“Because I don’t knowyou.”
“Is that thereason?”
“It’s one ofthem.”
“What’s theother?”
Ugh.Tristan said he was a pit bull but so was Jarod. “Because the discussion won’t bring me any closer to mygoal.”
“I thought your goal was getting me to perform one kindact.”
“Itis.”
“How about I perform it in the bedroom?” He picked up the long-stemmed glass of water beside his wine and drank long anddeep.
I gaped at him, and then, once I recovered from his lewd suggestion, I said, “First off, that wouldn’t count. And secondly”—I’d lose all of my feathers because sex out of wedlock is a sin—“I’m saving myself formarriage.”
He sputtered, choking on his water. I didn’t think anything could stun Jarod Adler, but preserving my virtue apparently could. I supposed the women who ran in his circle weren’t the sort to care about virtue andvows.
He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, then ran a slow finger around the rim of his glass, making the glass sing. “How interesting.” His dry tone belied he didn’t find it interesting in the least. Inane, outmoded, heinous, but most definitely not interesting. “My offer stands for the duration of our tryst—in case you feel likereconsidering.”
“I just told you, I’m not having sex beforemarriage.”
“The best part of sex isn’t penetration,Feather.”
Heat shot through my veins, blotching the rest of myskin.
He grinned at mydiscomfort.
I shook my head. “Stop trying to get under myskin.”
“Oh, I’m not trying to get under your skin. Just under thatdress.”
I wondered why he was so intent on disconcerting me, and then it hit me. “You get a kick out of intimidating people, don’t you? It makes you feelpowerful.”
He didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Even his chest seemed to have grown stiller. He hadn’t expected me to figure himout.
“I’m not scared of you, Jarod Adler.” Not anymore. I didn’t delude myself into thinking that his bite wouldn’t sting as much as his bark, but I couldn’t be killed, and as long as I didn’t lie or swear, I wouldn’t lose anotherfeather.
He uncrossed his long legs and got to his feet. “Well, you shouldbe.”
When his back was turned, I reached for the feather that had deserted my wingsearlier.
“Hi, I’mLeigh.”
Trevor swung his gangly legs over the dizzying precipice belowus.
“Your parents are really worried aboutyou.”
He eyed me before snorting and returning his gaze to the blue-gray river rushing underneath the metal railing we were perchedon.
“They have a lot of people out looking foryou.”
He kept his gaze on the Hudson. If he’d truly wanted to jump, he would have already. The fact that he’d been sitting up here since nightfall and it was almost dawn told me he didn’t want to end hislife.
What he wanted—I’d learned it from his holographic file before heading downtown—was to end the sorrow eating at him since his kid brother ventured into a swimming pool while Trevor played video games in the livingroom.
“How did you find me?” he finallyasked.
