ADDICTED

12

LEAH

I touched up my lipstick after several rounds of cappuccinos and glanced over my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

My blouse and slacks were slightly rumpled now but I still looked fresh otherwise. That was probably thanks to all the caffeine I'd consumed today.

We took a two-hour break at the hotel after visiting more clients but I knew we'd be heading out any minute now. I was genuinely impressed with how suave and convincing James could be when it came to collecting donations.

A knock at my hotel door drew me away from the bathroom vanity. I opened the door to find James standing there, his suit jacket open and hair loose. He looked me over with a deep breath. My lady bits tingled as a blush diffused across my face. I'd never been like this around anyone.

If I thought my attraction to Jarrod was intense, this was another thing entirely. But it really had nothing to do with James and everything to do with my sex deprivation. I was just desperate. For all his holy hotness, he probably had a small dick he couldn't use well.

After this dinner with Joan, I intended to find a man to give me some release. I didn't care where I had to go to find him or who he was. Just something to take the edge off my attraction to him.

"Let's go," James finally said. "Our ride is waiting."

Grabbing my clutch from the counter, I sauntered out of the room after him. My heels were short but somehow more difficult to walk in than my favorite stilettos.

Maybe I'd pull those out for tonight. They'd been retired for way too long.

"Did you look over those records?" he asked while holding the elevator door for me.

As I stepped into the elevator, I took my time appreciating the hug of his shirt over his shoulders and the way his slacks fit snugly around his muscular legs. Nodding, I pinched the skin between my index finger and thumb.

"I did. I was going to wait for Joan, but I'm guessing you want to know now?"

"Yes."

"Well, Landrum isn't the one who has been using that credit card. It's a decoy. He seems to be covering his tracks, knowing someone would be examining his finances."

"How do you know this?"

"He gets coffee at the same time every weekday and has for the last several years. Well, he took a Monday off a few weeks ago, according to his office, and the charge was still there. And I checked the FCID system. He opened another debit account a month ago. Your financial people probably wouldn't think to check FCID because they only track credit cards." The elevator stopped and we walked out to the lobby. "I'm willing to bet Landrum has been siphoning money into that account."

"Maybe it's a savings for his kid."

I shrugged. "Could be. Either way, it's worth investigating."

James peered down at me for several seconds. Biting my cheek to keep from smiling, I kept my gaze trained forward.

"How'd you find out about the coffee?" he asked.

"I know how easy it is for someone to scam the police by using routine as an alibi. I've seen it happen a dozen times for credit fraud."

He hummed and nodded. We didn't speak again until we were in the rideshare.

"Will it just be the three of us?" I asked him.

The street crawled by around us as our driver maneuvered through the evening traffic. A siren wailed in the distance. For a moment, I felt suspended in the chaos of the city.