Swept Away (12 page)

“Wow. That was quick. I was pretty smart to hire her, wasn’t I?”

“No. I hired her.” Carson couldn’t quite remember the details, though. It had come about kind of fast. They had just come off the river. Fisher had told them about Heather bailing. Lily offered her services and…maybe it was Cody who’d jumped on it first. Like he wanted to jump on her.

“You just assume I don’t do jack around here.” Cody licked sour cream off his fingers. “But I do plenty.”

No comment.

“Well, depending on what Lily finds, we may both need to pay closer attention to details,” Carson said. He’d tried like hell to ignore the details he’d been paying close attention to all morning. The cut of Lily’s blouse. How her neckline gaped when she leaned over and he could see the lace of her camisole. The subtle scent of her shampoo. The way her hair fell forward when she was deep in concentration and she kept tucking it behind her ear.

“…Lily’s tits.” Cody’s voice penetrated his thoughts. The chair shot out from under him and if the table hadn’t been in the way, his hands would have been around his brother’s neck before he had a chance to think.

“Just seeing if you’re paying attention.” Cody laughed, amused at catching him off guard. “But it looks like your mind was on Lily’s tits.”

“They’re called breasts.” The words could barely escape Carson’s firmly clenched teeth. He managed to return to his seat now that he’d realized Cody was just messing with him.

“Whatever you call them, I see you can’t stop thinking about them.” Cody found far too much to smile about. “Wondering if they’re as firm and as soft and as luscious as they look.”

“Cool it, would you?” Carson warned. “Lily’s our accountant.”

Immediately his mind conjured up the image of Lily leaning on a mahogany desk. A tight pencil skirt—charcoal gray wool. The kind that was just a little bit scratchy as he rubbed against it. A silky, flimsy, see-through white blouse tucked into the waistband. Her hair held up off her neck by a sharpened number two pencil. No, make that a pair of number two pencils, the pink erasers miniature replicas of her taut nipples. The only thing missing were the wire-rimmed glasses.

Damn, he was the sick one, not Cody.

Carson had never met a woman who got to him like this. Sure he liked women. Enjoyed giving them pleasure when he could. But he’d never met anyone he wanted to make a permanent or even steady part of his life. Shit, he was as bad as Cody.

“We’re through discussing Lily.” Carson stood, taking his plate into the kitchen.

“I don’t think we are.” Cody followed right behind him. So close that if he’d stopped, Cody would slam right into him. “I think we’re just getting started. She really floats your boat, doesn’t she?”

Carson didn’t respond to the master of clichés.

“She does. She really pumps you up.” Cody dumped his plate in the dishwasher. “You are in deep, my brother.”

Carson rinsed his plate before placing it next to Cody’s. He resisted the urge to rinse Cody’s plate, too. It would just piss him off. “Lily works for us, remember?”

“I’m not stupid.”

“Yeah, well it would be stupid to believe that either one of us has anything to offer her.” Carson felt a pang on the left side of his chest. “It’s not like we have any idea of how to treat a woman.”

“I think we both know how to please a woman.” Cody grinned. “And I would bet that Lily wouldn’t mind finding out for herself.”

“I’m not talking about in bed.” Carson tortured himself enough with thoughts of Lily in his bed. “I’m talking about a relationship. A real, solid, grown-up relationship. What kind of examples have we had?”

“You don’t learn how to swim by watching someone else. You have to get in the water and just do it.” Cody actually had a point.

“Yeah, well, I already saved her from drowning once.” Carson gathered the rest of the dishes, dumping the leftovers into the trash.

“You really care about her, don’t you?” Cody grabbed a dishcloth and wiped down the counters.

“I feel responsible for her. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

Because that was the real reason he’d never allowed himself to get close to a woman. He didn’t know how to protect them. Sure, he could be the big strong manly man. Fend off wolves or whitewater or whatever physical dangers a woman might face. But when it came to protecting her heart, the only way he knew how to protect her was to stay away.

“Lily’s tough,” Cody said. “She’s soft where she’s supposed to be, but deep down, she’s got some spunk.”

“She’s pretty smart,” Carson said. “She hasn’t slept with you.”

