Touch Me and Tango by Alicia Street, Roy Street Read Free Book Online Page B

garden. It always
had money tucked in it that she claimed was for some extra chore I had done.”
    “I had no idea.”
    His voice dropped to murmur. “Your family was big on
secrets.”
    Tanya blushed, his meaning unmistakable. “I have some
savings I could pay you with.”
    His nostrils flared, making the strong lines of his face
even more magnificent. “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t need your money
and I don’t want it. I like the idea of helping your mom. And searching for
Harry’s famous trunk will be a kick. But if this project means I’m working for you , the deal’s off right now.”
    “I hear you. My mother told me to offer you a twenty percent
cut of whatever is found. But it means working for nothing unless—”
    “Done deal. Now let’s see the map.”
    Tanya reached into her tote and removed the folded paper.
She handed it to Parker. “Please be careful. It’s sort of brittle around the
edges.”
    She watched his hands as he unfolded the map, remembering
how sensitive and sure his touch had been.
    His brows tightened in concentration as he studied it. “This
is the Rubikoff Preserve. You sure this is legal? Didn’t he give the island to
the park system?”
    “No. That rocky little skerry is still privately owned by
Harry’s descendants. And that’s just my mom now. So it’s her permission that’s
required. You and I won’t be trespassing like the other treasure hunters who’ve
gone there over the years.”
    He looked up. “You and I?”
    “I’m going with you.” Tanya sipped her beer. She had a
feeling that concept would just about make his day.
    “I don’t think so.”
    “Oh it’s happening.”
    “Not on my watch.”
    “Get used to it.”
    “You like to get your way, don’t you?”
    “Always.”
    He inclined his head and studied Tanya. His hand reached
out, and his fingers gently brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. His touch
sent a shiver though her.
    But then he pulled back, stood and went to the refrigerator.
Tanya could tell he wasn’t really looking for anything. He obviously just
wanted to get away from her. At least it gave her a chance to let her eyes
linger on the slope of his amazing back, the perfect lines of his classic
profile. God, he was gorgeous.
    “So how well do you know the preserve?” he asked.
    “Me? I’ve never been there. You know I’m not a nature girl.
While other teens went to camp in the wilds, I spent my summers carousing
around New York City with my friends and training in the city’s dance studios.”
She stopped herself, realizing she’d just given him a good reason not to take
her along.
    He returned to the table with a knife and two apples. “Guess
you would’ve been pretty happy back then to think you’d have a career in
ballroom dance.”
    Tanya sliced off a piece of apple. “Actually, back then I
indulged in those I-want-to-be-a-ballerina dreams a lot of girls have. But when
I hit my teens I developed a case of T&A that spelled showgirl, not
ballerina. Ballroom was a good fit. Plus I got hooked on the flashy costumes
and sexy moves.”
    And it had been her therapy when her father left, since it
was the last thing he’d want her to do. Quitting Dartmouth and dumping Brad and
his wealthy family ties. But she’d never considered the reality of the low
paying, high-pressured lifestyle. Not back when she was a twenty-year-old who’d
been raised in comfort. Unlike Parker. “You had to grow up early, didn’t you?”
    He shot a glance at Tanya, and she could tell the question
surprised him. But he merely offered a non-committal shrug and went back to
studying the map.
    That didn’t stop her. “I was so spoiled then, Parker. I
didn’t realize how hard it must have been for you when your father died and you
had to take care of your mom and sisters. I remember you even had to quit high
school to run your dad’s business.”
    “Got my GED,” he said without looking up.
    That was one of the things she found so