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Florence

"Are you going to stay?" she asks as we pull into the parking lot.

"I told Tilly I would, at least for tonight." I still can't believe she didn't tell Mel about the cameras. "I'll go if you want me to. I'll sleep in the guest room if you want. But I don't think you should be alone."

"Then come in," she grins, hopping out of the car. "You said your brother works with coins, right?"

"Collects them," I correct her. "But he's serious about it. He knows most of the big collectors in the area. He's not an expert, per se, but he's not far from it. You're thinking of having him look at your grandfather's collection."

"Seeing as the Auction House doesn't want to touch any of the coins, I have limited options with them. It sounds like he's already interested. Maybe he or some other local collectors would be interested," she says thoughtfully, dropping her purse on the counter. "You want a drink?"

"A Modelo, if you don't mind," I tell her. "I can understand the Auction House having reservations about that one coin—the one that belongs to the government, but the others? Even the older coins are common enough that it would be impossible to trace them back to their original owners."

She sticks her head in the fridge and passes me a beer. "On an individual basis, that's true." She sits down on the couch and motions for me to join her. "But when the coin guy—numismatist, is that the right word?—he said that the sheer volume of coins, the different collections he has, it's obvious they were stolen. He even told me outright that all of them would be worth a lot more if they came from another collector. My grandfather was apparently well-known for his sins."

"So, in theory, if you try to sell one of them to the auction house, or through the auction house, you would fetch far less for it than if, for example, my brother or one of his friends were selling it." That's interesting. It could be a quick way to turn around some money. I know Joe has some investments in place for the kids' college funds, but this could be an excellent opportunity for him to grow those nest eggs.

Nodding, she stretches across the couch and puts her feet in my lap. "I don't know how many of your brother's friends have money for their collecting, but it could be a good investment."

I wonder what she wants me to do with her feet in my lap. I idly take her foot in my hand, sliding my hand up the inside of her pant leg. Her skin is soft and warm.

She inhales sharply. "Florence, you're making me wet." Her breath quickens. She doesn't pull away from me, though.

"Do you want me to stop?" I meet her gaze innocently. Pushing up her pant leg, I brush my lips across her bare skin.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I shouldn't. We shouldn't," she says softly.

I kiss her leg one more time before I put her foot back in my lap. I'll respect her wishes, if that's what she chooses. "Tell me why, Josie." She obviously wants me as much as I want her.

"I don't want to hurt you. We've been through this."

I inhale slowly. "Did it ever occur to you," I say firmly, "that me and you—we aren't you and Mel. This isn't the same thing." I swear under my breath. "Sometimes I wish you would forget about her."

"That's not fair." She frowns, pulling her feet off my lap.

"I know," I admit guiltily. "But it's me being honest. Being jealous, I guess." I take a swig of my beer and stand up.

"Jealous why? You have me." She swallows thickly. "I never had her—not like that."

I shake my head. "I'm borrowing you for the term of our contract. In exchange, I spend platonic time with you so you aren't as lonely withouther."

She opens her mouth, but no words come out.

Wasn't I the fool, thinking she might fall in love with me, thinking she'd be the lucky one if I let her into my bed. And the whole damn time, here I am falling for her.

"Florence," she implores me. "You're more than that now. You know that."

I sigh, resigned. "Right. I'm your ticket to selling your grandpa's stuff. I'll talk to my brother about the coins." I grab my jacket. "I'll let you know when a good time would be."I know her schedule well enough."If he and his friends don't net enough for you, I'll cover the difference."

She opens her mouth to protest.

"Don't argue with me, Josie. We'll find something in the right price range and I'll buy it. Legit and aboveboard."

"I'll figure something else out." Watching me, she bites her lip. "Are you really leaving? I thought you were going to stay with me again tonight."

"Do you need me to?" I ask.

Her shoulders drop, and she shakes her head. "No. It's okay. You've been here the last two nights. You probably want to go home. Marin is probably bored without you."