He braced one hand against the wall of the booth and gazed out into the night-darkened street. It was after midnight and that particular section of downtown Burning Cove was drenched in silence. The stylish shops and sidewalk cafés were closed. During the day the palm-shaded plazas were crowded with fashionable people on vacation in the glamorous seaside town. But at this hour the neighborhood was deserted. Visitors were spending the evening in the local nightclubs and hotel lounges hoping to see and be seen with celebrities and stars.
The shopping district seemed peaceful but he couldn’t shake the sense that he was being watched.
“Burning Cove Hotel,” a polished male voice said. “How may I assist you?”
“I want to talk to Vivian Brazier.”
“I’m sorry, sir, there is no one here by that name.”
“Look, I know she’s staying there.”
“There is no one registered under that name. I’m afraid you have the wrong hotel.”
“Wait, don’t hang up. Damn it, I know she’s there.” Toby tried to think. “She may have checked in under another name. She probably has a camera with her. She’s a photographer.”
“That’s not a helpful description. Several of our guests have cameras. I strongly urge you to try one of the other local hotels.”
“If you won’t put me through at least take a message. This is important.”
“We don’t take messages for people who are not registered.”
“Tell her Toby Flint called. Tell her it’s a matter of life and death. I need to talk to her. Now. Tonight. I’m in a phone booth on Olive Street near a shop named the Elegant Lady. Tell her I’ve got some important information to sell her. I’ll wait thirty minutes. After that I’m going to disappear.”
“We don’t—”
“Just give her the damned message. Be sure she knows to bring some cash.”
Toby slammed the receiver into the cradle. That was it. He’d done what he could to make up for his betrayal. He’d give Cinderella thirty minutes, no more.
After a couple of minutes he realized he didn’t like standing in the phone booth under the glare of the streetlight. It made him feel vulnerable. A target. His sedan was parked across the street. The money he had received up front was in a briefcase in the trunk of his car. He would add whatever cash Vivian brought with her tonight and then he would head for Mexico.
The plan to collect from both the killer and from Vivian and then hightail it to the border had come to him that morning. The shark would not be able to follow him into Mexico. Neither would the killer.
He moved out of the phone booth and started across the street to his Ford. Halfway to his goal he heard a vehicle engine roar to life. A car pulled out of the shadows of a nearby alley and came toward him, accelerating rapidly. He was pinned in the blinding glare of the headlights.
He hesitated, frantically trying to calculate whether he should run toward his car or try to retreat.
The second or two that it took to overcome the panic and make a decision turned out to be two seconds too long. He lurched toward his sedan but it was too late.
The car slammed into him. He was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle. Pain exploded through him. He was vaguely aware of glass shattering. An instant later he was flung to the side like so much garbage.
He was still conscious when he heard the vehicle brake to a halt. The driver got out from behind the wheel and took a quick look around the Ford. Toby was vaguely aware of the trunk being opened and closed. He knew the briefcase containing the thousand dollars had been found.
A moment later the killer bent over him and went through his pockets. The small notebook he used for recording crime scene details was removed. The last entry in it was the name of the killer.
The killer got back in the car and drove away.
Toby realized in some detached way that he had been a fool to try to warn Vivian and maybe make a few extra bucks in the process. It was the gambler in him. He’d taken one last big chance and it had cost him his life.
Chapter 24
The kiss was meant to be tender, tempting, exploratory. But when Vivian wrapped her arms around his neck, abandoning herself to the embrace, Nick felt as if he had been struck by lightning. An exhilarating rush of energy swept through him. The world fell away and he was flying.
This was the kiss he had been anticipating ever since she had opened her front door and looked at him with her mesmerizing gaze. He had told her about the fever dreams, the violence that had taken place on the hotel rooftop, his annulled marriage. He had allowed her to see his secrets.
Vivian had never blinked.
A very modern woman. An exciting woman. A woman who was not afraid to take chances. Maybe she thought they could tumble into bed together with no lasting consequences. Could be she believed she was safe from the dangers of desire. And maybe that was the truth—for her.
He was very certain things would never be the same for him. But in that moment the future was not important. All that mattered was the woman in his arms.
Vivian gave a soft murmur of surprise. He got the sense her response to the kiss had caught her off guard. He knew then that he was not the only one heading into uncharted waters.
She leaned into him, her soft breasts crushed against his chest. Her scent thrilled him. When she trailed her fingertips across the back of his neck he thought he would come apart.
He found the sash of her robe and slipped it free of the simple knot. The garment fell open, revealing the pale nightgown. It was not the serviceable cotton gown she had worn the night of the fire. This was the one she had purchased at a shop in Burning Cove. It was fashioned of some gossamer fabric that looked as if it had been woven with moonlight.
He rested his palm lightly over the firm peak of one breast. Vivian gasped as if she had been burned.
Reluctantly he started to pull away.
“No,” she said. She trapped his hand with one of her own. “No. I want you to touch me.”
She sounded dazed by her own desire. She pulled his shirt free of the waistband of his trousers.
“Vivian,” he whispered.
“This is probably not a good idea,” she said against the side of his throat.
“Probably not,” he agreed. It was one of the hardest things he had ever said. “Too soon.”
He lied. It wasn’t too soon, not for him. He had been waiting a lifetime for this kiss.
“Sometimes you don’t get a second chance to compose the picture,” Vivian whispered. “You have to take advantage of whatever light you’ve got.”
He groaned and moved his hands to the curve of her hips. “Which one of us are you trying to talk into bed? Me or yourself? Because if it’s me, you don’t have to bring out the logic and reasoning. I was ready the moment you opened your front door in Adelina Beach.”