Seeing Is Believing Read Online Free Page B

loosened his hold just a
little. "Don't you want to see what's in the extra boxes?"
    "Of course I do." She stayed still, her
anger still high. "It doesn't mean I want to do it with you around though.
Right now I think you're a big, fat jerk."
    "I did what I felt I had to do." He
loosened his grip but she didn't rush out of his arms. She was afraid if she
moved too quickly he'd spank her again.
    "Fine, just
don't do it again. Creep." This time she pushed against his hold and he
released her, letting her step away from him. She turned and narrowed her eyes,
letting him know exactly what she thought of his actions.
    "Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. Again."
    When he did nothing more than lift his
eyebrows at her, she waned to lash out and slap him.
Instead she stepped toward where Frank had left the stacked boxes.
    "Don't open them yet," Reed said. "I
realize we both want to know what's inside, but I think it's best if we wait
for Chester. Let me call him. Then, when he gets here, we'll open the boxes and
see what's inside."
    "And if I refuse? If I say this is my
store and I want to open them right now, to see what's inside?"
    "Then I might think you're somehow
guilty in all of this. You should cooperate with us, make it easier on all of
us, including you, and think of the big picture. We need to bust this thing up,
figure out what's going on. And to do that we need a law
enforcement official here when we open the boxes."
    Leslie hated to admit he was right.
Despite her anger at her spanking, especially the fact he'd done it in front of
Frank, she shouldn't fly off the handle. The boxes needed to be sealed when
Chester arrived. That way she couldn't be accused of planting something inside
them. Just because Reed was working with her didn't mean he didn't think she
might be involved. He might just be here to keep an eye on her in case she was
involved.
    "Fine, I'm going up front, but don't you
ever, ever, spank me again. Do you understand me?"
    His grin made her want to throw up. "I
understand, but I'll do what needs to be done. So you do me a favor and don't
do anything that deserves another spanking. You have to admit, it worked. You
were pretty distracted."
    She blew a raspberry at him, then stalked into the main part of the store. A few
customers sat at tables, enjoying sweets and coffee. Tambi waited on a few high school students who were buying sodas and cookies. When
they were gone, she grinned at Leslie.

    "You should have just told me the two of
you were playing around. That way I wouldn't have feared for my job."
    "We're not playing around."
    "Right," Tambi said, her grin growing. "I peeked in to investigate the noise and saw him
spanking you. That's playing around."
    Leslie fought the urge to tell her the
truth. She didn't for one minute believe Tambi was
involved in any drug smuggling, but if Tambi told her
mother what was happening, then it was possible her mother would tell someone
else, and then all hell would break loose, as they say. She may be angry with
Reed right now, but sabotaging the whole investigation would get them absolutely
nowhere. Best to just let Tambi think they were just
kidding around.
    "I have to admit, he is pretty
handsome," Tambi said with a wink. "How long have you
known him, really? And why are you not telling anyone you're involved?"
    Leslie tried to think quickly. Things
just weren't working out the way she wanted. "I haven't known him that long,"
she said, truthfully. "And I'm not positive it's going to work. I don't want to
let things out, and then have everybody question me like there's no tomorrow if
it doesn't work out, you know what I mean?"
    Tambi's sad look let
her know she knew exactly what she meant. Small towns were notorious for
gossip, and Tambi had endured more than her fair
share when she'd dated a man she'd thought would marry her and love her
forever, then had skipped town the minute he'd discovered she was carrying his
baby.
    "Your secret's safe with me," Tambi said with a