Collared (Going to the Dogs) (3 page)

“You are still a jerk, detective.”

“Call me Caleb. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other during the investigation.” That wouldn’t be a hardship at all. He grinned again.

“You may address me as Ms. Sinclair or, if you prefer, ‘your highness, lady of the manor.’”

His grinned faded. Her skin looked so soft, he was sure she used plenty of expensive, girly creams and ointments to make it look that supple. No wonder she smelled good and expensive.

Sure, he should be thinking about the job, and what he was doing, and put it all in the big-picture scheme of things. He needed to be thinking about investigations and tracking down snitches, running down leads, and making the rounds of the pawn shops.

Yeah, he needed to think about all those things, and he was going to—in a minute, or two, or ten. He just liked looking, and he was really liking the way she looked back.

She stepped back as if she was losing the battle, but he’d say she had quite clearly made her point. She did pay his salary and he did work for her. She turned away.

“A woman like you would have a poodle.” The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. They were under his breath, but she heard him.

She spun around, her hands going to her hips. He knew from experience when a woman did that, she meant business. “Really, you think you’ve got me pegged?” Her eyes flashed. “Hmmm, let me see.” She marched back to him and poked him in the chest.

He smiled because she was so cute and so mad. “Be careful, Ms. Sinclair. Poking an officer of the law could be considered assault.”

She dropped her hand and only her eyes went ballistic. “I’m sure I’m quite a threat to you, detective.”

Actually, he thought that was probably pretty close to the truth. She was exactly what he should be avoiding by running in the other direction, but he couldn’t seem to stop baiting her.

With a smug look, she said. “I bet you have a Doberman…wait, no, a German Shepherd with a strong name like Rex or Spike.”

He laughed. “Quinn, actually, and touché.”

She tilted her head in a cocky way that made him want to bury his hands in all that blond sleekness. Damn fine, confident woman. Another turn-on.

“I would suggest that you keep your guard up around me, Detective Shaw. I know how to spar and I know how to win just about every argument.”

“I’m sure you do, Ms. Sinclair.” His tone mocking. “I would bet you’ve had a lot of practice getting your way.”

Her eyes narrowed, and instead of worrying about her pull, he could only admire how blue her stormy eyes got.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged.

“You think I’m a brat?”

“I don’t have an opinion one way or the other.”

“The hell you don’t. You’re just like my friends. I can be a normal person. I can survive anywhere.”

He didn’t know what had gone down with her friends, and truth be told, he was intrigued by her. More than he should be. And was it messed up that he loved the challenge in her voice?

“Is that so?” He grinned. “You wouldn’t last five minutes in my world.”

“What? I can fit into any world. You wouldn’t last five minutes in mine.”

“What’s the hard part? Drinking champagne and partying until one in the morning? Oooh,
brutal
.”

Her eyes snapped with her anger and she marched over to the library. “The wall safe is through here. I had six pieces in that safe, five necklaces and a pair of earrings.” She strode over to the desk and snatched up a piece of paper that was stapled to photos. “Here’s a list of items and pictures of what was taken.”

He took the list.

“All told they got away with 1.5 million in stolen items, so it wasn’t just the dog collar that was taken. Does that justify your time, detective?”

“Ms. Sinclair—”

“Don’t bother. I regularly come into contact with people who have the same opinion of me and how I live, so that’s nothing new. It’s just disappointing. I’m meeting friends, so I’ve got to go. You may stay as long as you need to. Juliana will see you out.”

She turned on her well-turned ankle, platform sandal and all, and left. Too bad she couldn’t take that intoxicating scent with her.

He felt like an ass. His thoughts about the past had colored the way he’d treated Harper Sinclair. Maybe she was just like that heartbreaker from his past and maybe she wasn’t, but what was certain was that she was out of his league. He was here to do a job. Harper Sinclair was just another victim. Rubbing a hand along the back of his neck, he turned towards the safe and started doing the job he came here to do.

