When Love Comes Knocking

"He just gets carried away" Derek's mother protested weakly. "He doesn't know what he really needs".

Bobby's brow's rose " He seems to know exactly what he needs" he said in his driest voice. "Big breast, long legs and a wet-lipped simper those were Derek's criteria".

Bobby Packer looked at his aunt with affection and exasperation "not again!"

She bridled "it's not Derek's fault! He just......".

"An idiot when it comes to women" Bobby supplied more than a little tersely. "He falls violently in lust with the most unsuitable female in sight, showers her with gifts, promises her undying love, then wakes up one morning and realizes he has nothing in common with her. Worse than that, she knows nothing about computers, which means he can't even hold a conversation with her. So he dumps her and she goes off and wails tearfully and lucratively to the media. Temporarily anyway, why are you so concerned this time?".

"Bobby   you of all people! Know perfectly well he's just had a well publicized payout on his internet firm     more than twenty million dollars" Doris Packer hesitate, before saying in rush "And she's not his usual type. To start off with she's older than he is, and she's not a model or a game show hostess or a beauty contest winner"

Bobby's black brow's met in a frown" So you think she's after the money"

"Derek has a reputation for rather foolish generosity" his mother said unwillingly                        "What evidence have you got that she's a shark?" .

Not for the first time Doris Packer decided it was positively sinful that as well has being brilliant and inordinately successful, Bobby should look like something out of a fantasy six foot three, shoulders big enough for a couple of women to cry on, and the sort of Lean, potent vitality that stopped any woman's breath.

Most men would have been more than content with that. But Bobby also had perfect features, a mouth to send shivers down ever her spine, and grey eyes that were a stunning contrast to olive skin and sable hair.

Derek was good looking, but not even a doting mother's bias would allow her put him in Bobbys class.

She thrust a photograph at her nephew "look"           She watched that sexy , sculpted mouth compress and his eyes narrow into ice chips as he scanned the image.

Finally he looked up " She's definitely a change from Derek's usual inamoratas . Who is she?".

"Miya Claire Martin's".

"Miya?".

"Well, that's what she calls herself" His aunt dismissed the pretentious name with a curled lip. "She's at least five years older than Derek, and you'll notice she isn't hanging onto or gazing worshipfully or seductively into his eyes" Doris pointed out, adding, "And he speaks differently about her".             "So what is the problem?" Bobby was fond of the aunt who'd brought him up after his parents died, but he deplored her fierce, overprotective love for her only child.He had no illusions about his cousin; Derek was spoilt.                                        

His open good looks not to mention his assets meant that most women succumbed to his laid back approaches. Because he'd never had to work for a woman's notice he'd probably been intrigued by the cool, touch me not air of the one in the photograph.

A little impatiently he said, "perhaps this time he's found a normal woman, one he can actually have a conversation with".

"Do you consider someone whose father was the town drunk normal?"

"That's hardly her fault".

She grimaced "I know that, but you have to admit she probably has a serious issues".

"How do you know her father's an alcoholic?".

"He was , He's dead now. She comes from Hokitioka, from a little town quite close to Sheriff Crowe, so I rang Sheriff and asked if she knew the girl".

Bobby concealed a smile. His aunt's network of old school friends were affectionately known in the family as Doris mafia. "And what did Sheriff Crowe tell you about her?".

   His aunt gave him a suspicious glance "Sheriff not only knew her, she'd felt sorry for her when she was growing up, even admired her for her loyalty to her deadbeat father. After he dead she worked for an elderly solicitor for a few months, but there was some scandal". His s aunt hesitated then said in a rush, "Sheriff said it was all very hush-hush, but she thought it involved stealing".

  Bobby didn't like the sound of that "by Miya Martins?".

"Yes. Anyway, if she did steal anything she got off lightly. Nothing was was ever done about it, but she left town under a cloud".

Bobby looked down at the woman standing beside Derek in the photograph, an enigmatic half-smilied curling her lips. Unlike his cousin's previous girlfriends Miya Claire Martins didn't ooze sexuality, but Bobby could see the attraction. That cool air was a challenge in itself; combine it with a sleekly elegant figure and a mouth that promised carnal delights galore, and Derek probably hadn't stood a chance. 

Echoing his thoughts, Doris said bitterly"Derek's already spent the best part of thirty thousand dollars on her".

"A car?"

She paused then made up her mind to tell him" A diamond ring".

And that, Bobby decided, he liked even less. "Did he tell you that?" 

"Of course he didn't. He must have bought it before he moved into that ridiculous penthouse, because the valuation documents came to my address".

Mildly shocked, Bobby asked"And you opened the letter?"

"I don't even look at the address" she told him indignantly. "Well, not until after I picked myself up off the floor!"

Bobby leaned back in his chair "So what do you want me to do?"

"I thought you could get someone from your security branch to look into this Miya of a person" his aunt said, a little diffidently this time.

"My security men are paid to look after my business interests, not my personal ones".

"I know, but in this case....." Her voice trailed away.

Bobby gave her a sardonic smile "I'll get them to check. As an employer I can't approve of stealing".

"And I thought you might make a play for her" his aunt said in a rush.

"There's no one quite so ruthless as a devoted mother" Bobby said cynically. "You must be seriously worried if you're prepared to sacrifice Derek's feelings as well as my time, my reputation, and his opinion of me".

"Since when have you cared about what Derek think of you?" She shot back, flushing.

Actually, he valued his friendship with his cousin, but if this Miya Martins turned out to be a thief he was quite prepared to do what he could to protect Derek from any entanglement.

And if Bobby had learned anything in his life it was that everything, even his aunt's affection, came with a price tag. "I'll get back to you".

She wasn't satisfied, but she knew when to stop pushing. Bobby had given his word, and that meant it would be done. If there was anything at all suspicious in Miya Claire Martin's past, he'd soon know. 

Narrowing his eyes, Bobby looked over the heads of the c