Page 28 of Built of Illusions
He nodded and left the room, calling over his shoulder. “Bring enough for a couple of days. We’ll bring some of your art stuff too. That way, we’ve got options if something else comes up.”
Meaning another death? Or figuring out the killer?
She wasn’t quite brave enough to ask.
Instead she focused on packing. For Nico’s house. Her hands hesitated over her lingerie drawer. Sexy or practical?
He wasn’t asking her back to his place for sex. He simply didn’t want her killed.
Josie grabbed a handful of lingerie and shoved it into the bag along with some clothes. It didn’t take long to grab everything she needed, even with her shaking hands.
When she reached the main room, Nico had another bag ready for her to include her art supplies. She loved that he knew how important that part of her was.
Her heart wanted to admit she loved more than just that, but she couldn’t. It was all the adrenaline and fear.
He wanted her, but there wasn’t more to it than that. She wasn’t going to lose her head. Not even if they had a fling. Please let him want a fling!
Josie grabbed her charcoals and pencils along with a few sketchpads and her camera. She had no idea where Nico lived, but she doubted it was the place for oil paints and clay. Not when the man wore designer labels that cost more than her mortgage.
Did his underwear sport those same labels? And would she be able to find out anytime soon?
Chapter 10
Draw The Curtains
Nico threw the deadbolt on his door and relief poured through him, along with a sense of rightness. Josie was in his home.
Talk about caveman mentality. It made him grin, because he was most definitely not a caveman. But having Josie safe because she was with him in his home. Yep. That felt right.
Shaking his head at his ridiculousness, Nico set the alarm and double-checked his app. No problems anywhere on the property.
Nico moved into the living room. Josie’s body language was still extremely contained, so he didn’t take her hand. Instead he gestured at the space. “My area is the main floor of the house. Joe Cheveyo uses the second floor. Before Tansy moved to Vermont, she lived on the top floor.”
That brought a smile to Josie’s face. She looked back at him. “Your parents must be amazing people.”
It should have been a non-sequitur but Nico followed her train of thought. He and the Cheveyos had become close under his parents’ roof and they continued that after moving out.
He nodded. “They really are. You’ll have to meet them sometimes. I think if everyone had a Manny and Lisa in their lives, the crime rate would drop to almost nothing. They’ve done their part in making the world a better place.” Even if the world still sucked sometimes.
Josie smiled. “Who’s the decorator?”
That made Nico laugh too. “Mom insisted that every living area required throw pillows, cozy blankets, and pretty curtains.”
“She’s not wrong. This is a great home.”
Josie finally moved away from the door to wander the room. Her hand trailed along the edges of the furniture and she patted pillows and rubbed the curtains. Her tactile nature didn’t surprise him. His reaction to watching her touch his things did.
He wanted those hands touching him.
Nico kept his eye roll internal. Barely. The woman was here because some asshole was trying to kill her. Nico needed to keep his eyes on the mission and off of her.
Once this was settled, then he’d put all of his attention on her.
When Josie’s steps slowed, Nico moved toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll give you the nickel tour.”
She touched everything. Countertops, cupboards, stools, bath towels, doorframes. “You’d never leave a clean crime scene behind.”
Josie startled at that and immediately pulled her hand off the comforter covering the guest room bed. “Sorry. Comes with the artist's mindset, I think.”