“Not yet.” Cody laughed. He sounded just a little bit evil with that laugh.

“Don’t.” Carson’s voice had an edge.

“Sure, I’ll have to work at it. But I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge.” Cody put on his cockiest grin. “You ever notice that the trout who fight you the hardest taste the best? Or the blackberries in the deepest of thorns are always the sweetest? The hardest earned victories are the most satisfying.”

“Lily isn’t some prize to be won.” Carson’s voice steadied. He was working hard at control.

“She’s the prize; she’s most definitely the prize.” Cody licked his lips. “The question for you, my brother, is do you want to play along?”

“This isn’t a game.” Carson stalked out of the kitchen and up to his room.

No. It wasn’t a game. The stakes were too high. Lily had been through enough with her divorce. She didn’t need Cody sniffing around, acting like he was ready to settle down. If anything, she’d be better off if Cody offered what he usually offered. One night. Two at the most. At least she’d know what she was in for.

And what did Carson have to offer her? Not much more than Cody. Especially if he was able to make the trip to Utah.

“Good morning, ladies.” Cody was standing on the porch to the guides’ house when Lily and Fisher arrived the next morning. “You two sure know how to brighten up my day.”

The two women looked at each other and broke into a conspiratorial laugh. They had been talking about him for most of the night. Lily was convinced that Fisher would be good for him. And he’d be good for Fisher. As long as he was good
to
her.

And if Cody was busy with Fisher, then that would leave Carson free to pursue Lily. If he truly was interested.

If he wasn’t then at least she’d know. And she could go along with her original plan.

“Oh, Cody, you’re such a ladies’ man.” Fisher tapped him on the shoulder as she walked past him. “I think my heart just might break if you ever settle down with one woman.”

She glanced over her shoulder at Lily and winked.

Cody hesitated before following Lily and Fisher into the guides’ house.

“So what you got there?” Cody eyed the cups of hot coffee longingly. “And why didn’t you bring me any?”

“It’s coffee.” Fisher shot him a funny look. “What’s the matter, still don’t know how to make a cup of Joe?”

“You know, Carson already left the house and it seems silly to brew a whole pot for just one person.” He sounded whiney and a little desperate.

“Oh, you are so pathetic.” Fisher motioned for him to follow her into the small kitchen. “I’ll make a pot. The rest of the guys will want some when they get up.”

“Thanks, Fisher, you’re the best.”

“Don’t you forget it.” She flashed a quick smile before turning to fill the coffee maker.

“I never do.” Cody leaned against the counter, watching her work. His need for coffee seemed to override his desire to flirt, since he’d ignored Lily until he was assured his caffeine fix wouldn’t be too far off.

“So what are you two up to on such a fine morning? Did you meet for coffee?” Cody seemed a little unsure of himself. Or maybe he just really needed a caffeine fix.

“No, we had a slumber party at my place,” Lily said.

“So what did you guys do?” Cody closed his eyes, almost as if he was trying to picture the two of them in their jammies.

“You know, naked pillow fights, rubbing lotion on each other.” Fisher stared him down, just waiting for his reaction. “Girl talk.”

“And what did you girls talk about?” Cody actually blushed at the mention of lotion.

“You know, politics, the weather, sex.” Fisher was clearly messing with him. Good for her. “Mostly sex.”

“So you shared your ideas for peace in the middle east.” Cody took slow sips of coffee, trying to keep his breathing steady.

“Yep, that and the solution for global warming.” Lily kept out of the conversation as much as possible. This was Fisher’s chance to make some progress. Lily looked around at the homey touches Fisher had brought to the place. She’d told Lily that she was currently the only woman living at Swift River. She had her own room while Tyler, Luke, and Ross shared the upstairs loft. Aubrey lived with her parents, just a few miles away. When the college kids got out of school for the summer, they’d pick up a few more housemates.

For a house full of mostly young guys, the kitchen was clean. Dishtowels hung neatly over the oven door handle, instead of wadded up on the counter or lying on the floor. A cheerful jar contained the cooking utensils and a bright blue vase held a collection of wildflowers. Most certainly Fisher’s doing.

