A Guilty Affair (19 page)

She got up and walked toward the trunk, already knowing what was inside as she unhooked the latches and raised the heavy lid. There, carefully wrapped in layers of muslin, was her grandmother's wedding gown.

As a child, Riley had been utterly fascinated by the vintage silk chiffon creation that resembled gowns worn by brides in old black-and-white movies. But while she'd been permitted to
look
at the dress, her mother forbade her from ever touching or removing it from its safe confines in the trunk.

Wagging her finger at Riley, Barbara Kane would lecture, “Your great-grandfather spent his life savings on that dress just to make sure his daughter would look absolutely beautiful on her wedding day. If I catch you messing with it, Riley, your behind is mine.”

Riley remembered creeping upstairs to the attic to sneak peeks at the gown and run her hand over the silk ivory fabric, knowing she risked life and limb. Even now, as she stood before the trunk, her mother's stern warning echoed through her mind.

Biting her lower lip, Riley glanced over her shoulder toward the stairwell, half-expecting to find her mother charging toward her with teeth bared. But Barbara Kane was vacationing in Hawaii until next week, and Florinda was out for the evening.

Chuckling at her own paranoia—she was a grown woman, for God's sake—Riley reached inside the trunk, unwrapped the gown and lifted it out as gingerly as if it were made of tissue. As she held it up to the light, a soft gasp escaped her lips. Though she'd just finished poring through her grandmother's wedding photos, she'd forgotten how lovely the actual dress was. With a fitted bosom, a nipped waist, and a skirt so wide and full it demanded attention, it was, quite simply, the most beautiful wedding gown Riley had ever seen.

Grace Kelly, eat your heart out
.

Glancing around the attic, Riley located an old floor-length mirror with a tiny crack running vertically down the center. She crossed to the mirror and held up the gown to her body. Almost at once, she was flooded with memories of trying on wedding dresses at a local bridal boutique while her mother and grandmother looked on. The one she'd finally settled on had been simple and contemporary, a strapless, straight-fitting number with an open back. She'd always thought that was the style she wanted, but now, looking at her grandmother's exquisitely classic…

Riley was shocked by the train of her thoughts. Why on earth was she thinking about wedding gowns? Since Trevor's death, she'd never even allowed herself to consider the possibility of finding love again, let alone getting married.

“Something you want to tell me?”

Riley whirled around. Florinda stood at the top of the stairs watching her with an amused expression on her face.

“You scared the living daylight out of me, Grandma!” Riley exclaimed.

Florinda chuckled. “Sorry. I just got back home and didn't know where you'd gone off to.” She climbed the last step and made her way across the cluttered room, a soft smile on her face as she beheld her old wedding gown held up to Riley's body.

“I was just, uh, looking at it,” Riley said quickly. “I hope you don't mind?”

“Of course not, baby. That was your mother's hang-up, not mine.”

Riley gaped at her. “You mean all this time…you didn't care if I touched your dress?”

“Goodness, no,” Florinda said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But every time I tried to take it out of the trunk and show it to you, you ran off terrified.”

Riley chuckled grimly as she turned back to the mirror. “I was terrified of my mother.”

“I know.” Florinda's reflection joined hers in the cracked glass. She wore a quiet, reminiscent smile. “It's quite a dress, isn't it? I still remember how awe-struck I was when my father bought it for me. It was far too expensive, more than we could afford, but he didn't care. Only the best would do for his little girl, he said. When I wore the gown on my wedding day, I felt like royalty.”

Riley grinned. “You
looked
like it, too.”

“Why, thank you, baby.” Florinda's gaze softened as she studied Riley's reflection in the mirror. “You know, if you ever decide again to get married, I'd be honored if you wore my dress.”

Riley's throat constricted with emotion. “That's very sweet of you, Grandma,” she whispered. “But—”

“But what? You don't think you're ever going to find another man worth marrying?”

“Well…yeah.”

Florinda shook her head slowly. “You don't believe that any more than I do.”

Dropping her gaze from the mirror, Riley walked back over to the trunk and began to fold up the vo-luminous gown. “If you're implying that Noah—”

“I didn't imply anything, Riley.
You
brought up his name, not me.”

“But you were thinking it.”

“And so were you.”

Riley pushed out a heavy sigh. “There's nothing going on between me and Noah.”

“You've spent the last two nights with him. I'd say that's more than nothing.”

Florinda was right, of course. But how could Riley explain to her grandmother what she herself didn't fully understand? Last night she'd asked—practically begged—Noah to take her home with him. She'd wanted to be with him, wanted it in a way she'd never imagined was possible. What was happening to her?

