Page 32 of Seaside Strangers
“Brian, this is Maura Jennings,” KC said, keeping his tone easy, giving her a second to adjust. “Maura, this is my brother Brian. He’s a special agent with the State Bureau of Investigation out of Elizabeth City. Lives about forty minutes away in Camden.”
At the mention of his job, Maura’s color drained for a split second before she pulled it back under control. KC kept talking like nothing had happened. However, Brian didn’t miss it. He rarely missed anything, and that flicker of reaction tightened his focus on her.
He stepped closer and offered his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
There was a hesitation—long enough to register—before she took it. “Nice to meet you too.”
Her grip was light. Too light. And when she pulled back, it wasn’t gradual. Instead, it wasabrupt, as if she needed to put space between them as quickly as possible.
He let her go, filing the information away, as she turned toward KC with a smile that seemed almost forced. “I’m going to make some coffee—do you want some?”
Brian cut in before his brother could answer. “I’ve got it. You two sit.” He nodded toward the paper bag on the table. “I brought breakfast—bagels and cream cheese. I’ll grab plates, napkins, and the coffee.”
He didn’t wait for permission. Better to move while her guard was still unsettled.
Inside the house, he set the coffeemaker without hesitation, his focus still on Maura. The kitchen was neat. Counters clear. Sink empty. No mail, no keys, nothing casually left behind. Like she’d made a point of keeping her footprint small.
He opened a cabinet, pulled down plates, then grabbed knives and napkins, arranging everything on a tray. The coffeemaker gurgled to life behind him, filling the quiet with a steady, familiar sound.
His gaze moved again, slower this time, more deliberate.
Nothing out of place.
Nothing personal.
And nothing that tied her here.
He crossed the room, quick and efficient, and opened the purse just enough to find what he needed. Wallet. ID.
“Moriah Jensen,” he murmured to himself.
The Illinois driver’s license held Maura’s face, no question there. Same eyes. Same mouth.
But Maura wasn’t her name.
And people didn’t use an alias for harmless reasons.
His jaw tightened as he took in the rest—her address and date of birth—then pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a quick picture of the license before sliding the wallet back into place, leaving everything exactly as he’d found it.
Returning to the kitchen, he poured two cups of coffee and set them on the tray with milk and sugar. With a neutral expression, he picked up the tray and headed for the porch door.
Chapter Fourteen
Panic assailedMoriah as she watched Brian enter the house.
Oh, God, a special agent! A cop!
What were the odds KC’s brother would be in law enforcement? Things could get very ugly, very quickly, if she didn’t get herself under control. She couldn’t do anything that would raise suspicion, which meant she had to act as normally as possible and do everything in her power to appear unflustered.
Pretend he’s a stockbroker,she told herself.Yeah, right. Good luck with that.
KC reached out, took her arm, and pulled out a chair for her. The simple gesture shouldn’t have affected her the way it did, but when he leaned in,his breath warm against her ear, a shiver slipped down her spine.
“You look beautiful this morning.”
Her pulse stumbled. Whether it was him or the weight of knowing hisspecial agentbrother was somewhere inside the house, she couldn’t tell. “Th-thanks.”
He straightened but didn’t let go right away, his gaze sharpening as it moved over her face. “Everything okay?”
