Dangerous Interference Read online

  She caught the conspiratorial look that passed between the two men before Nash surprised her with his British accent when he replied, “Not wise, luv. You need to trust everything is being done that can be to find Ashley.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but who are you and what do you know about my sister’s case?” She sensed English wasn’t just an acquaintance of the sheriff, then became sure of it when another telltale look passed between the two men. “I don’t like being kept in the dark, gentlemen. I want answers.”

  With a deep sigh that could have been regret or irritation, the sheriff rose again, saying, “Why don’t you let us treat you to a nice dinner, you can stay the night at our bed and breakfast before returning home. I promise I’ll get to the bottom of your sister’s disappearance.”

  Trying to keep her cool as well as fight against her strong, annoying reaction to that deep, gravelly voice, she looked at him with a raised brow of her own, refusing to be intimidated or coddled. “Do you have anything more to go on besides her last two messages to her friends?”

  “There are a few things we’re looking into.” He held up his hand, forestalling her demand to know what with that commanding gesture and the tightening of his sculpted, five o’clock-shadowed jaw. “I can’t disclose the facts of my investigation, especially those that have not been substantiated. Please. Take us up on our offer of dinner and a night in Blue Springs B & B before you return home. Even though Portland is only a few hours’ drive, you’ll enjoy a brief respite in our town despite the tragic circumstances that have brought you here.”

  Alena slowly came to her feet, vibrating with conflicting emotions of anger and heightened awareness pulsing through her body. She had no clue which man had set off her sexual radar, and right now, she didn’t care. All she cared about was finding Ashley.

  Leveling a frigid glare at both, she sugarcoated her tone as she answered. “FYI, Sheriff, I hail from New York and have taken an extended, much needed leave from my job as a forensic photographer with the NYPD to find my sister. I’m not leaving until I get the answers I came for.”

  Pivoting, she walked out, feeling two pairs of eyes boring holes in her back.

  “Oh, good Lord,” she groaned as she settled in her car and leaned her head back. How could she be so angry she could spit when all her happy places were humming to life? An even harder dilemma for her to find an answer to was which man stirred up her interest and her juices more—the buttoned-up Brit with the sexy accent or the rugged, dark sheriff—and which was responsible for her body taking over her rigid control and common sense?

  She wasn’t a prude, but she also wasn’t ruled by basic urges. She didn’t need much more than just the desire for an orgasm to go to all the work of hooking up with a friend for a night or two to scratch an itch. If someone wasn’t available, nine times out of ten she could rid herself of the pesky sensation better and with more efficiency than any of her fuck buddies.

  Starting her car, she forced her mind on to more pressing matters than her libido, such as finding a place to stay for the next few weeks if necessary. She may not know which man ticked off all her boxes, but she knew she wasn’t leaving without learning the whereabouts of her sister.

  * * *

  “Pretty woman,” Randy said, leaning his head back and popping a few sugar-coated almonds Nash had him addicted to in his mouth.

  “Could put a kink in our plans.”

  Looking at his temporary partner, houseguest, and new friend, he still found it surprising they got on so well given they were complete opposites in looks, dress, and nationality. It helped that the Scotland Yard detective enjoyed dominant sex and movie trivia, the only two things that made them compatible when Nash arrived in his town after following a lead in a murder case in London.

  “I think we can ward off any potential problems.”

  Heaving a sigh, Nash pondered a moment before shaking his head. “My brain’s been turned to mush over a red-headed, green-eyed spitfire who’s round and soft in all the right places. We’re going to have to keep an eye on her. She could jeopardize everything.”

  “Then the best way to do that is to fuck her.” And Randy wouldn’t find that a hardship in the least. The twitch of Alena’s enticing ass drew both their eyes as she stomped out, her attitude akin to waving a red flag in front of not one, but two angry bulls.

  “A woman like her, especially one with an agenda, wouldn’t be easy to tame.”

