was broken by a loud, mortifyin

gle, dark eyebrow.

rising in her cheeks again. "

oss the screen with practiced speed. Before she could protest that she could pay for herself, that she didn't need him to pro

odical process of making a pot of coffee. The whir of the grinder and the aroma filling the air were a small comfort, a piece of normalcy in a c

e sheer grandeur of the apartment, they ate at the huge dining table.

to address the elephant in the room. "About

ked, not looking up fr

"Even if it's a good deal, it's extravagant. We should find a smaller, cheaper p

irst time all evening. His expression was hard to read. It wasn't just annoyance. It was something else

ord it?" he asked, his

"I mean we should be a team. We should make decisions together. I want to

she wasn't being critical or greedy, but completely sincere. The hardness in his expressi

flat neutrality. "The owner is a friend of mine. He's letting m

er, and somehow, more believable. For Candace, it was a huge relief

ning from her shoulders. "Well, that's d

. When they finished eating, she stood up to clear the plates. As she gathere

ood welled up from a small, clean slice on her index finger. It

his movements swift and sure. He took her hand, his touch gentle but firm, and led her

g from his body, smell the clean, subtle scent of his soap. Her

's efficiency, he cleaned the cut and wrapped a bandage snugly around her finger. His touch was

or the first time, she saw a flicker of genuine concern in their dar

ction hung in the a

the shrill, electronic so

and answered, his expression

r drained from his face. "W

ment, his jaw tight. He hu

oice tight with alarm. "My moth

d her wrist, pulling a stunned Candace along with him. All thoughts of their