Love in Paris (The Art Models Club Book 4) (12 page)

Amber saw the woman hesitate but Kayla's dad waved her away.

Amber waited several minutes before she crept from the closet. Her heart beat rapidly. What should she do?  The problem was that she didn't know exactly what sort of information Kayla's mom was trying to get. And what she herself had to do with it. Were they planning to pin something on her? Try to make it seem that she was the one stealing company secrets? Or was she simply being paranoid now? She knew she had heard her name but what did that signify?

At this point, she would look like a lunatic if she went to Hunter or the Webbs with what she had overheard. Wouldn't she? Damn! If only she had her phone with her at the time. At least then it would back up what sounded like a ridiculous story.

Amber forced herself to think things through. What did she know, really? That Kayla's mom was after some sort of company information. And something about the board meeting. That was strange as well. Amber didn't even realize that Hunter had any connection with the company beyond his parents. She was suddenly embarrassed to realize she had never even gone to the company website. Maybe that should be her first step.

She had already finished up the few things Mrs. Web had assigned her for the afternoon. Sighing, she started her search, beginning with a search for the Board of Directors. All three of the Webbs served on the board, she realized. This was Hunter's third year. Was he staying connected as a favor to his parents or was he interested in running the company in the future?

Hmm . . .there was no information on a meeting but surely Hunter would mention it when it came up. Amber bit her lip. She had to wonder why she was afraid to talk to Hunter about this. Did she really think that he wouldn't believe her? What if something happened and she didn't tell him. Ugh!! She tried to imagine if somebody was planning something against her. How would she feel if he kept it from her? Worse, how would the Webbs feel about her if she kept it a secret.

Feeling queasy, she decided that she had to confide in Hunter no matter what. If he didn't believer her then so be it. But if anybody could deal with Kayla's mom, surely it was him. No matter what dirt that woman tried to sling her way, she had to believe that Hunter would know her well enough to discern the truth.

Before she could change her mind, she tapped out a message to him saying that she needed to talk to him urgently after he finished with work. She hit send and then tried to forget about it. But not less than two minutes later, her cell phone rang.

“Amber? Are you okay?” Hunter's voice sounded strained.

“
Hunter, I'm fine,” she said, “but I need to talk to you tonight.”

“
I'll be there to pick you up in less than an hour. I'll let Mom know I took you if she isn't back by then.”

“
Hunter, that's not . . .”

“
I'll see you then,” Hunter said. The phone went dead.

Damn! She hadn't meant to scare him like that.

While she was waiting, she finally opened her private e-mail account out of curiosity. She supposed she was going to have to show him the strange photographs Kayla had e-mailed her as well. The last one she had never even opened because it had come on the morning of her kidnapping. Huh! Maybe even Kayla had her limits to what she would do.

Amber debated opening it but then decided she would wait for Hunter. He was already going to be ticked off that she had kept something from him in the first place. And that's when she started to realize that she always needed to be open with him. She thought of the relationship the Webbs had and knew that was the type of relationship she wanted with him. She didn't want to always be hiding things and wondering if things would pop up later.

No more than thirty minutes had passed when Amber got a text from Hunter saying that the car was downstairs and that he was on his way up to escort her down.

She was walking down the corridor with her coat when he strode into the front office like a storm moving through. His face was stern and his eyes were dark.

The receptionist looked up and gasped in alarm as Hunter exploded through the front doors, creating a loud bang as each door knocked against the protective door stoppers. Ignoring the shocked receptionist, he strode up and grabbed Amber, nearly knocking her over in his impatience to get to her. He ran his hands over her face and down her arms, as though expecting that she might have been injured.

For her part, Amber could only gape at him until he seemed satisfied that she was not in some mortal danger. What the hell? Had he come expecting to find her held hostage again? He was acting as though she might be broken.

Finally, he heaved a sigh of relief and engulfed her in a hug. She felt his heart pounding against her cheek. His whole body trembled in her arms. Okay, he definitely had some issues to work on here!

“Hunter, I'm fine. See?” She tried to release herself from his claustrophobic embrace.

Hunter finally let her go and led her out the doors, speaking to the receptionist in such rapid French that Amber, who was still faithfully studying daily, had absolutely no clue what he said. But he waited until she was tucked into the car before he asked her what was going on.

Amber bit her lips.

“
Um . . .okay, I feel like I'm being overly dramatic. Especially the way that you responded. But I heard something a little while ago and I needed to tell you because I wasn't sure what to do.”

Hunter simply watched her carefully.

“But I . . .um . . .don't want you to be mad about something that might be significant now but . . .I . . .well . . .I felt silly telling you about before.”

Amber felt a little nervous the way Hunter's eyes were darkening. His face looked like a violent storm was gathering. Those beautiful green eyes were flashing like lightning and his lips were in a tight line across his face. The veins in his neck were bulging. She could see that he was struggling to maintain his temper.

“Start at the beginning,” he said at last, his voice even more frightening because of how controlled it was.

For once, Amber didn't hesitate at the order. She watched Hunter's face as she began the story, including overhearing Kayla and her mother plotting in the school building and concluding with the conversation she overheard in the hallway at the office.

When she was done Hunter wanted more details.

