in a way he’d never wanted anyone or anything in his life. More than he wanted another drink, more than he’d wanted his father’s approval.
She was a dangerous temptation, and he couldn’t stay away. Not anymore. Not when she looked so cold, so hard standing in the sunlight with that gun.
Taking a step forward, he took the gun from her hand and laid it on the breakfast bar. She didn’t fight him, didn’t try to push him away when he pulled her into his arms again.
“I always envied you.” His words were whispered, and he didn’t know why he had to share this now, but he did.
“What?” She looked into his eyes, her brow furrowed.
“You had the perfect family. That’s what I thought. I envied that.”
She looked away. “It was all a lie.”
He grasped her chin with his thumb and finger, tilted her face up to his and tried to make her feel better. Even if everything he said now proved to be false, he wouldn’t regret it if his words helped sooth her now. “No, Callah. It wasn’t all lies. The relationship you had with your mother and father was very real. No matter what we discover, hold on to that.”
She bit her lip, and he couldn’t stop himself from touching the soft skin with his thumb. She gasped and answering heat pulsed through his entire body.
Leaning closer, he waited, he wasn’t sure for what. Her approval, her request, her capitulation.
Whatever it was, he didn’t get the response he was looking for. She shook her head, said, “no,” then backed away before slamming her hands on the table and ripping the folder open once again.
Not exactly what he’d planned. “Callah?” He started forward, but she held out her hand to stop him.
“Why didn’t I see this before. I’m such an idiot.”
Riley didn’t know what she was talking about, but he wasn’t going to stay away just because she held up her hand. Stepping forward he said her name again.
She turned to face him, and this time she held up the photo of the dog walker. “I have seen him, Riley. He was in Hollywood. He knew Charlie.”
Chapter Six
How had she missed this before?
“Are you sure?”
Callah pressed her palm against her forehead and closed her eyes before answering. “Yes, yes, I’m sure. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him right away.”
Callah hated remembering the day. Hated reliving it. But it never left her mind. Thank God for that. What irony.
“We were having a party. Charlie was schmoozing with these moneymen, looking for funding for his next project. His blockbuster.”
As if Charlie’s movies were destined for anything other than late night cable. He’d invited her trainer to the party to help give her willpower to resist fattening foods. God, she hated him. Even though he was dead, she hated him.
“Charlie wanted more champagne, so I went to make sure it was on its way. When I got back he was arguing with that man. He told me it was nothing. The next day, Charlie left me.”
“Charlie was an idiot.”
The compliment and her intense reaction to it surprised her. Why’d he have to be nice? Sarcastic Riley she could handle. Bossy Riley was no problem. Nice Riley was going to be trouble. “Yes, he was.”
“So Charlie and this man fought. You got a name for our mystery man?”
She shrugged, tried to remember. “Vince something. I think. I’m not even sure about that. I just remember Charlie telling him to shut up. That it would all work out.”
She stopped talking and shook her head. “Even dead Charlie’s screwing up my life. Maybe this whole mess is about Charlie and not about me at all.”
Even as she said the words, she knew they didn’t add up. But God, she wanted them to. She slapped her hands against the breakfast bar. “This is all so stupid.”
With the sun setting, more and more boaters were calling it a day. Riley didn’t like the looks of the ski boat so close to their shore. When it went on by he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was
She was a dangerous temptation, and he couldn’t stay away. Not anymore. Not when she looked so cold, so hard standing in the sunlight with that gun.
Taking a step forward, he took the gun from her hand and laid it on the breakfast bar. She didn’t fight him, didn’t try to push him away when he pulled her into his arms again.
“I always envied you.” His words were whispered, and he didn’t know why he had to share this now, but he did.
“What?” She looked into his eyes, her brow furrowed.
“You had the perfect family. That’s what I thought. I envied that.”
She looked away. “It was all a lie.”
He grasped her chin with his thumb and finger, tilted her face up to his and tried to make her feel better. Even if everything he said now proved to be false, he wouldn’t regret it if his words helped sooth her now. “No, Callah. It wasn’t all lies. The relationship you had with your mother and father was very real. No matter what we discover, hold on to that.”
She bit her lip, and he couldn’t stop himself from touching the soft skin with his thumb. She gasped and answering heat pulsed through his entire body.
Leaning closer, he waited, he wasn’t sure for what. Her approval, her request, her capitulation.
Whatever it was, he didn’t get the response he was looking for. She shook her head, said, “no,” then backed away before slamming her hands on the table and ripping the folder open once again.
Not exactly what he’d planned. “Callah?” He started forward, but she held out her hand to stop him.
“Why didn’t I see this before. I’m such an idiot.”
Riley didn’t know what she was talking about, but he wasn’t going to stay away just because she held up her hand. Stepping forward he said her name again.
She turned to face him, and this time she held up the photo of the dog walker. “I have seen him, Riley. He was in Hollywood. He knew Charlie.”
Chapter Six
How had she missed this before?
“Are you sure?”
Callah pressed her palm against her forehead and closed her eyes before answering. “Yes, yes, I’m sure. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him right away.”
Callah hated remembering the day. Hated reliving it. But it never left her mind. Thank God for that. What irony.
“We were having a party. Charlie was schmoozing with these moneymen, looking for funding for his next project. His blockbuster.”
As if Charlie’s movies were destined for anything other than late night cable. He’d invited her trainer to the party to help give her willpower to resist fattening foods. God, she hated him. Even though he was dead, she hated him.
“Charlie wanted more champagne, so I went to make sure it was on its way. When I got back he was arguing with that man. He told me it was nothing. The next day, Charlie left me.”
“Charlie was an idiot.”
The compliment and her intense reaction to it surprised her. Why’d he have to be nice? Sarcastic Riley she could handle. Bossy Riley was no problem. Nice Riley was going to be trouble. “Yes, he was.”
“So Charlie and this man fought. You got a name for our mystery man?”
She shrugged, tried to remember. “Vince something. I think. I’m not even sure about that. I just remember Charlie telling him to shut up. That it would all work out.”
She stopped talking and shook her head. “Even dead Charlie’s screwing up my life. Maybe this whole mess is about Charlie and not about me at all.”
Even as she said the words, she knew they didn’t add up. But God, she wanted them to. She slapped her hands against the breakfast bar. “This is all so stupid.”
With the sun setting, more and more boaters were calling it a day. Riley didn’t like the looks of the ski boat so close to their shore. When it went on by he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was
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