The Perfect Murder--A Novel Read online

  Kenzie flicked him a sideways glance. “Maybe we could set aside some of the politically correct protocol, just for tonight.”

  Reese smiled broadly, relieved she felt the same. “That sounds great. Just remember it was your idea.”

  Kenzie smiled back. He felt the kick but managed to ignore it. As he guided her down the slightly uneven path to the long white stretch limo, the warmth of her body beneath his hand, seeping through her gown, sent his mind once more where it didn’t belong.

  He focused on the limo driver, who opened the rear passenger door. A big, beefy African American, Reggie Porter owned the limo company. He was former military, tough as nails, and a longtime, trusted friend of the Garrett family.

  Reese helped Kenzie settle inside then slid onto the deep red leather seat beside her. He couldn’t help thinking how good she felt next to him, which made him wonder if setting aside the rules for the evening had been the best plan.

  One thing he knew, dating his executive assistant was completely out of the question. If he wanted to see her, he’d either have to fire her or find her another, less desirable position in the company, which, for both their sakes and especially his, Reese refused to do.

  With the investigation he was beginning, he needed Kenzie now more than ever.

  * * *

  The benefit for the Dallas Youth Homes charity was being held at The Adolphus, an elegant older hotel on Commerce Street in the financial district.

  The hotel, built in 1912, had once played host to presidents and even the Queen of England. The ballroom, with its elegant molded ceilings and parquet floors, held a sea of linen-draped tables, each with a blue-and-silver floral arrangement.

  Most of the guests were seated by the time Kenzie and Reese walked to their table near the stage at the front of the room where his brothers were waiting, along with a friend from Colorado and his date.

  Her nerves were on edge. Being with Reese tonight felt different than previous business events. Part of her loved being with him this way. Another part worried it might intensify the forbidden feelings she carried for him.

  To protect herself, Kenzie concentrated on the evening ahead. She knew from Reese’s schedule who would be sitting at the table. She had met Chase and Brandon during Reese’s hospital stay, but none of the others.

  “Sorry I missed the cocktail hour,” Reese said. “My date had a family emergency. This is my assistant, Kenzie Haines. She was kind enough to fill in for her.”

  He turned to Kenzie. “You’ve met my brother Chase.”

  She nodded. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You, too, Kenzie,” Chase said. “And under far more pleasant circumstances. I appreciate the way you helped us take care of my brother after the accident.”

  She felt the heat creeping into her face. After the crash, she had gone to see Reese at the hospital every day, explaining her presence as necessary to keep the office running smoothly. Reese never knew how worried she had been and she wanted to keep it that way.

  “Looking out for Reese is my job,” she said mildly.

  Chase’s smile widened. “Yes, I suppose it is.” He was maybe an inch shorter than Reese, the edge of his jaw defined by a short-cropped dark blond beard.

  “The lady next to him is his wife, Harper,” Reese continued.

  “Nice to meet you, Kenzie.” Harper Garrett was a tall, willowy young woman with gorgeous silver-blond hair.

  “You, too.”

  “You know my younger brother, Brandon.”

  Brandon touched his forehead in a faint salute. “Nice seeing you.” He grinned. “Anyone who can put up with my prickly brother all day is okay by me.” He had dark brown hair and the lean, hard-muscled build that ran in the Garrett family.

  He was also gorgeous, with a movie-star face and beautiful blue eyes a less intense shade than Reese’s. She couldn’t help noticing the affection in Brandon’s eyes whenever he looked at his wife.

  Jessie Garrett smiled and greeted Kenzie warmly, and Reese moved on to Kade Logan, a rancher from Colorado, a handsome, well-built man with dark hair and golden brown eyes. His companion, talk-show personality Marla Steiner, was a date Chase had arranged for his friend.

  Once Kenzie and Reese were seated, there was a brief welcome from the president of the charity, then the dinner service began—chicken swimming in lemon cream sauce and green beans with slivered almonds. She’d eaten similar meals with Lee on dozens of different occasions.

  Kenzie shifted in her chair. With eight people at the round linen-covered table, she was sitting close enough to Reese to feel the occasional brush of his thigh against hers. She remembered his magnificent tattooed back, and her body flushed with heat. It was frightening. She couldn’t wait for the evening to end.

  It seemed hours before it was over. At one point, Reese got up and gave a brief address, followed by several others describing the work done by the charity, thanking people for coming, and imploring them to be generous.

  She made a trip to the ladies’ room with Harper and Jessie, found both of them easy to talk to and totally accepting of her as nothing more than Reese’s substitute date. She’d been worried something in her expression would give away her attraction.

  All evening, Kenzie worked to keep up a businesslike facade, which Reese seemed to do without the slightest effort. A thought that was oddly depressing.

  Deep down, she couldn’t help wishing she were there with him for real, something she had never remotely considered. It wasn’t going to happen, could not possibly happen, not when her job meant so much to her and she needed the income so badly. More so if Lee actually filled a custody suit for Griff.

  The hours slipped past. Finally, the benefit was over and they were back in the limo. The vehicle was driving toward her town house when Reese mentioned the investigation he was pursuing.

