Footage and Fears

Rodger’s car was on the footage. There was a dark figure standing beside it, but I couldn’t tell if it was him. Whoever it was just stood there, glaring in the direction of the lobby doors.

Why would Rodger be tailing Bentley?

My instincts made me think he was secretly trying to steal my story and apply for the anchor position himself. He didn’t even seem interested in Ivy’s case, so it was strange. Then suddenly, an even stranger thought popped into my head. What if Rodger is working for Bentley!?

"Did I leave at all?”

Bentley’s voice snapped me back to reality. It was silky and smooth, but still deep and strong. By then, the bubbles from the champagne had made their way into my bloodstream and made me feel just as nice.

“Not yet,” I tried to hide my smile. “You are so arrogant, you know?”

“I’m arrogant?” He laughed like an almighty king, and I was his peasant. “I don’t think I am. Confident, maybe.”

I looked over to him, canvassing his art work as if he were looking for any imperfections. I saw not one. Not even in the hands of the city’s most feared man.

“Well, no. You didn’t leave, smartass,” I chuckled. “I do see a car I recognize, though. I’m not sure if it’s a possible lead yet, but it could be.”

I expected him to turn around with worry on his face. But he didn’t. He didn’t even flinch. A guilty man would have shivered in his boots if he thought he was on his way to being caught. But not Bentley. He was fearless.

“A lot of things look familiar in this city. I remember when I first moved back. I wasn’t even given a chance to prove myself.”

He made his way over to the couch and sat next to me. I fought hard not to look at him because he was still shirtless, but I couldn’t help myself.

“I’ve been doing this a long time," I slowly nodded. “I’m not like most detectives in this city. I know what to look for, and I’m not on anyone’s illegal payroll. So believe me, if something looks familiar to me, I’ve seen it before.”

Bentley’s eyes traced my lips, then my neck, and just before they stopped at my breast, he looked me in the eyes and smiled. I could have melted into the couch because he made me so hot.

"Can I use your bathroom?” I jumped to my feet.

“Yeah. It’s down that hallway, on the left.”

He leaned back on the couch with a smirk on his face. I was surprised he didn’t walk me. I figured since he was a man with plenty to hide, he wouldn’t want me to be alone anywhere in his home. He knew who I was and what I was after, yet still, he allowed me to roam freely.

I paced the hallway, blindly bypassing the bathroom. There was an opened bedroom door at the end, and I thought I’d take a quick peek. If Rodger and Bentley were partners in crime and Rodger had been to his penthouse, I was hopeful of finding proof.

As I entered the room, the aroma of fresh sheets filled the air. An oversized king bed sat alone on one side, and I knew right away I was in the king’s territory. It was very neat and cozy. The alpine scent of the solid wood bedframe made me think of winter in the mountains.

The further I got into Bentley’s room, the further I drifted into his world. I knew it would be a dark, twisted road and I could lose myself for good, but the pressure was on. I needed to find out what happened to Ivy. I needed that anchor position. Most of all, I needed to be close to the big bad wolf.

“Did you get lost?”

“Oh, shit!” I gasped, startled by Bentley’s voice. "I must’ve missed the door, so I came to this one. Sorry.”

He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the frame of his bedroom door. He was so sexy and graceful, even when he had every reason not to be. Even the toughest gangsters hated their privacy being invaded. And it didn’t matter if the intruder was a woman he loved.

“I’ll pretend like I believe that,” he chuckled. “Find anything incriminating in here? If you did, I can’t say where it came from because I’m not here all the time. My staff has just as much access to this place as I do.”

“What would I find in here?”

“You tell me.”

He pushed away from the door frame and came toward me. I tensed up but was quickly reassured of safety when his hands caressed mine. The soft look in his ass as he stared at my lips broke my mold. I was merely puddy in his hands, ready to do whatever he asked of me.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he whispered as he leaned closer to my lips.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

My breathing was shallow. I was ready to be swept off my feet and carried into oblivion. Even though Bentley was off limits and my morals forbade me to be intimate with a man from the darkside, the temptation was real.

“I should get going before it’s too late.”

“You should, but you don’t want to,” he replied. “What you want to do is stay right here with me.”

He was right, but I didn’t confess my desires. I refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing my weakness.

“It’s not about what I want,” I blushed. “It’s about what’s right.”

The desperation I felt to run my hands across his naked chest made me tingle. I knew I had to get away from him before my knees buckled, and I gave in to the very thing I was trying to discredit. But my, oh my, was I weak.