Harlequin Nocturne March 2016 Box Set Read online

  “And a piece of cheesecake?” Too much, he told himself, but Stephanie didn’t seem to think so.

  She laughed. “It’s a little early for cheesecake. You could convince me to eat a muffin, though.”

  “Done.”

  They chatted, more inane small talk, as they left his office and headed around the corner to the Green Bean, where they both ordered hot drinks and blueberry muffins, then took them to a small table in the corner. Watching her warm her hands on the cup, Kent knew there was no way he was going to actually ask her out, dream or no.

  “I think I have an idea of who he might be targeting next,” Stephanie said, surprising him.

  “You do? How?”

  She waved a hand. “Oh. Algorithms. Um...patterns in his previous marks.”

  That sounded plausible and yet something in the way she said it gave him pause. “Huh. So what do we do about it? Do we let the potential victim know? That could cause some concern. I mean, if we start scaring our customers, they might simply close their accounts. I don’t think the board’s going to be on...board.”

  Carol would’ve rolled her eyes, but Stephanie laughed at his play on words. “No. I agree. We can’t warn them. But you can be prepared for any suspicious activity and handle it if it comes up, before the customer even knows.”

  “But you have no idea who’s doing it? No closer to catching him? Or her,” Kent added, to be fair.

  “Or...her?” Stephanie paused as though considering that. “No. Sorry. Working on that. But I can give you the name of who might be his next target. You can monitor her account.”

  “I guess if that’s the best we can do...”

  She blew on her coffee and sipped, then set down the cup to give him a serious look. “I know it’s not the best result, but believe me, Kent, we’re getting closer. Last night I...”

  “Last night you what?”

  “I got very close,” she said. “Tracking him down.”

  Kent had never asked how she did that. He’d always assumed it was with some computer program or something, because even though there’d never been any trace of hacking with any of the thefts, that had to be what was going on. He drank some of his own coffee and watched her tear a bite of her muffin.

  “So,” he said after a half minute had passed and neither of them had spoken, “did you have a good weekend?”

  “It started off great,” she told him with a grin. “Late-night cheesecake and all.”

  Kent smiled. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yep.” She leaned forward a bit to say, like a secret, “It was nice. Really nice.”

  “So...” Do it, he urged himself. Just ask her already. “Maybe you’d like to do it again?”

  “Oh, yes. For sure. I said so, didn’t I?” An expression fluttered across her face, there and gone so fast he couldn’t determine what it had been. “I mean, in the text. I answered your text.”

  “You...did?” Kent pulled his phone from his pocket to check, but no, there’d been nothing. “It didn’t come through.”

  She smiled, brow furrowing. “No? Huh. Weird. I guess you thought I must’ve been blowing you off.”

  “No. I mean... Yes. I figured you were going to pretend I hadn’t sent it, that’s all. I wasn’t going to mention it.”

  They looked at each other across the table, both silent again but this time smiling. Stephanie’s eyes seemed very blue as she looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup.

  “Would you like to go out again?”

  “On a date?” she asked, her tone of voice making it clear she already knew the answer.

  Kent nodded. “Yes. On a real, official date. I’ll pick you up at your house and everything.”

  “Flowers?” Stephanie asked.

  This woman was going to kill him, he thought. In all the best ways. Dead as a doornail.

  “Flowers, if you like,” he told her. “Candy, too.”

  She laughed and covered her mouth with her hand for a moment. Her eyes gleamed. She leaned across the table, just a little. “You got it. Friday night?”

  “Yes,” Kent said, and some weird impulse made him add, “You promise?”

  For a second, he thought he’d gone too far. Too fast, too creepy. What had felt like flirting might’ve come across as too desperate.

  She smiled, though. “Yes. Sure. I promise.”

  He had no reason for the feeling of relief at her answer, but it was there anyway. “Great. Pick you up at six?”

  They chatted about the details for a minute or so longer before Kent caught sight of the time and realized he had to get back to the office for a meeting he was going to be late for. They parted ways in the credit-union parking lot with a half hug he refused to let himself overanalyze. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that he remembered he had never found out the name of the customer Stephanie thought was going to be the thief’s next mark.

  CHAPTER 10

  “It’s going,” Stephanie said in answer to Vadim’s question about her progress. “Slowly. I get so close, but this guy... It’s like he knows just how to avoid me.”

  “He’s probably been doing it for a long time.” Vadim, tall, bald, intimidating, nodded at her from her computer screen. “Do you need backup?”

  She shook her head. “No. But if it goes on much longer, more people are going to get duped. I feel bad. I should’ve figured him out by now.”

  “All things in their time.” Vadim peered at her. “You look tired.”

  Stephanie laughed. “Gee, thanks.”

  “You’ve been spending too much time shaping and not enough time simply dreaming,” her boss declared. “You should take tonight off.”

  “I’m fine,” she protested but stopped at his look. “I know the rules, Vadim.”

  “Everyone needs to dream,” he told her. “Without proper dreaming time, your brain does not count the hours you’re unconscious as true sleep. And without enough sleep...”

  She grumbled, “Yes, I know. You go crazy.”

  “It’s no joking matter, Stephanie. You are too good to lose to madness.” Vadim frowned. “I insist you take tonight off.”

  She couldn’t enter the Ephemeros without being aware that she was dreaming, but she could definitely spend more time relaxing and enjoying the dream world rather than actively working it. “Fine, but if I get even a hint of that guy anywhere around, I’m on it.”

  “Of course. But other than that, take a break.” Vadim gave her a small, tight smile. “I am envious of you, of course. To be able to manipulate the dream world. It’s a true talent, one I wish I could cultivate.”

  She didn’t blame him. She’d learned in toddlerhood that she could shape and push the Ephemeros and couldn’t imagine not being able to control her dreams. With another few minutes of casual chat, she and Vadim ended their conversation and disconnected the call.

  Here it was, a full night off. For a moment, Stephanie thought about calling Denise to see if she wanted to head out on the town, maybe for a hump-day happy hour, but then decided against it. She was going to spend the night at home pampering herself, she thought. A couple glasses of good wine she usually couldn’t otherwise indulge in, because too much alcohol made it hard to function in dreams as much as in the waking world. A steaming bubble bath. A good book. Chocolate. Oh, yeah, she had a couple pieces of decadent, expensive chocolates she’d been saving for a treat, and if a night off decreed by your boss didn’t count, she didn’t know what would.

  The only thing that would make it better would be a sexy guy joining her in the tub, Stephanie thought as she settled into the apartment’s vintage claw-foot with her wineglass and the chocolates on a plate. She hadn’t had an orgasm with another person since just before she got assigned to move here, and that had been a rendezvous with Tomas in the Ephemeros. Sh