  “I’m flying into Houston,” he said. “Driving on to Galveston. I’ll be asking questions, tracking people down, digging up basic information.”

  “I’ve scheduled your trip to the platform,” Kenzie said, “but I really think, under the circumstances, you should postpone it.”

  Surprisingly, Reese agreed. “Until we know what’s going on, that’s probably a good idea.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “I could really use your help while I’m down there,” he said. “If leaving town for a couple of days isn’t too inconvenient.”

  “Gran’s there to take care of Griff and they’re both used to me working long hours. A few days away won’t be a problem.”

  Not a problem for Gran or Griff. But for her, spending time with Reese was growing more and more difficult.

  “Set it up,” he said. “We’ll fly down next week. I’ve got a staff meeting on Tuesday. We’ll leave Wednesday morning, come back Friday night at the latest. You’ll be home in time to spend the weekend with your son.”

  Reese and his wife had never had children. She knew he liked kids. Kenzie thought he would have made a good dad.

  The limo turned a corner and continued down the street. She usually booked Reese an SUV, but for black-tie occasions, he preferred a stretch. She couldn’t help wondering if Andrea would have enjoyed it.

  Reggie pulled up in front of her town house, got out to open the rear passenger door. Reese slid out of the car and came around to help Kenzie alight.

  “You don’t need to walk me to the door,” she said. “I can find my own way.”

  “Tonight you’re my date. That doesn’t end until you’re safely inside your home.” His hand rode at her waist as he walked her up the concrete path to the front porch. She couldn’t suppress the flutter in her stomach. When Kenzie turned to look at him, his eyes, a fierce cobalt blue, held a trace of something she had never seen before. Heat, she realized, the unmistakable glitter of desire.

  He blinked and it was gone.<
br />
  Or maybe she had only imagined it.

  “I know attending a benefit with your assistant wasn’t your favorite thing to do,” she said. “But it was still a very nice evening.”

  He took a step back, his face in shadow. In her dream, he had leaned down and kissed her.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He moved even farther away. “Good night, Kenzie.”

  “Good night, Reese.”

  She watched him walk away, shoulders wide, long strides eating up the ground beneath his black patent shoes. An unexpected yearning moved through her.

  Get a grip, Kenzie. You’re just an employee. And even if tonight had been a real date, even if she had broken all the rules and kissed him, even seduced him, she would just be another of his women. Reese was never interested in more than a brief affair.

  She sighed as she climbed the stairs to her empty bedroom. Tomorrow was another day. Everything would be back to normal.

  But as she lay in bed, she thought of Reese and the hot look in his eyes and couldn’t fall asleep.

  EIGHT

  The twice-monthly staff meeting Reese presided over had just come to an end. VPs from every department—Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, and Promotion—had all presented an update report.

  As CEO, it was his job to set the strategy and direction of the company. To do that, he had to know what was going on with their top competitors, which markets to enter, how much capital was needed to expand company profits, and a well of other information. It was challenging, but a job he was good at.

  Better than good, when he kept his mind focused on work.

  Unfortunately, his thoughts had been scattered since the night of the benefit. It was past time he stopped thinking of Kenzie as a woman, remembering how beautiful she had looked that night. Kenzie was a valued employee, one he admired and respected. That was the way things had to remain.

  Since he was a master at controlling his emotions, he knew he could do it. He’d already started distancing himself, getting himself back on track.

  Still, as he left the conference room on the way to his office and saw a man in a cheap brown suit handing her a manila envelope, he changed course and headed in that direction.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, not liking the pale color of her face as she stared at the documents she had taken from inside.

  “Good luck, Mrs. Haines,” the man in the suit called out. Turning, he walked away. Kenzie looked up at Reese, her expression bleak.

  “That was a process server. Lee filed for full custody of Griffin.”

  Reese clamped down on a surge of anger, disliking Lee Haines more than ever. “On what grounds?”

  “Not complying with the terms of the original custody agreement. When we divorced, I was only working part-time. Then the money from the settlement began to run out and I started a full-time job. In March I took the job here, working for Garrett Resources. It’s a full work week plus occasional overtime.”

  “We can figure that out. If you need more time with your family—”

  Kenzie shook her head. “That’s not it. Not really. You already make concessions most employers wouldn’t. The truth is Lee doesn’t care how many hours I work. Nor is he interested in actually raising his son. Something’s up. I know it. You saw him at the hospital. Lee’s barely a father to Griff.”

  “What is it, then?”

  “I’m not sure, but...” She glanced at the sheaf of court documents in her hand. “Lee’s brother, Daniel, is a Louisiana state senator. I think Arthur wants Lee to run for the senate here in Texas.”

  Reese liked Arthur Haines even less than Lee. “What’s that got to do with Griff?”

  “I remember Arthur talking about it during the divorce. He begged me not to leave his son. Even then Arthur had political ambitions for Lee. Being a divorced man isn’t good for a candidate. But a single father raising a young boy would have great voter appeal. Arthur probably believes it’ll give Lee the edge he needs to win.”

  “How’s Arthur’s relationship with his grandson?”

  She sighed. “Griff barely knows him. He isn’t a kid kind of guy.”

