window. “I've ordered room service. Soup, chicken sandwiches, and coffee. Okay?”
She nodded. “Anything.” She took the bag into the bathroom and closed the door. A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom in the tan pants and green sweatshirt. “Shoes?”
“They'll arrive with the underwear. Size-seven tennis shoes. New Balance, not Nike.”
Her lips tightened. “You know everything about me.”
“No, I don't. But details like that are hard not to pick up.”
“When you were ‘monitoring' me. Do you know how angry that makes me?”
“Of course. I'd be furious too.” He smiled faintly. “You look like Little Orphan Annie with your hair curly like that. It's very appealing. I don't know why you struggle so to keep it straight.”
“Because I'm not Orphan Annie. I'm an adult, and I want to look like what I am.” She sat down opposite him. “I don't like deception and I hate invasion of my privacy.”
“You've already made that point.”
“Because you intruded in the most intimate and ugly way possible. That stinks.”
He nodded, waiting.
“And I'm never going to forgive you for bringing that monster into our lives. Your culpability is only a little behind the man who started that fire.”
“I accept that.” He met her gaze. “But I think you've decided who's tops on your hit list.”
“You come pretty damn close,” she said coldly.
“I'm everything you hate. I'm a complete son of a bitch. But you wouldn't be talking to me without a reason. So tell me why I'm here.”
“I want answers.” Her hands tightened on the arms of the chair. “I want that son of a bitch who killed Jason's son. I want him so bad that I can taste it.”
“I thought you'd feel that way. You're a very loving and protective woman and have a strong maternal streak.”
“Stop analyzing. You don't really know anything about me.”
He shrugged.
She felt a flare of anger. “Damn you. Anything you know is stolen. I feel as if you robbed me.” With an effort she smothered the rage. “It's not going to happen again. If I decide to help you find this Trask, you've got to promise me you won't ever do what you did to me when Charlie was dying.”
“I promise.”
“And you won't . . . intrude.”
“Never without your permission.”
“And you'll never get that.”
“Perhaps. Situations sometimes dictate radical measures.” He shook his head as she started to speak. “But I won't trespass again. I don't usually, anyway. Do you think I'm some damn peeping Tom? It's very uncomfortable until I become accustomed to all the nooks and crannies.”
“Nooks and crannies?”
“Besides, you've put up barriers against me. It wouldn't be easy to jump over them.”
“But not impossible?”
He scowled. “You would have to ask that question when I'm doing my best to reassure you.”
“You could do it?”
“Maybe. I'm pretty good.” He added, “But like I said, I do have certain ethical standards. When I saw how this thing I have was shaking out, I had to develop a code. Otherwise I could see myself developing into someone pretty unpleasant.” He grimaced. “Not that I don't fall from grace more than I'd like to admit. I'm not like Travis. I get angry and I want to strike back with no holds barred.”
“If you're trying to reassure me, you're doing a lousy job.”
“But I'm letting you get to know me. And the devil you know . . .” He met her gaze. “You've already told me how you hate deceit. I won't be handing you any of that. What you see is what you get. I've given you my promise and I'll keep it.”
“If I don't piss you off.”
“That's not likely if we're on the same team.”
A polite knock on the door.
“Room service.” He rose to his feet and moved toward the door. “You'll feel better once you've had something to eat. You're a little hypoglycemic and get edgy without protein.”
“I'm not hypo—” She let it go. It was only a pinprick and there were more important things to
She nodded. “Anything.” She took the bag into the bathroom and closed the door. A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom in the tan pants and green sweatshirt. “Shoes?”
“They'll arrive with the underwear. Size-seven tennis shoes. New Balance, not Nike.”
Her lips tightened. “You know everything about me.”
“No, I don't. But details like that are hard not to pick up.”
“When you were ‘monitoring' me. Do you know how angry that makes me?”
“Of course. I'd be furious too.” He smiled faintly. “You look like Little Orphan Annie with your hair curly like that. It's very appealing. I don't know why you struggle so to keep it straight.”
“Because I'm not Orphan Annie. I'm an adult, and I want to look like what I am.” She sat down opposite him. “I don't like deception and I hate invasion of my privacy.”
“You've already made that point.”
“Because you intruded in the most intimate and ugly way possible. That stinks.”
He nodded, waiting.
“And I'm never going to forgive you for bringing that monster into our lives. Your culpability is only a little behind the man who started that fire.”
“I accept that.” He met her gaze. “But I think you've decided who's tops on your hit list.”
“You come pretty damn close,” she said coldly.
“I'm everything you hate. I'm a complete son of a bitch. But you wouldn't be talking to me without a reason. So tell me why I'm here.”
“I want answers.” Her hands tightened on the arms of the chair. “I want that son of a bitch who killed Jason's son. I want him so bad that I can taste it.”
“I thought you'd feel that way. You're a very loving and protective woman and have a strong maternal streak.”
“Stop analyzing. You don't really know anything about me.”
He shrugged.
She felt a flare of anger. “Damn you. Anything you know is stolen. I feel as if you robbed me.” With an effort she smothered the rage. “It's not going to happen again. If I decide to help you find this Trask, you've got to promise me you won't ever do what you did to me when Charlie was dying.”
“I promise.”
“And you won't . . . intrude.”
“Never without your permission.”
“And you'll never get that.”
“Perhaps. Situations sometimes dictate radical measures.” He shook his head as she started to speak. “But I won't trespass again. I don't usually, anyway. Do you think I'm some damn peeping Tom? It's very uncomfortable until I become accustomed to all the nooks and crannies.”
“Nooks and crannies?”
“Besides, you've put up barriers against me. It wouldn't be easy to jump over them.”
“But not impossible?”
He scowled. “You would have to ask that question when I'm doing my best to reassure you.”
“You could do it?”
“Maybe. I'm pretty good.” He added, “But like I said, I do have certain ethical standards. When I saw how this thing I have was shaking out, I had to develop a code. Otherwise I could see myself developing into someone pretty unpleasant.” He grimaced. “Not that I don't fall from grace more than I'd like to admit. I'm not like Travis. I get angry and I want to strike back with no holds barred.”
“If you're trying to reassure me, you're doing a lousy job.”
“But I'm letting you get to know me. And the devil you know . . .” He met her gaze. “You've already told me how you hate deceit. I won't be handing you any of that. What you see is what you get. I've given you my promise and I'll keep it.”
“If I don't piss you off.”
“That's not likely if we're on the same team.”
A polite knock on the door.
“Room service.” He rose to his feet and moved toward the door. “You'll feel better once you've had something to eat. You're a little hypoglycemic and get edgy without protein.”
“I'm not hypo—” She let it go. It was only a pinprick and there were more important things to
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