’m asking really. I know the answer. You like Prosecco,’ he said, putting the spoon down and holding out a glass to her.
She moved toward him with a degree of caution. She reached for the glass just as he retracted it.
‘But, before you have this, you’ve got to promise to eat,’ Nathan said, indicating the meal he was preparing.
‘I should have guessed there would be a catch. What is it?’ Autumn asked as she looked into the pan.
She couldn’t really concentrate on what was in it because of him. Whatever the food was, it smelled good, but he smelled even better. She really needed to get some sleep. Aromas of meat, coupled with fresh vegetables, herbs, sandalwood, and musk assaulted her nostrils. She could almost reach the wine if
