“Cal, I’m not some pain-in-the-ass kid who got herself in trouble at school.You can’t simply fix—”
“The hell I can’t, and trust me, I don’t picture you as a pain-in-the-ass kid.I haven’t in a long time.”
Her stomach lurched.She lifted her gaze to his, and it lurched again.The intensity of his stormy bourbon gaze shivered down her back.“I wish you wouldn’t look at me like that.”
His expression only intensified.“Like what?”
“Like I’m a headache.”
The corners of his eyes tightened, but he shook his head.“I moved my truck down the block.As long as the sweep team finds nothing, my involvement likely remains unknown.”
“That’s good.”
He pulled out his phone.“Headquarters sent over a few more questions and a couple of items to clarify.Are you okay with another round of questions?”
She shrugged.If she had questions to focus on, maybe her brain wouldn’t remind her how he had just made her stomach flip twice.“Sure.Shoot.”
“Our data analysis guy can find intel anywhere it hides.He’s mapping your business and personal connections.That includes people you relied on.It would make his job easier if you could provide a list of names.”
“I can do that.”
“You said that you had a few close friends like Alicia.Is that right?”
She nodded and gave him names and contact information.
“He’ll want to know anyone you’ve dated, slept with.”The slightest hint of a blush colored his cheeks.“Hookups.Friends with benefits.One-night stands.That type of thing.If you don’t know names, then a location, date, and time.”
“Why?”
Callum grimaced as though the idea of her dating someone actually pained him.“I guess he looks at that person more thoroughly.I don’t honestly know.Loose lips sink ships and pillow talk and—”
“Oh my God, Cal.Stop talking.There’s no one like that.”
He swallowed hard.“Not just now.The entire time you’ve been gone.”
Now it was her turn to blush.“Got it.No one.Can we move on?”
His eyebrows arched.“None?”He scrubbed a hand over his face.“None.All right.”His forehead furrowed as he swiped open his phone and thumbed the screen to the list he’d been reading.“All right,” he repeated.“Where was I?”Callum set his phone down.“Grace…” Concern darkened his expression.“You’ve been incredibly alone.”
“Well, yeah.Sorry, I thought I had made that clear.”
“An unhealthy amount of alone.”
“No one asked for your commentary.”
He took a deep breath and blew it out.“All I meant was—”
“You don’t have to explain what you mean.What other questions do you have for me and my nonexistent sex life?”
“Grace—”
“I’m serious.Spit them out.Let’s get this over and done with.”
With one last pitying glance, he swiped his phone open and returned to his list.
The questions weren’t as intrusive.Most of them, she didn’t have answers to.She wasn’t sure Callum believed her, but that wasn’t her problem.Callum would feed her answers to Dean, and Dean could confirm what she said.
“That’s it.”He returned the chair to the desk and gestured to the tray with her half-eaten dinner.“Are you done?”
