His head cocked, and he pressed his cheek against my hand a little harder. “All it took was a little digging. You’re not hard to find, Wren Anderson.”
“Again, with the ominous.”
His mouth pulled into a smirk, and damn did it look good on him. “Do you mind that I picked you up?”
“No,” I answered immediately. It was sort of scary how little I minded him picking me up. “You didn’t go out of your way though, did you?”
“No. I live pretty close by. If you want, I’ll give you my address so you can stalk me back.” He placed my hand back in my lap and took out his phone. “I’d like your phone number, Wren.”
“You didn’t find that in your Google search?”
He only stared at me, waiting, so I rattled off my number. My phone chimed in my purse a moment later. I dug it out and found he’d texted me a picture he’d just snapped of me.
“This isn’t very flattering,” I said.
He studied his screen, two lines forming between his brows. “I don’t know. I like watchin’ you when you don’t notice.”
A laugh burst out of me. “You keep saying creepy things like that and I’m going to believe you mean them. Do I have to check my bushes?”
“You don’t have any bushes, unfortunately. I checked.”
I grinned at his dry delivery. Callum Rose was funny. I was surprised by how comfortable I felt with him while a hot poker swirled in my belly. One should have precluded the other, but that wasn’t the case. Being around him was easy and painful at the same time.
“How’s the recording going?” I asked.
“Yeah, I don’t know. It’s happenin’. That’s all I know.”
“Aren’t you there for it?”
“Kinda. I’m there physically.”
I chewed on the corner of my bottom lip and considered him. I knew what I’d say to my old friend, Callum, but I didn’t quite know how to respond to this man beside me.
His finger drew a straight line down my leg. “Did you like what we did at the party, Wren?”
I jerked my head back at the sudden change in our conversation. “What?”
“Watchin’.” His palm settled on my knee, engulfing it in his big hand. Long fingers curled into the soft flesh on the inside of my knee, pulsing to a beat only he could hear. “Did you like watchin’ the other people?”
I started to tuck my hair behind my ear, but he caught my hand, squeezing it in his. Then he let go and tucked my hair himself, tracing the shell of my ear with the tip of his finger.
The knot in my throat only allowed me to nod.
He dragged that finger along my jaw. “There’s a private club I go to sometimes. You can do anything there, but I go to watch. Will you go with me Saturday night? No Adam. Just you and me.”
“Um, well…” I needed to think. I should have said no. There was no way I could get any closer to him without telling him who I was. I was a wimp and had hoped to avoid this topic until the end of time, but even I knew that was beyond the pale.
“Don’t say no.” He cupped my jaw and tilted my head back. “I’m only askin’ you to watch with me, Wren. That’s all. I’m not askin’ or expecting any more than that.”
“Do you even like me?” I blurted out.
He flinched at my question. “What makes you think I don’t like you?”
Because of things I can’t talk about. You shouldn’t like me. You probably hate your little bird—and that’s me. I’m the girl who ghosted you. I’m the girl who didn’t show up when you needed her. I’m the girl who’s been lying to you for the last couple weeks.
“Well, that’s the impression you gave in the beginning. Like my presence annoyed you and you were angry about me being at that party. I guess I’m a little confused.”
Twin lines formed between his brows. “I’m not good with people. Or words.”