The Private Eye

awareness in her bright sea-green eyes. “If you really believe that, lady, you're setting yourself up for a major fall.
    Take some advice. Don't waste your time attributing any fancy do-gooder motives to me, I'm a businessman. Period. You'll get what you paid for.”
    “You've already told me I'm not paying the going rate. So what, exactly, will I get?” Maggie made no attempt to withdraw her hand from his but Josh could feel the tension radiating through her.
    “I'm not sure yet.” His voice slipped into a husky growl as he realized just how soft her skin was. The scent of her filled his head. A new surge of arousal shot through him. Without even thinking about it, he used his grip on her wrist to tug her closer.
    Alarm and sensual awareness flared simultaneously in her eyes. “Josh? Josh, stop it. For heaven's sake, I don't even know you.”
    He smiled slightly. “But I know you.”
    “No, that's not true.” But she still made no effort to pull free. Instead, she was watching him with a fascinated look. “You don't know anything about me.”
    “I know you're small-town born and raised. You were a librarian until recently. I know you spent your summer vacations here at Peregrine Manor when you were growing up. I know your parents live in Arizona. I know you've been dating a real-estate broker named O'Connor.” Josh smiled dangerously. “Want me to continue?”
    Her lips parted in astonishment. “How did you…? Wait a minute. You grilled the Colonel and the others, didn't you?”
    “I'm a private eye, remember? Digging up information is my business.”
    “You mean prying into other people's lives is your business.”
    He shrugged. “Same thing. You get used to it after a while. There is no such thing as real privacy in the modern world. In any case, I figured I was entitled to do a little digging where you're concerned. Your friends were warning me off, you see. It annoyed me.”
    She frowned in confusion. “Warning you off what? Me?” She was clearly shocked.
    “Right. The Colonel as good as told me not to try to seduce you unless my intentions were honourable.”
    “How embarrassing.” For the first time she started to struggle. Her hand twisted in his grasp. “You can bet I'll have something to say to all three of them. They mean well, but I don't appreciate people interfering in my private life.”
    Josh tightened his grip on her wrist for an instant, not wanting to let her go. But when she struggled again, he released her. “Does that mean you're interested in being seduced, regardless of whether or not my intentions are honourable?”
    “Don't be ridiculous.” She stepped back quickly from the bed. “I don't know the first thing about you. Why on earth would I want anything more than a business relationship with you?”
    “Who knows? Maybe because I understand you better than you know. I told you, I used to have a few things in common with you.”
    “Well, it certainly doesn't sound like we have anything in common now,” she snapped.
    “You never know. We might be kindred souls in search of each other.”
    “That's crazy.”
    “Life is crazy. Who would have guessed a week ago that I'd be lying in this bed having a midnight conversation with a prim little ex-librarian who reads too many mysteries?” Josh leaned over and opened the drawer in the bedside table. He pulled out the notepad and pen he had stuck inside earlier in the event that he awoke with a brilliant idea for the book.
    Maggie watched him with deep suspicion. “What are you doing?”
    “Evening the score. Only fair that we go into this on an equal basis.” Josh scrawled McCray's private phone number at the offices of Business Intelligence and Security – the one that bypassed the secretary. When he was finished, he tore off the page and handed it to Maggie. It was amazing how many people automatically took anything that was handed to them, even if they didn't want it. “Here.”
    “What's this?” Maggie reluctantly took the page and glanced at the phone number.
    “You said you didn't know anything about me. Okay, I can fix that. The man who answers that number is named McCray. He's my partner. When you call him, tell him I said he was to tell you anything you want to know about me. He can provide proof of the excellent status of my health – sprained ankle and assorted bruises, aside. He can also give you my credit rating and verify that I have no criminal record or children. He'll even tell you my shoe