She cleared her throat, then sat primly on the foot of the bed. "Did you find anything about Reggie?

"Not much." He told her what he'd learned, and she nodded.

"So that means it's probably not him?"

"Not necessarily." He sat on the bed next to her, then shifted a bit so that he could look at her more directly. As he did, his knee brushed hers. He saw her stiffen, but she didn't move away.

"Why not necessarily?"

"Every criminal has a first time," he said. "You might be his."

A wry smile played at her mouth. "Yay for me."

"When was the first note?" he asked. "Did anything happen right before? With Reggie, I mean."

"Like a trigger?"

He nodded, then watched her face as she concentrated, noting the adorable vertical crease above her nose. Christ, but she was lovely. All of her unique features pulling together to create an image that drew him in and painted a picture on his heart.

Inwardly, he winced. He had it bad if she was inspiring him to think such flowery, sappy thoughts. Inconvenient as hell, but apparently his attraction to Taylor was his new reality.

She started to shake her head, but he caught her chin with the tip of his finger. "Go deeper," he said. "Had you gotten a position in a show that he wanted? Had you cut him off at the soda machine? Did he see you talking with another man?"

Her mouth opened, those soft lips parting as if readying for a kiss. "Yes," she said, and for one crazed moment, he thought she was inviting his lips to hers. Then he realized she was answering his question.

"Another man? Where? Who?"

"I--I bumped into him. At the Broken Spoke," she said, referencing an iconic Austin dance hall. "A group of us had gone out after one of the Man of the Month contests. We do that sometimes, but this time Brent was with us."

"Unusual for him because of Faith," Landon said, and Taylor nodded.

"He was teaching me how to two-step. I saw Reggie across the bar watching us."

"When was that?"

She thought back. "After Parker. So, about two weeks ago. And about a week before the brick."

"Hang on." He tapped out a quick text to Brent, asking if he remembered the night, and if he'd noticed anyone watching him afterwards, or if anything odd had happened to him or his car. The answer was immediate and negative. Brent hadn't noticed a thing.

Considering Brent's training--and his tendency to be extra observant about his home because of Faith--Landon had to assume there'd been no incidents aimed at him. But that didn't mean the perp wasn't Reggie. His focus might be narrowed to the woman he coveted, punishing her for her perceived infidelity.

Assuming it was Reggie at all.

"There's something else," Taylor said. "That's about the time I started to feel--"

"What?"

"Watched, I guess. I didn't mention it before because it's just a feeling." She licked her lips, clearly pondering something.

"There's something else?"

"It's just ... I know you said anyone could quote musicals to me, but that just seems so much more of a Reggie thing. And Beau was eight years and a lot of miles ago. Plus--"

He cocked his head. "Plus what?"

But she only shook her head. "Plus it seems so unlikely after all this time that he'd find me. That he'd even try. Doesn't it?"

Before Landon could answer, she plowed on, as if determined to convince herself that Beau couldn't have a thing to do with this. "And he's not exactly cultured. Or he wasn't. I mean, he knows I like musicals, but I'm not sure he'd do a good job picking the quotes. I mean, he was the kind of guy who cleans under his toenails with a switchblade. He probably thinks Evita is a soda pop and Sweeney Todd the name of a pirate in those Johnny Depp movies. Quotes from Grease would be more likely."

Tags: J. Kenner Man of the Month Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net