“There's nothing wrong with finding yourself attracted to another man,” Florinda said gently.

Riley groaned. “But we're not just talking about
any
man. We're talking about Noah.”

“All the more reason it's perfectly normal.”

Riley shot her grandmother a look. “He was Trevor's best friend.”

Florinda met her gaze steadily. “I know, baby. And as hard as it may be for you to accept, Trevor's not coming back. The sooner you move on with your life, the better.”

Riley turned away, busying herself with wrapping the gown in muslin the way she'd found it in the trunk.

“I've upset you,” Florinda murmured.

Riley shook her head. “I'm not upset, Grandma. I'm just…confused.”

“About your feelings?”

“Yes.” Riley swallowed a hard lump in her throat. “He's not the man I'd always thought he was. He's different. He's…incredible,” she finished with a quiet note of wonder.

Florinda appeared at her side to help her with the gown. “I always knew if you got to know him better, you'd reach that conclusion.”

“Well, you were right.” Riley smiled at her grandmother. “As usual.”

“So what're you going to do about it?”

“I don't know. I can't think that far ahead. I'm just getting used to the idea of us being friends.”
More than friends
, an inner voice reminded her.
Lovers
.

Together she and her grandmother closed and latched the trunk. As they started toward the stairwell, Florinda draped a companionable arm around Riley's shoulders.

“Can I ask you a question, Grandma?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Why didn't you ever remarry?”

Florinda stopped walking and turned to Riley with a surprised expression. “Do you realize this is the first time you've ever asked me that question?”

“I know,” Riley murmured, a little embarrassed. “I've always wondered, but it just never occurred to me to come right out and ask you. Probably because you came to live with us when I was barely two, and as I got older, I not only took your presence for granted, I became used to having you all to myself.” Her lips curved in a rueful smile. “Sorry. I guess that was pretty selfish of me.”

Florinda laughed. “Not at all. You were—
are
—what brought me the most joy. After my Elgin died, I needed a new purpose in life. Looking after you gave me that purpose. And as you got older, I did date every now and then.”

Riley nodded, recalling a string of polite, handsome gentlemen who'd shown up at the house to take Florinda out on a date, only to be subjected to intense scrutiny by her overprotective son.

“But you never wanted to remarry?” Riley prodded.

Florinda was silent for several moments before she answered. “I can't say that I did. The men I met after your grandfather died were nice enough, but none of them ever came close to being the wonderful person my Elgin was.” She gave her granddaughter a quiet, intuitive smile. “Of course, if a man like Noah Roarke had ever come along in
my
life, there's no chance on earth I would've let him get away.” Her tone gentled to match the stroke of her hand down the side of Riley's mussed hair. “Everything happens for a reason, sweetheart. Even tragedy.”

T
he
next afternoon, Noah sat across the desk from Delilah Stanton, who'd shown up unannounced at the office for a “follow-up meeting” they'd never scheduled. Wearing a formfitting designer skirt suit and stiletto heels, she sat with her long, shapely legs crossed and a coquettish smile flirting about her red-painted lips.

She didn't look like a woman who was concerned about a cheating husband.

She looked like a woman on the prowl for a new one.

“Have you had an opportunity to check the credit card bills for any large or unusual purchases, Mrs. Stanton?” Noah inquired, trying to steer the conversation back to business after she'd casually asked him about his family.

She nodded. “There was nothing suspicious on the bills, nor on any of the debit card receipts I found in his wallet.” She frowned. “He's covering his tracks very well.”

Or he doesn't have any tracks to cover at all
, Noah thought sardonically. Aloud he said, “As you know, I've been tailing your husband for several days now. To and from the office, during his lunch breaks, last night when you called to say he'd just left the house. He drove to a sports bar to have drinks with friends and watch the game.” Leaning back in the chair, Noah steepled his fingers together and thoughtfully regarded Delilah Stanton. “It's too early in the investigation for me to say your husband's not cheating, but I think we have to consider that possibility.”

Her mouth tightened with displeasure. “That man is definitely up to something, Noah. You have to take my word for it.”

“Unfortunately,” Noah countered mildly, “unless I can conclusively establish Mr. Stanton's infidelity, it's going to be your word against his in a court of law.”

“He's been spending a lot of time on the Internet lately,” Delilah blurted. “And he waits until late at night, after I've gone to bed.”

“That's why I provided you with the software to monitor his e-mail, chat room discussions, and other Internet activity.”

“I'm having difficulty installing the program. I know you said it was easy, but I'm not the most technically savvy person.” The smile she gave him was full of innocence. “I was hoping you might be able to come over and install it for me—when Joseph's not home, of course.”

