He pored over the images again, studying them as if preparing for an exam.
I remembered that feeling; the wanting to know every single detail of your significant other’s betrayal; not only names but dates and times, locations, positions. It could drive you to the edge if you let it.
“I had a little brother,” Randy said, and it sounded as if he needed to get something off his chest. “Did you know that?”
I shook my head. “No. I didn’t.”
The background check we’d run on Randy had only gone back ten years.
I caught a whisper of a smile on his face I could only describe as sardonic.
In the blink of an eye, it was gone. It happened so fast, I figured I had to have made it up. Of course, he wasn’t smiling. There was nothing pleasurable about this moment.
He turned away. “He was only four when he died.”
“I’m so sorry, Randy.”
He looked across the desk at me, a blank stare on his face. It felt almost as though he saw right through me.
“I was eight. I took care of him.” He shifted in his seat. “It’s hard to trust after losing someone so young, you know?”
There was a beat of silence before he continued.
“Mike was the first person I really trusted since then.” He glanced down at the folder. “Thanks for these. I think I’m going to take your advice and wait a couple of days.”
He stood.
“Please let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
He stopped at the door, his hand on the doorknob. Glancing over his shoulder, he replied, “Trust me, you’ve already done it. Talk to you soon, Jocelyn.”
He left.
I sat there for a long beat. Something strange had just transpired, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Chapter 29
Jocelyn
The following week,I stood in my bedroom in shock. My ears rang as if some sort of explosion had occurred.
Is it natural to look that damn good in a tux?
“The way you’re eyeballing me in this tuxedo, I think it’s safe to say that I’m going to get some tonight,” Don said.
I sucked my teeth. “Ha. You wish.”
He grinned wider, and yup, my insides were no use against that damn smile. Or the sparkle in his eyes. Don moved closer and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me at arm’s length. He let his gaze slowly travel down the length of my body.
“Babe, the way you’re wearing this dress, you’ll be lucky if I don’t snatch you up in a closet or dark room somewhere at this thing.”
I shimmied my hips in the turquoise evening gown I wore. The dress had a deep split up the side and sheer covering my chest, exposing a decent amount of cleavage while keeping it classy.
I’d straightened it for the night and wore it slicked back, ensuring I didn’t have any flyaways.
“I’ll be the luckiestman in the room tonight.”
I wanted to hate the way my cheeks warmed, but I couldn’t dislike the feeling even if I’d tried. I dropped my head, feeling all giddy inside, yearning for it more and more.
