Page 15 of Speak of the Devil

I shift my bag in front of me, needing something more to hold on to. “It’s not what I had in mind.”

Tilting his head, he glances away briefly, and then asks, “And how do you know I don’t live in the Valley?”

“You’re . . .” I’m not sure if I need to point out the obvious, but he seems to be waiting. “Figured you would live in the Hollywood Hills, not by choice, but for proximity. The location is great, but Manhattan Beach or even Malibu might be more your jam. Ocean waves over city or hill views.”

He chuckles and leans in, lowering his voice. “How do you figure?” he asks as if this is the most interesting thing he’s ever heard.

“You’re from La Jolla and grew up in a house with an ocean view.”

“That was my cousin’s house. I take it you went to a party over there? They had a few.”

“Once. I wasn’t invited. Just showed up like I could blend in. I didn’t.”

“You never could.”

“Wow, okay . . .” I turn away, letting the insult sink in.

“I didn’t mean it that way. You were never like other girls. You were too pretty.”

I turn back, giving him my attention. “Go on . . .” Might as well soak it in and feed the pride demon.

When he laughs, I do as well. The release feels too good to let the tension remain between us. He says, “Nice. Too nice. You were so damn nice, a target for assholes in high school.” I hadn’t noticed we’d moved closer, the invisible line keeping us apart, broached by a few steps on both our parts. “How long were you at that party? I don’t remember seeing you.” I don’t think he meant it rudely, but the comment still stings.

He and his cousin Laird were the kings of everything, including every girl’s admiration. There was no reason for him to go looking for anything else when it was served on a silver platter to him. “Long enough to know I didn’t belong.” Making small talk with Shane Faris is not something I expected to be doing, but it’s easier than I thought, considering he was so popular in high school and even more so now that he’s famous.

“That’s too bad. We could have hung out prior to the bonfire and gotten to know each other better.”

I’m not sure what to say to that. Sure, it would’ve been nice to spend time with Shane back then, but life didn’t end at the after-graduation party, and we both moved on. So, although my stress lessens the longer we stand around, deep down, casual conversation only delays the inevitable. I rip the bandage off. “You said you got my message?”

“All five.” He may be smiling, but I cringe, tightening my hold on the bag’s handles.

“Yikes. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I go after what I want as well.”

“Trust me, it was the most awkward call I’ve ever had to make. But it’s such a relief that you already know.” That he’s not mad takes the pressure off from having to deal with that aspect before I beg him for this favor.

“Looks heavy.” Reaching over, he wraps his hands around the handles, the sides of our hands together sending heat through me from the briefest encounters. “May I?”

“Thanks.” Realizing we’re still standing for all of Parkdale to gawk at from inside, I nod toward the larger section of the lot. “My car is around the corner.” We walk in that direction, him holding my bag like it’s as light as air while I still struggle to comprehend that he’s here in the flesh. “I didn’t expect you to show up at my work. How’d you know where I was?”

“A stroke of luck?”

“Doubt it.” I quirk a quick smile, but then playfully bump into him. “Did you hire a detective to track me down?”

“I’m not that cunning. Deciphering the messages was a challenge. The new hire didn’t include a seven-digit number. To her credit, she got the area code and first five on there.”

I’m not sure if he’s joking or not, but I go with it. “That’s promising.”

He stops and looks at me by his side. “To be honest, I asked a friend to do a search, and Parkdale’s address came up for you.”

I look at him, still stunned to see a rock star of his magnitude walking with me like this is normal. Maybe for him, but it’s not for me. “Well, you found me. What are you going to do with me?”

He studies me out of the corner of his eye before his gaze shifts to the sidewalk in front of him. Sucking in a harsh breath between his teeth, he holds my undivided attention with his hiss. “Don’t tempt me.”

I’ve never wanted to tempt someone more.

I bite my tongue instead, knowing we have other business to tend to first.First?I need to get my mind out of the gutter. Just because Shane is stupidly handsome to the point of making me want to poke him to see if he’s real doesn’t mean I should be having thoughts about him shirtless on a beach or naked on a—stop, Cate.

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