Noah frowned. “I think you know that wouldn't be a good idea, Mrs. Stanton. For all you know, your husband may have hired a private investigator to monitor
you
. Which is why you really should stop coming to the office. Anything we need to discuss can be handled over the phone.”

“You're right. You're absolutely right.” She heaved a sigh. “I guess it never occurred to me that Joseph might actually hire someone to follow me. He knows I would never cheat on him.”

Noah wasn't so sure about that, but he kept the thought to himself. “If you'd like, Mrs. Stanton, I can give you a demonstration of how to install the surveillance software on your computer at home.”

She was already out of her chair and rounding the desk before he'd finished speaking. Suppressing a wry chuckle, Noah accessed the software demo site on his computer. “I'm going to install a test version on my machine so you can see how easy it is.”

“All right.” As she leaned close for a better view of the monitor, Noah's nostrils were filled with the heavy, expensive scent of Opium.

“As I told you before,” he explained, “the surveillance software records all e-mails sent and received, all chat and Instant Message conversations, all keystrokes typed, all Web sites visited, all log-on/log-off activity, and all applications run. You will automatically be forwarded a copy of every e-mail, chat and Instant Message the moment it is sent or received.”

“Very impressive,” Delilah purred, leaning closer to him. “And you're absolutely sure Joseph will never know what I'm doing?”

“Correct. The program doesn't show up as an icon on the computer, doesn't appear in the Windows system tray or task list, and it can't be uninstalled without the password you specify.”

“Hmm. So it's virtually secret-proof, then.”

“That's right.” By now, her breasts were pressed so firmly against Noah's back he could feel her nipples protruding through the thin silk of her blouse.

Clearing his throat, he discreetly edged away, only to have her follow. Frowning, he looked up to say something to her and got an eyeful of cleavage. When the hell had she unbuttoned her shirt?

“Mrs. Stanton—”

There was a brisk knock at the door just then. Before Noah could open his mouth, the door opened and Riley stepped quickly into the office. “I need you to sign this notary pub—” When she saw Delilah standing behind the desk, her eyes flew wide. “I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were with a client.” A second later, her gaze narrowed as she watched Delilah unhurriedly step away from Noah's chair and fasten the top button of her blouse.

When Riley looked at Noah, he mentally groaned at the fury reflected in her dark eyes. Fury and something suspiciously akin to betrayal.

He stood. “Riley—”

“I've obviously caught you at a bad time,” she said evenly. “I'll come back when you're less…preoccupied.” Without another word, she spun on her heel and left the office, yanking the door closed behind her.

Delilah watched the entire exchange with a look of amused speculation. “
Tsk-tsk
, Noah. That's why it's never a good idea to get involved with the hired help.”

“Nor is it a good idea to get involved with clients,” Noah growled. “I think it's time for you to leave, Mrs. Stanton.”

She frowned. “But you haven't finished—”

“Oh, yes, I have. You're a smart woman—I have every confidence in your ability to install the surveillance software on your own. And if you need help, call technical support.” He strode to the door and held it open for her. When she'd taken two steps into the hallway, he said, “One more thing, Mrs. Stanton.”

She glanced back hopefully.

Noah said tersely, “I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'm not interested. The next time you decide to show up here unannounced, I'm canceling our contract and refunding your money. Are we clear?”

She hesitated, then gave a short nod before continuing down the hall with her head held high.

Noah's cell phone rang as he was about to make his way to Riley's office. He swore under his breath and dug it out of his pocket, glancing at the caller-ID screen.

He answered quickly when he saw that it was Paulo. “Whatcha got for me?”

“Got a positive ID on your man,” Paulo said. “Name's Karl Ludwig. When I didn't get any matches through the system, I showed the composite sketch to my cousin Rafe. It turns out this guy was a person of interest in an FBI investigation a few years ago.”

“For what?”

“Suspected money laundering. Ludwig was the head of a large family of German immigrants who ran an antiques business in Fredericksburg. Three years ago, the FBI received an anonymous tip that the family was using the business as a front for a money-laundering operation. But the Bureau's investigation turned up nothing. Nada. The books were clean as a whistle.”

Noah felt the muscles in the back of his neck tighten. He remembered Riley telling him about the time she'd stumbled upon Trevor conversing with a German man outside an antiques shop in Fredericksburg. Could it have been Karl Ludwig? If so, what the hell was Trevor's connection to the suspected leader of a criminal enterprise?

“Anyway, it doesn't really matter now,” Paulo said.

“Why not?”

