“So.” She set her glass of water down onto the table. “Who was on the phone earlier?”
“It was Crawford.”
The man’s answer left her blinking in surprise. “That was Gordan?”
Colt nodded, sipping from his glass of iced tea. “That’s why I needed you to stay quiet. I didn’t want him knowing we were together.”
“Why not? He already saw us together last night.”
In an instant, the memory of the previous night’s incredible kiss returned. How his lips felt against hers. How he tasted sweet like champagne. The way she felt locked in the comfort of his arms.
It didn’t mean anything, Al. It was all for show and nothing more.
“We were discussing details of a possible business arrangement.”
“And his knowing I was there would have messed that up?”
“It wasn’t the kind of conversation a man like Cole Morris would have had in the presence of a woman he met the night before.”
“So kissing me in the middle of his party is okay butspending time with me during the day is out of the question?”
This time it was Colt who blinked, and almost instantly, Alex regretted the off-handed comment.
“Sorry. I guess this whole cloak and dagger business is going to take some getting used to.”
“It’s okay.” His tone was soft. Genuine. “I’m sure it’s a lot to take in.”
A decidedly unladylike snort bubbled up from the base of her throat. “You can say that again.” She sat back in her chair with a sigh. “How did you even get started with the C—” Her gaze swept their immediate surroundings before she lowered her voice to keep others from hearing. “I thought you had a degree in marketing or business or whatever.”
“I do.”
“Then how?—”
“You want the long story or the abridged version?”
Alex looked down at her watch and shrugged. “Dinner’s not for a few hours.”
“Long story, it is. Though I can’t tell you everything.”
“That’s fine. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give.”
Something flashed behind his mesmerizing stare, but it vanished as Colt took another sip of his tea.
“It was my junior year in college,” Colt began. “I was roommates with this guy . . . Henry. We all called him Hank.” A soft smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Anyway he was dating this girl named Zoe. From the get-go, they were practically attached at the hip. Love at first sight, Hank once called it.”
“That sounds nice.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is nauseating.” He gave a playful roll of his eyes. “But I couldn’t blame the guy. Zoe was awesome. She was quiet but sweet. Cute as a button and smart as hell. Your sister reminds me a lot of her, actually. Very girl-next-door, you know? And man, those two . . .” A deep chuckle shook his broad shoulders. “They were the real deal.”
A haunted look came over him that made Alex want to reach across the table and grab his hand. She didn’t, of course. Instead she asked the obvious question.
“What happened?”
Colt’s sorrowful stare grew cold. “One of the girls in Zoe’s sorority got engaged. Zoe thought it would be fun to surprise the girl with an impromptu celebration. A group of them got together and planned a night out on the town. They went to dinner and then stopped at a dance club that wasn’t far from campus. Long story short, when the girls were ready to leave for the night, they couldn’t find Zoe. They looked everywhere. The bathroom, dance floor, even the sidewalk out front. It wasn’t until a club employee checked the alley out back that they found her, but it was too late.” He swallowed hard. “She was already dead.”
The shocking revelation left Alex gasping. “What happened?”
“Overdose.”
