Okay, so that topic was off limits. "Tomorrow morning, then."
"I'll wake you up at five."
I nearly choked on my popcorn. "F-f-five? In the morning?"
He leaned forward, concerned. "Hey, are you okay?"
I nodded and waved a hand. By the time I got the cough under control, my eyes were streaming.
Before I could speak, Marcus put my water bottle in my hand. "Here, drink a few sips until you feel better."
Finally, I was able to say something else. "You get up at five a.m. to work out very often?"
"Every day."
"Every..." I stopped to clear my throat. "Every day?"
"Yes."
"Um, any way I could talk you into taking a video for me? I'm not exactly a morning person."
"Nope," he said, shaking his head. "If you want proof, you'll have to see it in person."
"Shit," I sighed. "Never mind. I don't want proof that badly."
I ignored the way the corners of his mouth curved up for a split second before he suppressed the smile. "Well, just let me know if you change your mind."
"Fat chance," I muttered beneath my breath before I took another sip of water.
Marcus straightened and got to his feet in one smooth motion. His expression was tight, scary. I would be running like hell if he looked at me that way. He moved to the front window and glanced outside.
Whatever he saw must have been expected because his stance relaxed.
"It's Ava, Macgrath, and Callum," he said.
Marcus moved to the front door and opened it to let them in.
Ava and the man who must have been Macgrath both looked tense and annoyed. Callum seemed as laid back and somewhat goofy as he'd been earlier. I wondered if it was his default setting. A sort of defense mechanism to keep people from looking too closely at what he was hiding.
"Hey, there, Merry!" Callum said, sauntering over to the couch to plop down next to me. "Fancy meeting you here."
Everyone else shot him exasperated looks.
"What?" he asked.
"They're wondering if you're as oblivious as you seem," I answered, even though I knew the question was rhetorical. "I know you're not." I patted his knee. "Now, scoot over. You're about to squash me."
Callum studied me with eyes that were abruptly laser bright and scalpel sharp. It was as if a switch had been flipped and a completely different person was looking at me. The hair at the base of my neck lifted and a shiver ran from the crown of my head all the way down my spine.
"And you're very observant," he murmured.
"Um, yes, I am. Do I need to run away as fast as I can?"
"Callum, quit scaring her," Marcus said. His voice wasn't loud but it rang with command.
As quickly as it appeared, the expression on his face morphed back to its usual smirk. "Sorry if I scared you. It always surprises me when people see more than I want them to."
"Uh, I'll keep that in mind the next time I look at you," I replied, trying to move away from him. Unfortunately, the arm of the couch was right behind my hip and I had nowhere to go.