“Karl Ludwig's dead. He had a massive heart attack a couple of years ago. After that, apparently, many members of the family got deported for unrelated violations. The only one who's still here is Ludwig's grandson, Jonas. He runs the antiques shop with his wife and three teenage children. From all accounts, he's operating a legitimate business.” Paulo's voice was muffled as he spoke to someone in the background, then came back on the line. “Listen, I gotta head to a task force meeting. Let me know if there's anything else you need, and I'll see you on Sunday.”

Noah thanked Paulo for the information and hung up the phone, then went in search of Riley.

She was seated behind her desk tapping furiously at the computer. She didn't so much as blink as he stepped into the office and closed the door behind him.

“Why are you mad?” he demanded, propping a shoulder against the wall.

She lifted incredulous eyes to his face. “Are you serious? After what I just walked in on?”

“You didn't ‘walk in on' anything.”

“Give me a break, Noah! That woman was draped all over you. And her blouse was unbuttoned!”

“I'll admit she was trying to come on to me, but she didn't get very far.”

Riley snorted derisively. “Only because I interrupted. Again, please accept my humblest apologies for barging into your office in the middle of your afternoon tryst with poor Mrs. Stanton, whose husband is supposedly cheating on
her!
”

Noah's temper flared. “Damn it, Riley! You think I'd be dumb enough to fool around with a client? For the last time, nothing happened. She tried to come on to me, and I set her straight. End of story.”

“Whatever, Noah,” Riley muttered, resuming her typing.

He scowled. “‘Whatever, Noah'? What's that supposed to mean?” When she ignored him, he pushed off the wall and quickly rounded the desk. A startled gasp escaped from Riley as he swiveled her chair around to face him, planting his hands on either side of her to prevent her from getting up.

“Again I ask,” he said, low and controlled, “why are you mad?”

She swallowed convulsively. “I'm not mad.”

“The hell you aren't.”

“Noah—”

“You can't even look me in the eye.”

“Fine!” she exploded, her magnificent eyes flashing with fire. “You're right. I
am
mad! I'm mad because I thought there was something going on between you and Delilah Stanton, and when I saw her practically sitting in your lap, I was jealous. So jealous I could hardly see straight! I'm mad because ever since we made love, I can't stop thinking about you, daydreaming about you. I'm mad because you made me feel things I've never felt with any other man before—not even the man I was going to marry! I'm mad because I keep hearing this ugly little voice in my head that tells me I almost spent the rest of my life with the wrong man. I'm mad because I think I'm falling—” She broke off abruptly, a stricken look on her face as she stared at him.

Noah had stopped breathing. His heart was knocking so hard against his rib cage it hurt like hell. His throat was as dry as sandpaper.

“Say it, Riley,” he half pleaded, his voice husky with choked emotion. “Damn you, don't leave me hanging like this. If you knew how long I've waited for this moment, you'd put me out of my misery right now.”

Tears shimmered in her dark eyes. “I don't understand,” she whispered.

Slowly he sank to his knees in front of her. The day of reckoning had arrived. “I'm in love with you, Riley. I have been for the past five years.” Hearing her soft intake of breath, he smiled. “It happened the very first time we met, when you rear-ended me because you were in such a damned hurry to meet with the police chief. One look at you and I didn't stand a chance. By the time Trevor came outside and I found out who you were, it was too late. I was already a goner. The funny thing is, before meeting you, I'd always laughed at people who talked about love at first sight. Guess the joke was on me that day.”

Riley was gazing at him in wide-eyed wonder. “All this time…I never knew.”

“You weren't supposed to,” Noah said ruefully. “It became my mission in life to make sure you never knew, even if it meant I had to keep my distance. Even if it meant we couldn't be friends, and I had to let you think I didn't like you. Believe me, Riley, it was pure torture. There were so many times I was tempted to tell you how I felt, if for no other reason than to wipe the hurt look off your face every time you thought I was being rude or indifferent toward you. I didn't know how else to handle my feelings but to keep you at arm's length. And I couldn't betray Trevor by letting him know I was in love with you. I couldn't do that to him.”

Riley traced his features with her eyes. “And after he died…”

Noah shook his head. “After he died I felt even guiltier. I still wanted you with a vengeance, and I hated myself for that. I hated the fact that a small part of me wondered if I'd subconsciously willed Trevor out of the way so I could finally have a chance with you.”

Riley's expression softened. “You had no control over what happened. You were just as devastated by his death as I was.”

His mouth twisted sardonically. “How would you know? I never opened up to you, or gave you the friendship and support you so desperately needed.” His voice deepened with regret. “I'm truly sorry for that, Riley. I hope you can forgive me for not being there for you.”