Running Back (New York Leopards 2)

I suspected I did, if I saw the same things she did. That Mike’s charm was something of a façade, and that Lauren was worried about her brother. Hadn’t Mike said Lauren wanted their family to “fix” things? “Thus, the vacation.”

She smiled and waved a hand. “I’m forcing us to bond.” She paused. “So—just to clarify—how do the two of you know each other?”

I hesitated. “Did Mike mention the excavation at Kilkarten to you?”

She shook her head and frowned.

“I’d contracted the ability to excavate Kilkarten from your uncle Patrick, but when he died, the land went to Mike.” I felt like I was walking along a tightly stretched rope. “That’s right, isn’t it? The land was left to Mike?”

She transferred her gaze to me, just a hint of perplexity opening her features. “Well. I guess it wasn’t, really.”

I frowned. “Then why does he get to decide that the excavation’s cancelled?”

“Why did he decide that?”

“I don’t know. I know there’s some sort of family estrangement, but to stop it a month before the start date—to tell all the diggers and archaeologists and suppliers it would no longer happen after months of work... I don’t know. It didn’t really seem fair.”

Lauren’s poker face wasn’t as good as her brother’s, and I could see the unease in the furrow of her brows. “He cancelled the excavation? But—then why are you here?”

I shrugged. “I had the flight. My professor works here. And even if I can’t dig, maybe I can learn something from old records or by surveying the land in person.”

She nodded, her frown an exact mimic of her brother’s expression. “That’s weird.”

“That’s what I thought.”

We sat in silence for a moment, and then Lauren shook herself. “Well, I have no idea.”

“It’s okay. Anyway, I must still have jetlag. I should head up to bed.”

So we said our goodnights, but when I reached my door, I stopped, and turned to the one that faced it. It was just past ten, a little too late to go knocking on people’s doors.

Despite that, my hand reached out and tapped just below the dove decal on Number 12.

Chapter Ten

Mike’s door swung inward almost immediately. His eyes sparkled. “This is getting to be habit.”

Somewhere deep inside me, tendrils of heat uncurled and warmed my whole body. “Can I come in?”

He slowly stepped back and pulled the door open in clear invitation.

My arm brushed his as I entered. I felt the touch with the sharpness of an electric shock—except this awareness felt good, exciting. Still, I felt almost shy as he closed the door, and the room seemed to fill with possibilities.

I sat back in the mint green armchair. My tongue darted out and wet my lips, and his eyes fell to them. I swallowed, and his gaze traced my throat.

And then I broke the mood by saying, “I talked to your sister today.”

His expression cleared. “Which one?”

“Lauren.” I paused. Now that I’d opened the conversation I didn’t know where to take it. “About, uh, about Kilkarten.”

He groaned. “Seriously?”

“It just sort of came up.” I licked my lips nervously. “It kind of occurred to me that all three of you siblings own the land.”

“So?”