“You obviously haven’t had enough practice lying.” She laid a hand on his arm. “Or are you feeling guilty? Do you have someone in your life who’s going to be upset you’re spending a Saturday night with me?”
“No.”
“I have to admit, I’m surprised a guy like you is single.”
“What do you mean, a guy like me?”
“Young. Fit. Good-looking. So why aren’t you dating someone?”
“That’s a personal question.”
“It is. I still want to know the answer.” Sometimes personal questions were the best way to surprise a revelation out of someone.
He shrugged. “No particular reason. There are a lot of other things claiming my attention.” His eyes narrowed. “What about you? Do you have someone waiting back in Denver?”
“No one.”
“And why not?”
Fair enough. He had answered her question, she could answer his. “I haven’t had a serious relationship with a guy since I joined the Bureau,” she said. “I vowed never to date a fellow agent, so that limits my choices. And if I’m with someone else, I need to know I can trust them before I reveal everything, so that makes things difficult. I keep telling myself I’m still young. I have plenty of time to find someone. And then I wake up, and I’m another year older and still alone. Not that that’s the worst thing in the world, it’s just…” Her voice died away. She was babbling. Revealing too much. Talking about feelings, which she had been reassured repeatedly was a sure way to scare off most people.
“Yeah, I get it.” He looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment.
She took a step back. “I’ll meet you here a little before seven, then.”
“I’ll pick you up at your place,” he said.
“How do you know where I’m staying?”
“Doug told me SkyCrest had comped you a place in the CrestView Condos. Luxury digs.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” Okay, maybe it had registered that the apartment was very nicely decorated and had a prime view ofthe ski slopes. But her attention was focused on the job, not the views. “I’ll see you tonight.”
She walked away, resisting the temptation to look back to see if he was watching her. She had a hard time keeping her eyes off him whenever he was near, but that was her problem, not his. As long as she didn’t embarrass herself by letting on that she was attracted to him, everything should be just fine.
Shane Greer turnedout to live near the resort, down a long, dark, unpaved road that wound up a mountain and across a frozen creek. The headlights of Connor’s truck illuminated evergreens iced with thick snow and wooden fences almost obscured by drifts. The house itself was almost hidden by trees and snow, a thin curl of smoke from a massive stone chimney visible in the moonlight.
“This looks like the setting for a horror movie,” Stacy said as she climbed out of the passenger seat.
“It’s just an old house.” Connor led the way up a path, tromping through the snow.
Their footsteps echoed as they crossed the wooden porch. Connor rapped hard on the front door, and Stacy resisted the urge to check the pistol in a holster at her back.
“Dad knows where we are,” she said. “If I’m not back in an hour or so, he’ll come looking.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t insist on coming with us now,” Connor said.
“He wanted to, but I overruled him. He only relented when I told him you were coming with me.”
The door opened. “Welcome, come on in!” Shane said. He led the way down a short hall into a wood-paneled room full of furniture that would have been right at home in Stacy’s grandmother’s house—overstuff chintz and faded velour sofasand chairs. All that was needed to complete the look were a few crocheted doilies.
“Let me get you a drink,” Shane said. “I’ve got beer or bourbon if you’d rather.”
“Beer—” Connor began.
Stacy squeezed his arm. “Nothing for us, thank you.” She sent Connor a warning look. Slipping something into a drink was the easiest thing in the world for someone up to no good. No sense taking a chance until they knew where they stood with Shane.
“Have a seat,” Shane said. “Make yourselves comfortable.” He sank into a chair and put his feet up on the recliner. Stacy stared at his sheepskin slippers and relaxed a little. It was hard to picture a villain in sheepskin slippers.