  Rising, Randy slapped him on the back. “No, but if she pushes us we both know how to push back. She doesn’t look a thing like her sister, which works in our favor if she does make a pest of herself. Come on, let’s hit the diner, I’m starving.”

  “Sex’ll do that to you.”

  “I didn’t have sex.”

  “Thinking about sex’ll do that to you.”

  Laughing, Randy returned, “Who am I to argue with such logic?” Passing the front desk, he glared at his receptionist. “Daisy Mae, next time I have a visitor, page me before sending her back. And lose the gum,” he instructed on their way out, doubting if either order would be met. The granddaughter of his mother’s best friend, he had done the girl, her mother, and his own a favor by hiring her for the summer, something he’d regretted for the past month since she’d graduated from high school. Luckily, Daisy Mae would be heading off to college in two months, so he’d just suck it up until then to keep the peace. After all, that was his job, keeping the peace.

  “We haven’t gotten far,” he said, thinking of his job as he and Nash strolled down the wood-planked sidewalk. “The only thing we have going for us in our favor is Bryan thinks I’ve told Portland PD we’re a dead end here.” Deceiving his friend didn’t sit well with him, but it just might be the only way to prove Bryan was innocent of any wrongdoing involving Ashley Malloy’s disappearance.

  “Yeah, I know, mate,” Nash answered with the release of a frustrated, pent-up breath. “And while the two gatherings we’ve attended at his place since I’ve been here were fun, they didn’t turn up anything new.”

  “No, but his place is where we’ll find something, if there’s something to find. Neither Bryan nor Kevin have shed any light on her disappearance, nor are they likely to. Hell, Nash, you know I don’t think either of them knows anything else.”

  The unexpected arrival of Ashley’s sister added to Randy’s frustration over the stalled case and was a complication they didn’t need. When Nash had contacted him about a cold case from last summer involving a dead college girl in London about the time Kevin and his two constant friends, Brad and Joel, had been on a European tour, he’d wanted to discount the coincidence to his case, but he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t check out every angle.

  “Maybe they don’t, but I’m not a fan of coincidence even if stranger shit has happened.”

  “Afternoon, Mavis,” Randy called out to the mercantile owner as they passed her filling bins with fresh produce.

  “Sheriff, Nash. Off to the diner, are you?”

  “Of course. Have you ever known me to miss the chicken fried steak Sunday special?” Randy returned with a rueful smile.

  “Can’t say that I have, Sheriff. You two stop in for a sundae afterwards, my treat,” the plump older woman offered, her ice cream counter a popular draw in the summer months.

  “It’s a date, ma’am.” After they were out of her earshot, Nash added under his breath, “I’ve gotten downright country since landing in this place.”

  Slapping him on the back again, Randy laughed outright at his disgruntled tone. “I told you we’d grow on you.”

  After comparing their two cases and not liking the similarities or who those comparisons suggested they focus their attention on, they both agreed to keep Nash’s Scotland Yard employment a secret along with their dual investigation into Ashley’s disappearance. Randy had attended Bryan’s parties on occasion over the years so his continued acceptance of the invitations seemed natural. Thus far, Bryan and the rest of the townsfolk
believed his introduction of Nash as an old college buddy.

  An hour later Carlee had just taken their empty plates away and left them with a beer and the tab when Alena Malloy entered. As luck would have it, the only available seat was the small booth next to theirs and Randy couldn’t help but grin at her obvious ploy to pretend she didn’t see them. Settling back, they exchanged a silent look of communication and kept quiet. Carlee, bless her heart, could pull a secret from a priest if she was curious enough, which she usually was.

  * * *

  “Welcome,” Carlee greeted Alena, setting a plastic menu down in front of her with a beaming smile Alena found hard pressed to ignore. Amusement over the restaurant’s simple name, Diner, still tickled her as she noted the classic throwback fifties décor of checkered tablecloths and Elvis paraphernalia adorning the walls. Thinking of her favorite sushi bar and its posh, upscale atmosphere, she knew she would have passed this place by without a blink if there had been any other option.

