Page 120 of See You Again

“Good morning, Mr. Bloom.” She heard Gerry say in a cheerful voice. “What a coincidence! We were just talking about you.”

Cami glared fiercely at her receptionist. “Don’t you dare,” she hissed.

“Ms. Amherst and I were just telling Ms. Messina that it wasn’t a good idea for her to go meet the informant alone this morning.”

“You’re fired,” Cami fumed.

“No, you’re not.” Madison assured him.

“Yes, she’s right here. Hold please.” Gerry extended the handset to her. “He wants to talk to you.”

Cami set her jaw. “That wasn’t cool.”

Madison took her elbow, turning Cami to face her. “Stop being stubborn. Taking him with you is the right thing. Don’t make me worry about you, too. I’ve got enough on my mind.”

“Low-blow, Mads,” Cami said, but she saw that the fear in her best friend’s eyes was genuine. “Fine.” She stalked forward to take the phone. “But I’m not bringing either of you coffee anymore.”

James was furious when he picked her up thirty minutes later.

“I think you are all overreacting. It’s a crowded public place. Perfectly safe.”

The tic in James’s jaw grew more pronounced.

“He’s expecting me to be alone. If he sees you, he may not make contact.”

James turned burning gray eyes on her. “This man broke into your house, and we don’t even know how. He has potentially been stalking you for weeks. Tracked you to your childhood home and claims to have evidence of a murder.” His nostrils flared, clearly trying to hold on to his temper.

Guilt stabbed at her. “I appreciate your making the time to come with me, but you can’t do it every time I need to meet someone. Your work is important.”

James turned outraged eyes to her as he pulled into a parking spot near the front of the two-story driving-range facility.

“You are important!” The words exploded through the small space. “Nothing means more to me than keeping you safe.”

Cami’s lips parted in shock.

“You are by far the most frustrating human on the planet!” A flush rose on his neck, and then his hands were on her. He clutched the sides of her head tightly as his lips devoured hers.

This wasn’t like the passionate kisses he’d given her before. Cami could feel his desperation in how his mouth moved almost punishingly across hers. His tongue swept inside to capture hers, and she moaned into his mouth her body catching fire as his hands tangled in her hair, holding her still.

James pulled back abruptly and pressed his forehead into hers, his breath harsh across her swollen lips. “You make me absolutely insane.”

He pulled back and stroked his fingers across her cheek, pushing her now messy hair behind her ears. His gaze traced the lines of her face before he let out a beleaguered sigh. James leaned forward to press a soft kiss against her tingling lips. “I’ve reserved a bay on the second floor in your name. I’ll stay out of sight, but close enough that I can be there in seconds if you need me.”

Cami’s head was spinning, but she managed to nod. As much as she was dying to ask James what that look had meant, catching Amy’s killer had to be the priority. “Unless something goes left, stay away. If I tuck my hair behind my ear, that will be your signal to come over.”

James’s expression was tight, but he agreed before lifting her chin with his forefinger, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Be careful.” Her breath hitched at the intensity she saw there.

“I promise.”

Cami had insisted they arrive fifteen minutes early, terrified that the informant would see James and be too spooked to meet. She checked in at the front desk and climbed the stairs to the upper level. A server approached her, and Cami ordered a coke and fries so that she didn’t look conspicuous sitting alone among the lunchtime golfers.

The bays were half full, and she scanned the groups looking for someone out of place, but no one seemed to pay her any attention. Sipping her coke, she checked her watch and saw that the informant was ten minutes late.

Damn it! He must have seen James.

“Your refill, ma’am.” A gravelly voice said, and a fresh drink appeared in front of her.

“Oh. Thank you, but I…” The words died on her lips as a man slid into the seat across from her. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties with close-cropped, dark hair and light eyes. He could have easily passed for many of the surrounding men, except she saw the telltale bulge of a gun on his hip when his blazer flared as he sat.