“I do. There was a boat not far off the shoreline. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but there must have been a photographer on board.”
“How can they publish this stuff? The headline is a lie.”
“Welcome to my world. The tabloids will do anything for headlines. They are vultures.”
“But they know it’s not true.”
“They don’t care about the truth. It’s whatever makes them money. I’m sorry you got caught up in it.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Until the police report is released, I’ll be in the headlines.”
They’d both been dancing around the subject of the car accident for far too long now. She needed some answers and she didn’t know how to get them other than being direct. “Deacon, tell me about the accident.”
“No.” He moved to his desk and started moving papers as though he were looking for something.
“Don’t dismiss me. I need to know—I need to know if what my father is saying about you is true.”
Deacon straightened and his dark gaze met hers. “Why would you doubt him?”
“Because I feel like I’m missing something. And yet I keep thinking if you were innocent, you would have given your statement to the police. You would have cleared up this mess. Instead you remain tight-lipped about the facts, which says you’re guilty. Is that it? Are you guilty?”
His jaw tightened. “I know in part you agreed to this arrangement to get information, but I’m not talking about the accident. Not now. Not ever. So if that’s what you’re after, you can go back to Bakersfield.”
“So you can say I broke the arrangement and have you press charges against my father? No thank you. I’m staying until my time has been served.”
“This isn’t a prison.” His voice rumbled. “You’re free to go.”
“When our deal is fulfilled and not a minute sooner.”
She paused and studied his face. “You might feel better if you talked about it.”
“That subject is off-limits,” he said with finality.
She sighed. “Okay then. I’ll go work on the plans for the fund-raiser. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“At this hour?”
“It’s not like I have much else to do around here. This place is so big and yet so empty.”
His eyes grew dark. “It’s the way I like it.”
She didn’t believe him. He didn’t live alone in this big house because he wanted to. There was so much more to him closing himself off from the outside world. How would she get him to open up to her?
Gaby moved to the door. She paused in the doorway. She still hadn’t told him the other reason she’d sought him out. She worried her lip. With him standing there looking so cold, it wasn’t easy to talk to him. He reminded her of the man she’d met that not-so-long-ago day in the library, but tonight he hadn’t told her to get out. Nor had he growled at her. Maybe he was changing.
“What?” he prompted.
“I just wanted to make sure that things were straight between us. You know, about the kiss.”
He brushed off her concern. “It’s already forgotten. I won’t be kissing you again if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what she’d wanted him to say, but that wasn’t it.
Without a word, he turned his back to her and stared out at the moon-drenched ocean.
She had been dismissed, quickly and without hesitation. And so had their kiss. Was it just her that had been moved when his lips touched hers?
As she walked away, she felt as though she had lost her footing with Deacon. Her fingers traced her lips, recalling the way his mouth had moved passionately over hers, bringing every nerve ending to life. Her lips tingled at the memory.
He may deny it, but he’d felt something, too. And for the life of her, she didn’t know what to do about this attraction that was growing between them.