“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” Cody nearly moaned when he took his first sip of coffee.

“Yes, I do have Red Cross training.” Fisher studied him while he sipped the warm rich brew. Yeah, the girl had it bad. “Oh, come on, you know we were talking about you. And Carson.”

“Oh, I can’t imagine why,” Cody said. “Unless it was to gush over what great bosses you two have.”

“Yes, that’s it. We were talking about benefit packages.” Fisher dropped her gaze to the front of his shorts, her tongue flickered between her lips for a millisecond, and then she broke into a fit of giggles. “You are so one-track-minded, it’s not even funny.”

“What? You’re the one who laid that track, sweetheart.”

“Well, I should get going.” Lily felt like she should leave the two of them alone. Fisher was certainly holding her own in the flirting department. Maybe her pep talk was doing her some good. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“Oh, yeah.” Fisher blushed, as if she’d forgotten her friend was there. “Thanks for the slumber party.”

“Thank you for coming over. I had a great time.” Lily meant it. “See you later, Cody.”

With that she slipped out the door and headed over to the office. Still a little groggy from staying up too late last night, Lily gratefully sipped her double-shot mocha latte. It was worth it, though, since she not only had an ally, she had a plan. Fisher would distract Cody by pretending to give him advice, and Lily would figure out a way to either get Carson into her bed or get him out of her head.

First, she had to figure out what was going on with the duplicate entries in the books. If she could find the source of the problem, then maybe she could find the solution. Or at least enough evidence to pursue legal action, if necessary.

Lily found it harder than normal to be objective. She wasn’t just helping a client, she was helping a man. A good man. An attractive man. A man she cared about. And someone had been messing around in his accounts. She had been messing with his business. His livelihood. His life.

Lily was going to stop the bitch.

Sliding into her desk chair, Lily booted up the computer. She ran detailed reports, hoping to find a clue in the numbers. Then she compared the bank statements to the computer reports and the tax returns. They didn’t all add up. The tax returns matched the payroll reports, but not the financial statements she’d printed from the software. There had to be a separate file somewhere. The computer showed a record of regular backups, but Lily had no idea where to find the hard copies of the files.

After feeling like she was slamming her head against the wall, she realized she needed a break. To step away for a moment to clear her head. Some mindless task would take her focus off the problem just long enough to get back on track. She glanced at the electric pencil sharpener across the room. Perfect. She reached for the pencils in the cup. All three were already perfectly sharp. Opening the desk drawers, Lily searched for a box of spares. The top drawer contained sticky pads, staples, and paperclips, but no writing instruments. She checked the next drawer down.

A box of blue fine point pens, another in red, and several highlighters took up the front half of the drawer. Maybe in the back. She pulled the drawer out farther, and found a box of tampons. Odd. She’d think Heather would have kept them in the bathroom. There was plenty of drawer space, and it wasn’t like there were dozens of other women to swipe her supplies. Lily was about to close the drawer when she felt an odd flutter in her belly.

She reached for the box and took a calming breath before lifting the flap.

“You crafty little devil you.” Sure enough, the box contained a flash drive. In the last place a man would dare look.

“We stock those in the store, if you, uh, run out.” Carson had come in while she was busy investigating the contents of the box, looking about as uncomfortable as a man could be.

“No, these aren’t what you think.” Lily triumphantly shook out the contents of the box. “I believe these are the missing files.”

“Oh.” A slow smile spread across his face as he realized what she was holding. And what she was not holding. “I never would have looked there.”

“I’m sure she counted on that.” Lily felt the excitement of solving at least a portion of the mystery. “Which leads me to believe that this drive contains information she wanted to hide.”

“Let’s take a look.” Carson leaned over her shoulder while Lily inserted the drive. Her hand trembled as she reached for the mouse. Was it in anticipation of what she’d find on the disk or something more primitive?

It took every ounce of her concentration to open the file. He was too close. She could feel his breath flutter against her neck. She could practically hear his heartbeat against his chest. Was it because he was afraid of what she would find? Or because he, too, felt the room get smaller, the air get heavier, the more time they spent together?