  “Thank you. I’m in a hurry, so would you mind just recommending something?”

  “Can’t go wrong with the special, hon; then again, I own the place so I’m honor bound to say things like that. You visiting, vacationing, or just passing through?”

  Alena couldn’t prevent the grin tugging at her lips. “Vacationing, and I’ll take the special.”

  “You got it. Staying at the B & B or rentin’ a cabin? Got some pretty nice places along the lake.”

  Now she was tempted to ask the woman with the friendly brown eyes to mind her own business, but if she intended to get answers without revealing who she was or the real reason for her stay, she knew she’d have to play nice. Conscious of the sheriff and his friend seated behind her, she wished she could see their faces when she replied, “Neither, I rented a boat. I thought it’d be fun to stay on the lake, right in the middle of everything.” That is if I don’t go stark, raving mad first, she thought as she imagined trying to sleep with all that quiet going on around her. She missed her apartment and the constant noise and activity of the city already.

  “Just mind where you moor or you’ll get a hefty fine. Be right out with your salad and tea.”

  Alena waited a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief when the men spoke quietly behind her but remained in their booth, tempering her irritation at seeing them. Carlee seemed like the perfect person to glean information from, but not with those two sitting so close.

  Thankful the two men remained seated, she wondered just how close their relationship was and hoped they weren’t a couple. That would be a crime against all heterosexual women and if her desperation to find her sister became too intense, she knew she wouldn’t be above using sex to find the answers she’d been looking for.

  She had just taken the last bite of her salad when Carlee returned with a plate full of chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes and gravy that surprised her with the mouthwatering aroma, the steaming meal looking as good as it smelled. “Thank you. This looks delicious.”

  “It is,” Carlee returned with confidence. “Save room for pie and let me know if you need anything else. I’ve lived here all my life, if you want some activity tips.”

  “I might once I’m settled. Thanks.”

  She almost groaned aloud at the first bite, closing her eyes to savor the taste before her enjoyment took a nosedive at hearing a now familiar deep voice that sent her pulse to racing.

  “I think she likes it, Nash,” Randy drawled as he slid into her booth opposite her, Nash joining him.

  “Either that or she’s aroused. Do you look like that when you’re aroused, luv?”

  Snapping her eyes open, this time she did groan aloud when her body responded to one or both of them again with the same fervor as a few hours ago, proving her initial reaction wasn’t a fluke. Damn it. “This could be construed as harassment, guys,” she told them before ignoring their smirks and going back to her dinner.

  “So, a boat, huh? Wonder why a city girl would want to rough it on a boat when she could have the comforts of a first-class B & B?” Randy mused aloud.

  “From what I’ve seen, there’s nothing first class in this hick town,” she retorted before ignoring them and returning her attention to her meal. She didn’t like the way their identical, probing looks sent a wave of heat through her any more than she liked them interrupting her dinner. She took her food seriously, as her rounded hips and thighs attested to.

  “Then you should go back home,” the friendly Brit said, his tone cooler than she had heard from him before.

  Her annoyance escalating to anger, she attempted for payback by giving them a bone to chew on using her sweetest tone. “Didn’t I say? I’ve decided to spend my extended leave expanding my photography skills to include pretty, scenic views.” Releasing an exaggerated sigh, she added, “Photographing nothing but dead bodies and bloody crime scenes tends to wear a person down, you know?”

  The sheriff accepted her new reason for hanging around with a skeptical lift of one coal black brow, his obsidian eyes cool and mocking. English’s blue eyes were just as mocking, only warmer.

  “Tread carefully, Ms. Malloy,” Randy warned, his voice laced with warning that sent a shiver up her spine. “I won’t tolerate you interfering with my investigation even if I sympathize with your impatience for answers and your worry over your sister.”

  As the sheriff nudged Nash, the two slid out of the booth, the sheriff walking away without another word, Nash standing there a moment looking down at her from his six foot plus height before stating with quiet emphasis, “There are things in play here you don’t know about, Alena. Be good and don’t make waves in waters you’re not familiar with. We’ll find your sister.”

