“You don’t need to work me, Kace,” he said, a note of bitterness mixed with pity in his tone. If such a thing were possible.
She felt pitied as he looked at her.
“I’ll find your hacker. And I’ll find out why you appear to have been targeted for things you don’t do anymore. But I’ll do it because I’m under the impression that we’ve become friends. Not because you turn on your charm.”
Stung to the core, she felt real tears spring to her eyes. And blinked hard a couple of times so they’d leave before they showed. She was an actress—a good one—she could do calm and unaffected just fine.
With a laugh, she tapped his chest again, hoping it wasn’t out of a pathetic need to show them both that she was allowed to do so. “I’m not working you, honey,” she said with an obviously made-up drawl. And then, more seriously, “If I ever work you, Michael, you won’t know what hit you.”
What in the hell did she mean by that?
This whole stalking thing—not that she was anywhere close to being stalked—but seeing herself framed as the drunk she’d once been had upset her. A lot. She didn’t like that woman. Was ashamed of her.
Didn’t want her family to see her in that light.
She wasn’t that woman anymore.
“I’m sorry,” she told Michael. “I just... It feels kind of like someone is trying to force me to be the old Kacey whether I choose to or not...”
“I know.” He nodded. Didn’t smile. The look in those chocolate-brown eyes was kind.
She had to go. And let him get back to his life, too. It was selfish of her, the way she’d call and let him come running.
Her butt landed against her car when she leaned back rather than turning. “I meant what I said. I was not working you.”
He nodded.
“You’re a beautiful man. Outside and in.”
She saw his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed. Not something that she’d noticed before.
“I’m smart enough to figure out, based on your scars, that at one point, the left side of your face was difficult to look at.” She was staring him straight in the eye. “It’s not anymore, Michael. The scars, they show strength...” She shrugged. “I don’t know, integrity, somehow. Like you have what it takes to wear them well.”
She was a class-A idiot. Lacey had said, on more than one occasion, that she didn’t know how to let things lie. Always had to prod to the fullest degree.
But then, Lacey was a happy, newly married woman and stepmother partially because of Kacey’s prodding, so it wasn’t like her identical twin could complain too much.
Michael wasn’t speaking. But he hadn’t left her standing there alone, either.
“Okay, well, I have to get back to the city,” she said. Sliding toward her door, she spun and grabbed the handle, pulled, started to lower herself to the black leather bucket seat.
“Kace?”
“Yeah?” She was staring up into the sun again. Couldn’t make out his expression.
“I think you’re beautiful, too. Inside and out.”
With that he was gone.
And she was left with thoughts of him consuming her. All the way back to real life.
CHAPTER THREE
MIKE KNEW, AS he put off dinner with his youngest sister and her family to focus on Kacey’s job, that she’d worked him. Just like she worked every single person she met.
The woman oozed charm by nature, not by choice.
He’d fallen under her spell months ago and had chosen to stay there.