Page 46 of The Fragile Truth

He blinked, an undercurrent of red seeping into his cheeks. She could feel him pulling away from her. When he spoke, his voice was razor-sharp. “I thought we agreed to keep this business.”

Her heart deflated as she nodded. “Yes,” she said quietly, looking down at her lap. She hated how desperate and vulnerable she felt right now. She wasn’t the type to throw herself at a guy. And yet, here she was. His rejection burned through her like poison, replacing her despair with fiery anger. Her eyes met his, leveling a glare.

His jaw dropped as his voice rose. “What? Now you’re mad?”

A brittle laugh scratched her throat. “I’m not anything,” she said flatly. “Let’s just get this over with. Do you want to hear what happened at the Chasing’s manor or not?” she clipped.

“Of course.”

She told him everything. When she was finished, he shook his head in disbelief. “Do you really think Banks Chasing isThe Shadow? That seems like a stretch.”

“Maybe, but you have to admit that it’s strange that he keeps his desk drawers locked.”

The corners of Ian’s lips quivered in amusement. “Unless he’s trying to keep the help from digging around in his stuff.”

“Hey,” she protested, “I have a good reason.”

“You do,” he acknowledged. “But Banks doesn’t know that.”

“Touché. I need to get into that desk.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek as her brain worked through the problem. “The best time might be next week during the party.”

“What party?”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that Lizette Laramie wants me to cook a special dinner for Wesley’s birthday next Saturday. The party is at the Chasing’s Manor. If we could figure out a reason to get you there, you could cause some sort of distraction, and I could slip away to the study.” She stopped when she saw his furious expression. “What?” she asked wide-eyed. He was probably balking at the idea of her breaking into Banks’s desk. She didn’t want to circumvent the law, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“No,” he growled.

“No?!” She crinkled her face. “What’re you getting at?”

He set his jaw in stone, his eyes washing deep liquid blue like the ocean before a storm. “No way am I gonna let you throw a party for Wesley Laramie,” he thundered.

For a second, Sadie was so taken back by his severe reaction that she was speechless. Her first inclination was to tell him in no uncertain terms that she was a grown woman and could throw a party for whomever she pleased. Then, a new thought entered her mind, beaming a ray of sunshine into the window of her soul. She gulped a giddy laugh, and then a large smile spread over her lips. “You’re jealous.” Maybe there was hope for the two of them yet.

His words fired out in bullets. “This has nothing to do with jealousy. Wesley Laramie is a scumbag.”

She got up in his face. “A scumbag who’s one of our prime suspects. As are Carter Laramie and Banks Chasing. Think about it, when are we gonna get another chance to get all of those people in the same place?” When a sliver of hesitation crept into his handsome face, she knew she’d won.

“Is it a crime for me to want to keep you safe?” he grumbled.

Tenderness rose in her chest. “No.” She held his gaze. “About us …”

“Don’t.” Several emotions battled in his eyes. She could feel him pulling away from her again, but this time she refused to let him.

She leaned forward, her lips sweeping against his, sending a rush of tingles circling through her. His lips stiffened in surprise, but she moved her mouth coaxingly against his. A groan sounded in his throat before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with an urgency that was electrifying. She gave herself fully to the demands of his hungry lips as she threaded her fingers through the hair on his nape. Her spirit soared high and then tumbled in a mad spin when he pulled back. For a second, she was confused and still breathing hard, trying to get her bearings. Then she saw the hollow anguish that carved shadowed lines across his chiseled features, deepening the cleft in his chin. “I can’t go down this road again,” he muttered.

A slow burn started in the center of her stomach and then seared through her as surely as if a lit match had touched dry grass. “Stop it,” she spat.

His eyes popped. “What?”

“Don’t you dare try to make me pay for what Lina did to you.”

Agony twisted his face as he sprang to his feet, rubbing both hands through his hair. “This is a mistake.”

She jumped to her feet, tears raging in her eyes, as she pushed out her words in a raw whisper. “Can’t you see how I feel about you?” Her voice broke. “Sooner or later, you’re gonna have to find it in your heart to forgive.” She bit down on her throbbing lip, tasting a trickle of blood.

He drew in a sharp breath. “What?” he barked reflexively.

She looked him in the eye. The walls were closing in around her, making it hard to breathe. She forced the words out of her mouth. “You heard me,” she said with a calmness that belied the tornado of emotions swirling inside her.