  “We? Are you a cop, English? I thought you were just a visiting friend.”

  When he braced his hands flat on the table and leaned down into her face, Alena resisted the urge to cringe back in her seat, not out of fear, but straightforward lust that shot directly to her core from his heated gaze. Oh, good Lord.

  “I am just a visiting friend. Remember that and don’t hint otherwise or the sheriff won’t be the only one meting out repercussions if you step over the line.”

  Oh, God, Alena moaned to herself, fisting her shaking hands under the table as she watched their loose-limbed stroll out the door. As a pair, they were lethal to both her libido and her plans. There had to be something seriously wrong with her. Finding both men equally attractive, their tall, well-built bodies lust inspiring, wasn’t anything to be concerned about, it just proved she was a healthy, red-blooded woman. But the rapid thumping of her heart, her sweaty palms, and the spasm she experienced between her legs when both men had threatened consequences if she didn’t stand down wasn’t normal, was it? She’d never been into dominating men, preferring to call the shots when it came to sex. Being in control made it much easier when she was ready to walk away without entanglements.

  She didn’t like her attraction to them, and certainly didn’t care for the flare of excitement their threats sent prickling along her skin. But if she needed to, she’d use sex and any other means at her disposal to find her sister. Then she’d wring Ashley’s neck herself for the trouble and worry this latest stunt had caused her.

  Chapter Two

  Standing at the rail of her boat, Alena tried bracing against the slow roll beneath her while keeping a tight grip on her camera as a wave rocked her small temporary home. In the past two days of acquainting herself with the area, she had spent most of her time on the lake, only returning to the marina to drive into town for food, making herself known as a friendly tourist and photographer. The first night she spent below on the small bunk she had almost gone bat-shit crazy. The constant hoot from owls kept her awake; the other sounds she couldn’t name emitting from the surrounding woods gave her a queasy stomach. She hailed from New York, for pity’s sake. Murders and muggings were a daily occurrence, her job put her smack in the middle of some horrendous crime scenes, and she had cowered below deck, quiver
ing under her thin blanket like a rabbit hiding from a swooping eagle. The periodic lulls of quiet grated on her nerves as much as the wildlife night noises.

  Raising her camera, she focused in on the stately, two-story lake home peeking out among the surrounding trees and caught a glimpse of a large man enjoying the summer afternoon with a beer as he lounged on his wide front porch. He had to be Bryan Hirst, she thought, older brother of Kevin Hirst, whom Ashley had last been seen with. Like Carlee at the diner, but unlike the sheriff and English, Bill at the marina had been a font of information and only too happy to point out the wealthiest homes around Blue Springs Lake and name those fortunate enough to own them. Not wanting to draw too much attention, she didn’t press for more.

  Being able to keep an eye on the lake house from this close was why she opted to spend uncomfortable nights and most of her days on the small rental cruiser. She had no idea what she hoped to find by spying on the place her sister was last seen, but she had to start somewhere. She could hear the whir of motorboats out on the lake as they pulled skiers behind them and wondered at the patience some people exhibited sitting on the shore with a pole in hand, biding their time waiting for a nibble. She failed to grasp why having a picnic at a wood table with insects vying for food would be enjoyable. Going through some of her snapshots last night, she did have to admit photographing beautiful scenery and catching a gorgeous doe with her two adorable fawns on film was much more relaxing than snapping shots of blood-soaked corpses or torn-apart crime scenes.

  While trying not to be too conspicuous, she shifted her focus away from the house and caught sight of an official vehicle pulling up to the dock where she had been sitting illegally moored since last night. Lowering her camera, she exhaled a sigh of frustration and studiously ignored the leap in her pulse as she watched the sheriff get out and amble up the wood-planked pier toward her. Oh, good Lord, she bemoaned in silence when the scowl he gave her did nothing to cool the heat pooling between her legs at that black-eyed, intense look.