na(

the soft tapping of Adrian's fingers against his tablet, t

arved from calm: composed, unreadable, untouchable. I told myself that's what I wanted too:

e gleaming jet waiting under the morning sun, the security detail, the

od," one of them said,

across from me," he said simply, gesturi

lied, my voice ste

, the faint scent of cedar and expensive cologne. I tried not to t

sed his laptop and finally loo

smile. "Trying to

slightly. "Prof

id it made my

uickly, "I don't wan

his elbows on his knees. "

re

ment, eyes dark and searchin

looked away, pretending to check the meeting notes

ow," he said softly, "I've replayed tha

ze. "A

egret and hunger. "Don't pretend it didn't h

y throat dry. "That

"Maybe. But it did

us disappeared. The billionaire and the assistant vanished

t let him see

the words out. "You hired me to wo

g me with unreadable eye

hat doesn't mean the p

en glance, every accidental brush of his hand when

ay clouds. The car waiting for us took us straight to the

olitely. "Welcome back, Mr. Blackwood

And Miss Monroe will be

skipped.

d felt d

The meeting was scheduled for the next morning, but toni

the window. The city lights stretched endlessly below. Somewhere out there, people were

rn in when a knock

fro

o is

dri

sleeves rolled up, hair slightly tousled. He looked tired and y

ome in?"

lowly, step

om before turning to me. "I just wa

quickly, pretending t

city below. "You know," he said quietly, "I've been doing this fo

off, shaki

what?"

el like I'm l

on't seem like someo

me, eyes dark. "Y

he took a

eath h

dri

p," he said soft

My words died

tant, like he was afraid I might vanish. His thumb trace

e, to end this, to protect myself. Bu

t moment, all I

against my skin. "You have no ide

d t

ck shattered

oth f

hallway. "Sorry to interrupt, but ther

His expression shifted from raw to c

e in a minute,

me again,this time with something like f

over," he s

d left, closing th

ime, staring at the closed

was

asn't

new, this trip woul