“It’s cold outside.”
“I’ll keep you warm.” He squeezes my backside and leans in to kiss me again when the door unlocks and starts to open behind me.
My heart races and Kace shoves against the door, holding it shut. “What the hell?”
That’s when we hear. “Aria! Aria, are you okay?”
“That’s Nancy,” I say quickly. “She works here. She was here and left. She must have forgotten something.”
“Nancy has very bad timing,” he says, leaning in and kissing my neck, his breath a warm tease as he whispers, “I should be inside you right now.”
My sex clenches and I press closer to him, tilting my chin up, offering him my mouth. His lips lower, so close to mine that I can almost taste him when he murmurs, “I missed you today. I don’t remember ever saying that to another woman.”
I am both shocked and pleased by his confession. “I missed you, too.”
“Aria!” Nancy calls out. “Aria, I’m calling the police.”
Kace pulls back sharply. “Calling the police?”
“Savage was here. He scared her.”
His dark brows furrow. “How did Savage scare her?”
“He’s an intimating guy, Kace, and she cares about me.”
“Aria!” she calls out again and my cellphone starts ringing.
“That will be her,” I say without ever reaching into my pocket to grab it.
He groans, lifts me off of the door, and opens it. Nancy rushes in the door and gives Kace a once over, her eyes going wide. “You’re not Savage.”
“No,” Kace agrees. “I am not.”
She shuts the door and her gaze slides between me and Kace. “He’s,” she says, and looks at him, “you’re Kace August.” Her attention returns to me. “He’s Kace August.”
“And I didn’t know you were into violins, Nancy,” I say.
“I wasn’t until I started researching Stradivarius violins for one of Gio’s clients and making a log of everyone who is known to own one.” She eyes Kace. “That’s when I found you on YouTube.”
I blink, and after about ten stunned seconds, anger surfaces, barely contained. I officially wish Gio was here so I could scream at him. Or hit him. I’d hit him for sure. That’s a sister’s prerogative. He wasn’t avoiding trouble. He was asking for it and I’m afraid he found it. I’m afraid we’ve all found it.
“And he,” Nancy continues, pointing at Kace, “has not one but three Stradivarius violins. Do you know how expensive and elite they are? Who has three Stradivariuses?”
“An elite violinist who can do them justice,” I say. “For instance,” I motion to Kace, “Kace August.”
“Yes well, I figured that out when I googled him and started listening to his music.” She eyes Kace. “You made me love the violin.”
Kace gives her a little bow. “Happy to hear that I brought you to the dark side.”
She laughs, her cheeks flushed. “The dark side. That’s funny. Please tell me we’re helping you find another prize violin. I’m ready. I have my list.”
Kace wraps his arm around me and pulls me close. “I have my prize.”
Nancy’s eyes go wide all over again. “Oh. I—” She motions between us. “You two are—and actually, Kace you have lipstick on your face.” She eyes me and smiles. “You do, too.”
Kace laughs and rubs his face. I don’t laugh or wipe my face. I’m focused on that tidbit of news she just delivered. “When exactly did Gio have you researching violins?”
“A few weeks before he took off.”
“Do you still have that list?”
“I do,” she confirms. “On my MacBook, which is at home. I can email it to you.”
“Yes. Please. Who was the client Gio had you working for?”
Her brows furrow. “Thinking—Sylvia. Or Stella. Or hmmm—”
“Sofia?” I supply.
Recognition lights her face. “Yes! That was her.”
“Have you met her?” I ask, praying we’re about to find Sofia, right here, under our noses.
“Not in person,” she says. “I talked to her on the phone a few times.”
“When?” I press.
“A few weeks ago, I guess,” Nancy says, her brows furrowing. “Why?”
“On the store phone or your cell?” Kace asks before I can answer.
“The store phone.” Her eyes land heavily on me. “Aria, what’s going on?”
“Do you have her contact information?” I ask.
“No,” she says. “She called in for Gio. Why?”
She called in for Gio and did so on the store phone, I think. To me, that says that she didn’t have his cellphone. Their relationship started as business, be it legit or some sort of trap for Gio, is yet to be determined. “Can you tell when she called based on the dates you worked on the documents?” I ask, snapping me back to the conversation.
“I should be able to tell,” she confirms, “but it was only maybe two times. She called Gio on his cellphone after that. Aria, what is going on?”
I can’t keep avoiding her so I don’t. “Gio got personal with Sofia.”
She snorts. “Why does that not surprise me?”