Free A Guilty Affair by Maureen Smith Page A

it had nothing whatsoever to do with her interest in becoming a private detective. She planned to work him, wear down his defenses until he finally agreed to help her with her mission.
    But she was soon to discover just how difficult it would be to penetrate Noah’s ironclad will. Five long, torturous years of hiding and suppressing his feelings for her had been his proving ground.
    No matter what tactics she resorted to, he wouldn’t give an inch.
    Because he knew that once he surrendered his will to Riley Kane, it was only a matter of time before his heart followed.

Chapter 6
    W hen Riley reported to Roarke Investigations the next morning, she was more nervous than she’d been on her first day at the Washington Post , although there’d been far more pressure to perform well at that job than the one she was now embarking upon.
    She’d dressed with extra care that morning, donning a simple white shirt with flared cuffs over a pencil-slim khaki skirt and wedge sandals—an outfit she’d settled on after changing three times. As she left the house and climbed into her car, she tried not to examine too closely the reasons—or reason —behind the vicious tangle of nerves knotting her stomach.
    When she arrived at the office at eight o’clock sharp and learned that Noah was out on a surveillance assignment, she didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
    Fortunately, she didn’t have much time to dwell on it as Janie got right down to business, giving her a quick tour of the facilities before ushering her into a small, windowless room that served as Daniela Thorne’s office.
    As Janie explained to her over coffee and a mountain of paperwork, Roarke Investigations was a full-service detective agency that specialized in missing person searches, civil and criminal investigations, child custody and abuse cases, spousal surveillance, and background checks for business and individual clients, to name just a few. Although their hourly rates were comparable to many of their local counterparts, what gave the Roarke brothers an edge over the competition was their reputation in the community and their combined law enforcement experience. Prior to launching the detective agency, both had worked for the SanAntonio Police Department—Kenneth in Internal Affairs, Noah in Homicide.
    Riley spent the morning reviewing open case files to bring herself up to speed and to identify areas where additional research would be needed.
    By the time she looked up again, three hours had flown by.
    â€œHey, do you want to break for lunch?” Janie asked, appearing in the doorway.
    Riley paused in the middle of scribbling notes onto a legal pad. “Lunch?”
    â€œYeah, that thing you do around noontime. Involves putting food into your mouth and swallowing?” Janie chuckled. “We’re not slave drivers, you know.” She paused. “Well, maybe just a teensy-weensy bit.”
    Riley smiled, setting down her pen. “Food sounds good.”
    â€œCool. I ordered some pasta salad and sandwiches from Jason’s Deli,” Janie said as they left the office. “I was going to take you out to lunch to celebrate your first day with us, but I got really swamped.”
    â€œOh, don’t worry about it.”
    â€œMaybe we can go on Friday, when things are a little slower. Let’s eat in here,” she said, leading Riley into a small, windowless room dominated by a large conference table, where she’d already set up the food. “Kenneth left for an appointment, but Noah should be on his way back to the office. Do you want chicken, turkey or roast beef?”
    â€œChicken’s fine.”
    As the two women settled at the table to eat, Janie asked, “How’s it going so far? Are you already regretting your decision to come work with us?”
    Riley laughed. “Not at all. The cases you guys handle are pretty interesting. I’m learning a