He checked over the safe. Top of the line and not an easy one to crack. He tracked down the housekeeper, Juliana, and she took him to inspect the security system. A top of the line alarm and not easily overridden. Which meant that the guys who pulled off this heist weren’t the run of the mill bums he was used to. This was professional stuff, and Caleb was sure that professionals would understand there was a score to be had here in Harper’s penthouse. Of course, anyone who didn’t live under a rock knew about the Sinclairs. Harper was an heiress, an extremely rich heiress.

But Caleb was getting the feeling that this wasn’t simply a professional job.

This was most likely an inside job.

Annoyed more than she should be and a whole lot turned on, Harper was about to climb into her limo when she saw her father’s town car pull up behind her. Thoughts of Detective Shaw got pushed to the back of her mind.

“Dad?” She thought fleetingly of mentioning the robbery to him, but his eyes were clouded and he looked like he had a lot on his mind as he strode toward her. She decided to wait until later. “Were you just leaving or arriving?”

“I’m heading to the club.

“Schmoozing.”

“More fun than schmoozing.”

A smile lit his handsome face. Her father only seemed to get more attractive as he aged, and with his dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes he still looked good at 50. She’d always been glad she’d gotten her father’s eyes.

“Will Poe be there?”

“Poe and Jared were just married. They’re on their honeymoon. She’s having a baby.”

“Awww, that’s great. I always liked that girl. She makes me laugh. Does she still love bacon?”

“Yes, and she’s still funny without meaning to be. Did you want to come to the club? My friends would love to see you.”

“No, I can’t.” After a moment’s silence, her father finally spoke. “I need to talk to you about a delicate subject, and I hate to involve you, but I’m getting a little desperate. It’s your brother.”

Her heart lurched. This didn’t surprise her. Aiden had seemed like a different man since he’d returned from Afghanistan. She’d tried to talk to him several times, but all she’d gotten was stubborn, obviously pained silence.

“What’s going on?” The last time she’d seen her brother, he’d been unshaven and unkempt, the complete antithesis of her normally well-groomed and elegantly dressed brother. Thankfully, in Vegas he seemed to have snapped out of that and looked great. But it could have been a show for them all, especially Jared.

“He hasn’t returned any of my calls and either isn’t home or doesn’t answer the door when I show up at his penthouse.”

She winced sympathetically. “Why do you think he’s avoiding you?”

“I don’t think he wants to come back to the firm.”

That would be a complete 180-degree turn for Aiden. He’d told her before he’d been deployed that he wanted to take over running the billion-dollar real estate firm when their dad, known to the press and public as real estate mogul Harold J. Sinclair, retired. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. He hasn’t said, but I think that what happened to him over there has changed him in ways that he hasn’t even begun to understand.”

Harper had to agree, and her concern about her brother ratcheted up a notch. “I have been worried about him, too. He seems so subdued and preoccupied.”

“Well, I really need to speak with him. He has to make some decisions…” He broke off. She had never seen her father so distressed, and it was clear that he was more concerned about Aiden than about the business decisions.

She touched his arm, and then hugged him. He hugged her back and said, “You know that I’ve never forced either you or your brother into anything. You chose your own schools, decided what you wanted to do with your lives, but having Aiden working with me every day was very satisfying.

“I’m not going to force him to come back if that’s what he’s decided.” He looked away, frowning. “When Aiden left, I hired a young MBA superstar, Makana Kaeo…we call him Mak. Anyway, he’s taken over Aiden’s duties, and he’s doing a fine job.”

“That sound Hawaiian.”

“It is.” Her father’s expression became more contemplative, but he didn’t add any further information, only saying, “But he’s not Aiden.”

The pain was evident in his voice and she was fully aware that her father would much prefer to have his son part of the business. But she’d also heard affection and respect in his voice for this Mak he’d hired. She hoped that was helping to mitigate some of her father’s feeling of loss.

The heavy August heat even after the sun went down weighed heavily on her. Jeffrey, her chauffeur, stood outside the limo patiently waiting. “I will see if I can get him to discuss this with me. But I don’t know if that will do any good. You know Aiden. He can be stubborn, and he never did make decisions lightly.”