  Reese tipped his head toward his office. “Let’s go inside where we can talk.”

  Kenzie walked ahead of him and he closed the door behind them. “I know a good attorney. One of the best in Dallas. He can handle this, make sure you don’t lose custody. He’s expensive but you don’t have to worry, I’ll take care of it.”

  She started shaking her head. “You can’t possibly mean to pay for my lawyer.”

  “You need help. That’s what people do. They help each other.”

  “I can’t. People might talk. It might cause problems for you. I’m not willing to take the chance.”

  “Listen to me, dammit. It’s okay to let people in once in a while. It isn’t charity. It’s just being a friend.”

  Her pretty golden eyes filled, and his chest tightened. “Griff needs you, Kenzie. Let me help you.”

  She turned away, walked slowly over to the window and just stood there looking down at the people on the street, the same line of protesters who had been there last week.

  With a shuddering breath, she walked back. “Call him. I don’t want to lose my son. I don’t have any choice.”

  Reese worked to keep his voice even. “His name’s Drew Wilcox. He’s with Wilcox, Sullivan, and Boyle. I’ll phone him, tell him you’ll be in touch. You can set up a meeting in your home. That way he can meet Griff and your grandmother, see where you live.”

  Resigned, she nodded. “Okay.”

  “Don’t worry. Whatever Lee does, we’re not going to let him win.”

  Kenzie looked up at him and something moved across her features. “Thank you.”

  “You can thank me when this is over.” Heading to his desk, he forced his mind away from Kenzie and her problems, which shouldn’t in any way be his yet somehow felt as if they were.

  “In the meantime, I need you to set up that trip to Houston. I’ve given it some thought and since I’ll be asking questions that might stir up trouble, I think it would be better if you stayed here.”

  “Why? Because you’re afraid you might have been the target of the crash?”

  “That’s right, and if someone wants me dead, being with me could put you in danger.”

  “At this point you don’t know if the crash had anything to do with you.”

  “That’s exactly what I need to find out.”

  “I can help you with that, and until there’s a reason to suspect you’re the one they were after, there’s no reason for me not to go.”

  She was right. He was jumping to conclusions. If he’d been the target, there likely would have been another attempt on his life by now.

  “What about Lee and the situation with Griff?” he asked. “If you need to be here, I can manage on my own.”

  Her chin firmed. “You need me, so I’m going. I’m not letting Lee ruin my life—or interfere in my work.”

  Reese felt the pull of a smile. “I guess that settles it, then. Let me know when you get the schedule worked out.”

  Clutching the custody papers against her chest, Kenzie turned and walked away. When the door closed, Reese realized his pulse was hammering. He was still worked up about the guy in the suit. He was worried about Kenzie. He didn’t want anyone hurting her. He didn’t want anyone making her cry.

  Something he couldn’t afford to feel spread through him. Something he was determined to purge from his mind and heart. Sitting down at his desk, he picked up the phone.

  * * *

  That night and the next, he went out with different women, took them to dinner, then to bed. All he felt the next day was empty. His rigid control was returning. He was putting his lapse of judgment behind him. Everything was smoothing out, getting back to normal.

&nb
sp; Then it was Wednesday morning, time to head for Houston. Kenzie was meeting him at the Dallas Executive Airport. They’d be flying down in the company jet, a sleek white Citation CJ4. The jet was an amazing time-saver, well worth the money it had cost.

  As he’d packed for the trip, he had again considered leaving Kenzie in Dallas, but with her sharp mind and knack for organization, she would be a real asset.

  Still, instead of facing an evening alone with her, he arranged a date with a beautiful redhead named Arial Kaplan, whom he’d spent a few nights with when he’d been working in the Houston office earlier this year. Arial had given him an open invitation to call her whenever he was in town, an invitation that included more than just dinner.

  Sleeping with Arial would keep his mind off Kenzie, Reese told himself. He’d be able to concentrate on the investigation and find the man who had sabotaged the chopper.

  Or at least find out if someone wanted to stop the Poseidon deal enough to kill him.

  * * *

  A little over an hour after takeoff, the Garrett Resources jet landed at the West Houston Airport, the closest airstrip to the Energy Corridor, where the Houston office was located.

  Kenzie smiled. She wasn’t a fan of flying, but if you had to travel, a private jet was definitely the way to go.

  The plane began its descent. The September day was muggy and overcast, hinting at rain, the landing a little bumpy. Crossing the tarmac, Kenzie walked with Reese toward a pair of black Range Rovers kept at the terminal for out-of-town guests in Houston on Garrett Resources business.

  Kenzie sat in the passenger seat as Reese drove the Rover to an apartment building not far away, four units the company leased to accommodate those same people.

  Kenzie had been there several times. She knew Reese’s private apartment sat at the end of the hall, though she had never been inside. She carried her overnight bag into the unit next door, a nicely furnished one-bedroom with a modern kitchen and spacious bath.

  Once they were settled, she joined Reese for the drive south from Houston to Galveston, to the Sea Titan Pelican Island heliport. Reese was quiet along the way, as he had been all week, adjusting the volume on the satellite radio to fill the gaps in the conversation.