“
I'm not clear on how you heard Kayla and her mother at school.”

Amber glared at him.

“I know you're telling the truth. But what are you leaving out?”

Amber sighed. “I was sort of behind the candy machine,” she muttered.

Hunter's eyebrow shot up as he regarded her thoughtfully.

“
Why is it that you hiding behind a candy machine doesn't surprise me? I suppose that's how you tore your tee shirt and got the grease stains.”

“
You noticed?” Amber gaped at him. “Why didn't you ask me about it?”

Hunter glared at her.

“For your information, I was trying to practice being less of a control freak around you. But it looks like I should have given in to my perfectly normal compulsions!”

“
Oh! Well, um . . . I think you did a great job,” Amber said lamely. “I mean I had no idea you even noticed the shirt.”

Hunter closed his eyes and rubbed a spot in the middle of his forehead. When he spoke again his voice was resigned.

“I suspect that not even you could manage to hide behind the copier,” he said. “So where were you playing detective from today?”

Amber looked up at him timidly. “Um . . . from the cleaning storage closet.”

Hunter nodded and, surprisingly, looked to appreciate it.

“
That was actually quite clever. Nobody would ever think to look in there,” he said, his voice a bit far away as he appeared to be thinking hard.

“
So you're not mad at me?” she asked hopefully.

Hunter sighed. “Of course I'm angry that you kept things from me. Because it reveals an issue of trust on your part. But I'm glad that you're telling me everything now. And this new information is . . .um . . .helpful.”

Amber gaped at him.

“
You mean you already knew that something was going on?”

Hunter frowned.

“With Kayla and her mom? No. And that would have been nice to know before now.”

Amber twisted in the seat to stare into Hunter's eyes.

“What the hell is going on? And why is my name involved?”

Hunter rubbed his neck.

“I think that your hunch that Kayla's mom wants to pin something on you is probably right,” he mused.

Amber punched his shoulder, shocked that he wasn't more upset.

“How can you say that so calmly? She's obviously doing something illegal!”

But Hunter's temper suddenly flared and she regretted saying anything at all. His eyes locked onto her like emerald lasers, pinning her to the seat.

“I'm beginning to think you have some really deep seated trust issues, Amber,” he said, his voice almost cold.

“
Do you really think that I would allow anything to happen to you?”

He was lowering his face to hers and she could feel the heat he was throwing off.

“What do I have to do to show you that I'm not someone who is going to betray you?”

Amber folded her arms, her own anger rising.

“You could start by being honest with me! You knew that something was going on that could affect me. But you said nothing!”

Hunter wasn't backing off.

“Honest with you? Would you like me to base my honesty on your standards? Should I wait until after things look bad to talk to you.”

Amber squirmed under the implication. “But I'm telling you everything now.”

“Amber, my dad and I knew that someone in the accounting department was suspect but we only recently narrowed it down to Mr. Ross. My mother doesn't even know what's going on because my dad doesn't want to worry her.”

Amber thought back to Mrs. Webb's concerns that Kayla's dad wasn't adjusting well.

“So you guys transferred him here to Paris so that you could keep an eye on him?”

Hunter sat back in his seat and folded his own arms across his chest.

“Yes. Obviously, I had no clue that Kayla or her mom were involved or I wouldn't have left you alone when I came here.”

“
Kayla's dad looks really sick.” Amber shivered. “Ugh, the way his wife talks to him is horrible. I kind of feel bad for him.”

“
Yes, well, he's going to feel a hell of a lot worse when I get proof of what they're up to.”

Amber thought back to the conversation she had overheard.

“So what's so important about this Board Meeting coming up?”

Hunter looked pained for a moment.

“I'm sorry but I can't talk about it with you.”

Amber glared at him.

“So who has the trust issues now?”

Hunter shook his head.

“Honestly, Amber, it's not like that. The only people who know are on the Board. That's twelve people.”

“
Afraid I'm going to give away trade secrets?” Amber couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Hunter's eyes darkened.

“I suppose company ethics mean nothing to you? Or better yet, you would have me openly defy my parents in order to satisfy your idle curiosity? You've met them. Would you have me be disloyal to them?”

Well, that stung! Amber felt her eyes tear up.

“Idle curiosity? I want to know why I'm being used!”

Hunter pinned her again with those damn eyes.

“I know it's hard for you to believe but you are simply a convenient pawn for Kayla's family. This issue is way bigger than you.”

The veins in Hunter's neck were popping out again and his face reddened.

“Dammit, Amber, you drive me insane sometimes!”

Amber shrank back from him and Hunter's demeanor immediately changed. He looked mortified.

“Amber, baby, I swear I would never harm a hair on your head! I didn't mean to scare you!”

Amber peered at him through tears. “I know, Hunter. I just . . .”

She moved towards him to let him know that she still trusted him. She knew that he would never harm her. But when she had seen that look in his eyes, it had brought back some memories of one of her mother's boyfriends.

Hunter cradled her in his arms as she wept.

“Oh, baby, I'm so sorry! I'm such an asshole!”

Amber smiled at that through her tears.

“What was that? I don't think I heard you correctly.”

She meant to be playful but Hunter's voice was harsh and anguished.