He nodded. “I understand, but you’ve always been close. He values your opinion. When you both have time, I would love for you and Aiden to meet Mak. It might alleviate some of the pressure he’s feeling. When you talk to him, let him know I will support him, however he’s feeling, whatever his decision. It would be hard to hear that he doesn’t want any part of the firm, but I’m not an ogre. I thought he would know that.”

The hurt in her father’s eyes was heartbreaking.

“Maybe he just doesn’t want to hurt you, Dad. Aiden knows how proud you were to have him with you.”

“That could be.”

“I’ll find time to talk to him,” she promised.

“And, about Poe and Jared,” he said. “I hope you gave them something nice and included me.”

Her father was so generous. “How about a trip to our villa on Gozo?” she said with a smile.

“Ah, I should have known you’d be one step ahead of me. A Mediterranean island honeymoon sounds perfect. I’m sure Phaedra was on top of things.”

“As always. She opened up the place and hired the necessary staff to cook and clean for them.”

“Nicely done. She’s a crack manager. I do give great presents.”

Harper laughed and hugged him again. “You always have. The very best present, though, has always been your love.”

He smiled. “I vowed that I wouldn’t be one of those absent fathers. Yes, I’ve augmented our fortune, but my most precious contributions to this world have been and always will be my children. I have always been grateful I have the luxury of family money, so that I could be a real father.”

“And an excellent husband. Mom was very happy.”

“I miss her so very much. She was a special lady.”

“Well, maybe you should put yourself back on the market. You’ve still got what it takes, Dad.”

He laughed and a younger woman gave him an appreciative look as she passed. Harper smiled softly.

“I see Jeffrey pacing by the limo,” he said, completely missing the woman’s flirtatious glance. “He won’t want you to be late. That man is a treasure.”

Harper glanced over her shoulder at Jeffrey, held up her index finger to signal one more minute, and he nodded. She then exchanged a look with her father who waved to him. He looked more like a commando than he did a chauffeur, but Jeffrey had her father’s unswerving loyalty. But they both avoided discussing why.

“Call me as soon as you’ve discussed this with Aiden and we’ll get together. I miss you both.”

“Okay.” She kissed his cheek. “Try not to worry too much.”

He nodded and kissed her forehead, turned and went back to his town car. He slipped inside and it pulled away from the curb.

Inside the limo, she thought about Aiden. She had been worried about him, but after that almost-disaster with Poe and Jared, she’d left him alone, tried not to meddle in his life. Had that been a mistake?

She had actually tried to talk to him several times when they’d been in Vegas for Poe and Jared’s wedding. But with the sheer number of people attending the wedding, she hadn’t been able to get him alone. Harper pulled her cell out of her clutch and dialed Aiden’s number. When he picked up, he said, “We’ve just spent a week together. Do you miss me already?”

“It wasn’t exactly together, Aiden.”

“True. So, what’s up?”

“Dad wants to introduce someone to us at lunch or dinner. What is a good time for you?”

There was silence for a moment, then Aiden said, his voice subdued, “I can’t make it.”

“Aiden,” she said pointedly.

“No, Harper, tell Dad I’m too busy.” His tone making it clear he wasn’t going to argue.

“We need to talk about this.” She pushed because she was just as concerned about him as her father.

“Did he put you up to this?” Aiden’s voice was hard.

“He asked me because he’s worried about you.”

Aiden let out a slow breath and his voice softened. “I know, but I’m just not ready. You go and fill me in later.” His voice changed to a plea. “Do this for me, sis.”

“All right. But I’m feeling like a ping pong ball,” she groused.

“You’re the best.” He sounded so relieved that she really didn’t have the heart to argue with him about it now.

“Aiden, please can we talk sometime? I just want to see you and have a chat. Please.”

He huffed. “All right. I’ll be at my studio tomorrow. You can come by then.”

“Ten good?”

“Yes, that’s fine. I don’t want a lecture.” He warned her, his voice hard again.

“I don’t lecture. I convince.”

“You meddle and nag.”

“It’s only because I love you.”

“I love you, too. Bye.”

#

When Harper showed up to Owen’s club to meet Brooke and Callie and their men for drinks, the bouncer waved her through, more than ready to have some fun with her good friends.