Fresh Temptation

need to be good, okay? Here. Go back to your room and I’ll be there in a minute.”
    A few seconds later, Patty opened her bedroom door. “Good morning, handsome,” she said.
    Tom chuckled. “Good morning, my dear.”
    “This is for you.” She handed him a hot cinnamon roll on a small plate, with a fork. “I hope you like sweets for breakfast.”
    Tom took the plate. “I love them. How’d you sneak out of here and have time to do this?”
    With an air of false humility, Patty brushed her hair off her shoulder and said, “A woman has her ways.”
    Tom thought back to recent memories of the previous night. “Yes. She sure does.”
    They shared a knowing look and burst into laughter until Tom realized Isaac might hear. Then he got quiet.
    He gave Patty a kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry. I’ll have to eat and run. I don’t want your grandson to catch me here.”
    “Oh, I can take care of him. Don’t worry about that.”
    “I really do have to go. I’m sorry. I have some important business to take care of and it can’t wait any longer. I wish it could.” He let out a wistful sigh. “Oh, I wish it could.”
    Disappointed, Patty nodded and watched him get dressed. “I understand.”
    A few minutes later, Patty and Tom walked down to the front door, quickly joined by Isaac, who hid behind Patty’s leg.
    “Well, you have my number and you know where to find me,” she said.
    Tom looked down at Isaac to make sure he was not watching, then kissed Patty’s cheek. “I’d like to see you soon, if that’s okay.”
    Patty beamed. “Dinner here tonight? You could meet my daughter.”
    A nervous twinge formed in Tom’s stomach at the mention of Cara. “I’d like that.”
    “Seven o’clock then?”
    “Yes.” He kissed her cheek once more. “I’ll be here.”
    An hour and a half later, Tom arrived at the usual meeting spot to speak with Alexis.
    After sipping water at a table by himself for a few minutes, he watched the socialite waltz through the room, smiling.
    Alexis sat across from him. “So, this must be important. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” She rubbed her hands together. “So, let’s get to it.”
    Tom folded his hands across the table. “Fine. There’s no easy way to say this.” He cleared his throat. “I can’t work for you anymore.”
    “What? No!”
    “Yes, Ms. Whitt. I’m off the case.”
    Alexis crossed her arms over her chest, pursing her lips. “You can’t be off the case. We have a contract. I’ve already had money wired to your account.”
    Tom shrugged. “I’ll unwire the money. Send it right back to you. Either of us can void that contract at any time.”
    Alexis fumed. She was more desperate than ever for new information, especially after hearing from another source that Cara and Victor went away on a business trip the previous day. “So, you have nothing new to tell me? I thought you were working this case all day yesterday.”
    Tom gave her a lighthearted grin and adjusted his glasses. “I was, indeed. But no more. I got no news for ya. I’m done.”
    Huffing loudly, Alexis spit out her words. “I’ll ruin your name. You’ll never work for anyone again if I have anything to do with it.”
    Tom took a deep breath and stood. “Well, you do what you gotta do, Ms. Whitt. I got some other business to attend to. Expect the money to be returned to your account in the next few days.” And with that, he nodded one last time and walked out of the restaurant.
    Cursing under her breath, Alexis took out her phone to make a call. “Hey, Sally?”
    “Hey Alexis. Let me put you on hold for a sec.” Sally, a staff accountant at Monarch Enterprises, waved for one of her co-workers to leave her cubicle, then returned to the phone. “So, what can I do for you today?”
    “I just wanted to double check what you told me about Victor’s trip request. His flight’s scheduled to return at what time today?”
    “Give me a moment to pull it up.” Sally double-clicked on the travel module and entered Victor’s name. “Hmm. He’s traveled a lot lately. Okay, here’s today’s trip. He was originally supposed to return today at four o’clock. It can change at the last minute, though.”
    “Four o’clock?” Alexis’s heart sank. “That means they’ve spent almost all day together.”
    “Sorry, hon. I can’t do anything about that.”
    Alexis sighed. “I know. I’ll talk to you later, okay? I gotta go.”
    Sally had barely said,