He shook his head. “It wasn’t enough. I was trying to do more for the county, and the agreement I made with…” His voice trailed off, and he drew in a shaky breath. “Is that her?”
The song had ended, and a new woman walked onto the stage.
“No.”
But my mind lingered on what he’d just said. He’d wanted to do more for his county and he’d made an agreement with—who? The Feds? The Hardshaw Group? I wanted to ask more questions, but this wasn’t the place. Still, as far as I was concerned, this conversation wasn’t over.
Which led me to my next topic.
“When did you ask Carter to pull files on missing girls?”
He looked at me in surprise. “When you decided to come to Little Rock. I sent him a text and asked him to pull ’em. They came in shortly before you pulled up to the hotel.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you’d done that?”
He blinked. “You don’t think it’s a good idea?”
“It was a great idea. I’m asking why you didn’t tell me.”
He studied me for a moment, then rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. When he dropped his hand, he covered mine on the table. “You’re right. I should have told you.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Honestly? It never occurred to me. I’m used to takin’ the lead. Bein’ the one with all the information.”
“We can’t work like that, James,” I said, my tone firm. “We either work as true partners, or this won’t work. At. All.”
“You’re right,” he said, holding my gaze. “It’s not that I purposely held it back. I just didn’t think to tell you. I’ll try my damnedest to be more forthcoming, but there’s a good chance I’ll slip a few times before I get used to our new rules.”
The man was forty-four years old, and as far as I knew, he’d kept most of his life close to the vest. Jed had probably known more than most, but I also knew James had kept secrets from him.
“I can’t do secrets,” I said, leaning closer. “I know you have things in your past you can’t share, and there are things from cases I’ve worked I’ll never be able to share with you. But from this point on, it’s all truth, no secrets. Deal?”
He met my gaze, hesitating. “I’ve never had that kind of relationship with anyone in my life. There’ve always been secrets.”
I could have taken that to mean he still wanted to live by that code, but I heard it as a confession—an admission this was new territory and it wouldn’t come easy.
“I know,” I said, looking into his deep brown eyes. “I’ve never had that kind of relationship either. I’ve always kept everything bottled up, but the only way we’re gonna work—both professionally and personally—is if we put it all on the line.” When he didn’t respond, I wondered if I’d gone too far. Asked too much. We were barely a couple, and we both had trust issues. But the only way I saw this working was if we shared everything from here on out.
He lifted his free hand to the back of my head, his fingers threading through my hair and pulling my face close. “Do you know what you’re askin’ of me?” His husky voice sent chills down my spine.
I gave him a half-grin. “Do you know what I’m asking of myself? I’ve never been totally open with anyone, let alone a lover.”
His eyes darkened. “Why does you calling me your lover turn me on?”
“Maybe because you’re hornier than a man with a concussion has any right to be?”
He grinned, his whole face lighting up. I’d rarely seen this side of him before we’d started sleeping together, and I couldn’t get enough of it. “All I can promise is to do my best. This is all new territory for me. I’ve got a lot of things to unlearn.”
“How did you manage previous relationships?”
“I was never in an equal relationship. Ever.”
His admission made sense. Even his best friend had been an employee. It made me realize how special what he was offering me really was.
I wanted to ask more questions, but he kissed me so thoroughly, every question dissolved into the ether.
The song onstage ended, and the DJ’s voice boomed over the speakers, announcing the next dancer. “Get ready to set your night ablaze with the intoxicating beauty of Ruby!”
