“Ben told you about Holly.”
Well, that was surprising. I’d expected him to hide it, or at least thought I’d need to drag the truth out of him interrogation style. After all, who runs around admitting to murder? No one with any common sense.
“What makes you say that?”
He snorted. “Earlier you had no problem slipping me your phone number, but now you’d rather jump off a balcony than be alone with me. It doesn’t take a genius to do the math.”
“Yeah, well, forgive me for not wanting to ask you to go get a beer at The Den after finding out you’ve killed someone. And I gave you my phone number so I could come get my car, that’s it.”
“Sure it was.” He smirked, and I didn’t like the effect it had on me, making my heart skip a beat.
I was reminded of what Ben had said about being able to smell my attraction to Wilder and was suddenly mortified.
“You need to get out of my room.”
“So that’s it? You’re going to believe his version and not even talk to me about it? Go figure. I thought you were the sensible McQueen sibling.”
“I don’t think there are any sensible McQueen siblings.”
He laughed, a clear, wonderful sound, and for some reason I felt guilty for engaging in banter with him.
“Would it matter if I told you I had nothing to do with Holly’s death?”
Um, maybe. “Ben wouldn’t lie to me.”
Wilder sighed and stepped out of the light, forcing me to move backwards. I hit the door with my back, and it shut behind me, closing us in together. He sat on the end of my bed, giving no indication he planned to come any closer.
I let out an unsteady breath.
“You would be terrible at poker, you know?” Wilder said. “I bet you couldn’t hide a good hand to save your life. You wear what you’re thinking on your face all the time.”
I blushed.
“It’s cute,” he added.
“Wilder…” This was not the most ideal time to have him flirt with me.
“You think your brother wouldn’t lie to you? That’s rich, kid.”
“Sneaking into my bedroom and saying my brother is a liar isn’t the best way to endear yourself to me. Especially since you haven’t explained why you’re here in the first place.”
“Okay, fair. Sorry.”
I came farther into the room, but the bathroom light was making it hard to read his expression. Finally, with a sigh, I shut off the light, leaving us in darkness. I could have turned the bedroom light on, but I was paranoid someone might be able to tell I wasn’t alone.
My eyes adjusted to the gloom, but instead of sitting next to him I pulled an armchair into the center of the room and sat down facing him.
“Tell me about the girl first,” I said.
He’d been watching me the whole time I moved around the room. I’d felt the weight of his gaze with every step, and couldn’t decide if he was worried I was going to make a break for the door and rat him out, or if he just got a kick out of observing me. Now that I was within his line of sight, he was still staring, like I was the only thing in the room that mattered.
It was a lot of scrutiny to bear, but I kept my eyes locked on his face. I wouldn’t be the first one to blink.
“Talk,” I urged, when he was silent too long for comfort.
“Right. Sorry.”
Had Wilder Shaw gotten distracted by staring at me?