Free A Guilty Affair by Maureen Smith Page B

lot.”
    â€œGlad to hear it. We’re very happy to have you on board, Riley.”
    â€œThanks.” A wry smile tipped the corner of Riley’s mouth. “I guess two out of three ain’t bad.”
    Janie grimaced. “I’m really sorry about Noah. I don’t know why he behaved like that yesterday.”
    â€œThat’s all right,” Riley murmured, spearing a black olive from her pasta salad. “I’m used to it by now.”
    â€œReally? From Noah?”
    Riley nodded, then, seeking to change the subject, said, “I hope Daniela won’t mind that I’m using her office.”
    â€œOf course not. Even if she were that territorial—which she’s not—it wouldn’t matter in this case. Daniela’s always been very fond of you.”
    A warm smile curved Riley’s mouth. “I’ve always liked her, too. I can’t wait to see her again and offer my congratulations on her marriage.”
    â€œJust wait until you meet Caleb. Hot—that’s all I’m going to say.”
    Riley grinned. “But not as hot as your husband, of course.”
    Janie’s dark eyes twinkled with mischief. “Of course.” Sobering after a moment, she bit into her sandwich and slowly chewed.
    Riley could see the wheels spinning in her mind, and wasn’t surprised when Janie returned to the topic of her brother-in-law. “Noah’s always been pretty easygoing. In fact, I used to tease Kenneth all the time by telling him I’d married the wrong brother, the uptight one. In contrast to Noah, Kenny can come across so serious at times—too serious.”
    â€œI’ve never really seen the easygoing side of Noah,” Riley admitted, nibbling on her sandwich. “He’s always seemed so intense to me.”
    â€œOh, he is, believe me. Especially when he’s focused on a big case or something he’s really passionate about. But he definitely knows how to relax and have a good time. And you should see how good he is with his niece and nephew. They adore him.”
    Riley could believe it. She’d seen Noah work his magic on others, from the cops he’d once worked with to a waitress serving him at a restaurant. She knew he could be charming, compassionate, and generous to a fault—even if she’d never been on the receiving end of those traits.
    â€œGive him time,” Janie said gently. “He’ll come around.”
    Riley had her doubts, but she wasn’t going to let those doubts discourage her. Thanks to Janie, she’d been given the perfect excuse to see and interact with Noah five days a week for the next two months. She was convinced that if he only got to know her better, he’d realize she wasn’t crazy or malicious for wanting to investigate Trevor’s death. If she couldn’t persuade him to help her…well, she refused to consider that possibility. Failure, as far as she was concerned, wasn’t an option.
    As she and Janie finished their meals and cleared the table, Noah returned to the office. Today, instead of a double-breasted suit, he wore a black T-shirt, black jeans, and black boots that made him look decidedly menacing as he sauntered down the hallway toward them, his eyes concealed behind mirrored sunglasses.
    â€œHey, sunshine,” Janie greeted him cheerfully. “I left your sandwich and drink on your desk.”
    â€œThanks.” He inclined his head briefly toward Riley. “Afternoon.”
    â€œHey Noah,” she chirped, striving to sound normal when butterflies were fluttering wildly in her stomach. Those damned nerves again. “How’s it going?”
    â€œIt’s going,” he murmured, disappearing into his office.
    Riley followed Janie to the reception desk to pick up a form she’d requested earlier. “By the way, I have some follow-up questions about one of the cases I was reading about this morning—the