Page 49 of Cast in Shadow
Where had she gone, and why? Did she have other hideaways like this around the country? Around the globe? Other men who had become as obsessed with her as he had?
He had so many questions. What he went with first was, “Who are you?”
She turned over and graced him with a smile before she touched her lips to his. “The woman whose world you rocked last night.”
It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but it would do for now. “You did some rocking of your own.”
Her smile widened. “What can I say? I missed you.”
“I was looking for you.”
“I know. That’s why I came.”
“What took you so long?”
“I was ... away. I didn’t know you were here until recently.”
Away where? With whom? He clamped those questions down before they made it over his lips and said instead, “I thought you might have been angry with me for delivering you to Charley.”
“More disappointed than angry, but I get it.”
“You do?”
“Yes. You’re a man of your word. You told me your intentions up front and never wavered. I respect that even if I didn’t like it.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing much, honestly. We talked. I walked. It was all very anticlimactic.”
“And now?”
“Now, I’m ready to take care of unfinished business.”
“What unfinished business?” he asked, narrowing his eyes and wondering if he was the unfinished business.
“I want to go back to Parryville and get some answers, and I want you to help me.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you’re the best. And you offered, remember?”
His lips curled wryly at the memory of that conversation. “If I recall, you said you couldn’t afford my help.”
“That was before.”
“Before what?”
“Before you spent six weeks and fifty thousand dollars trying to find me. Why did you do that, Zeke?” she asked softly. “Why didn’t you just take the money and go?”
His jaw tightened. He didn’t have a good answer for that, at least not one he was willing to speak aloud. “I don’t know.”
“Admit it. I grew on you, didn’t I?”
He grunted. Her eyes glittered.
“Ah, I missed that sound. Come on. I need coffee and probably a shower.”
He wasn’t opposed to either of those things. “Coffee’s on you. I haven’t been able to figure out how to use that damn machine.”
