He pulled out his phone. “What’s your number?” When she didn’t start spitting it out, he said, “So next time I have a question I can just call, and won’t have to interrupt your little Chase-doesn’t-exist game.”
“I wasn’t—”
“You’ve been ignoring me all day. You’ve worked hard at it.”
She stomped her foot a little firmer and felt childish for her game, or rather, she felt childish being caught at it. But what choice did she have? Since he’d expressed an interest in her, the last thing she wanted to do was encourage him.
“Your number?” Impatience rang in his tone as he looked up from his phone. And damn if he didn’t look hurt.
And damn if she didn’t feel a little bad. Then the fact that she cared what he felt sent a wave of panic through her.
“Just give me your number,” he said.
Deciding that getting a call from him would be better than being pulled off in the woods by him, she gave it to him.
“Thank you,” he said. “I’ll call you later so you’ll have mine.”
I don’t need yours, she almost said, but bit it back. They were working together, so she might need his number. She just wished she really had his number, as in knowing for sure what he was up to. Or knowing if he was up to something.
Before she could turn to leave, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
She slapped his hand.
He laughed, and then the humor left his expression. “How are you feeling?” He tucked his hand in his jeans pocket.
“Why?” she asked, wondering if he’d noticed her temperature.
He hesitated. “I mean dealing with your cousin’s death,” he said, sounding sincere.
“I’m okay.” She softened her tone, wishing he would stop the nice crap. So she could stop the bitch crap. However, she wasn’t sure how to project disinterest without ignoring him or giving him a ’tude. Not that her behavior was uncalled for.
She didn’t trust him, but she was working with him and she’d practically defended him to Burnett.
She didn’t like him, but felt empathy for him losing his family the way he did.
She knew he was keeping things from her and Burnett, but wasn’t she keeping things from Burnett, too?
Where the heck had she picked up his scent? Why would he lie about it? What if she was wrong about him lying? Was it possible that she’d gotten his scent but he hadn’t picked up on hers?
It was possible.
And you’re impressed with his abilities, a little voice in her head said. She tuned the voice out, accepting that her feelings about this guy were black and white, yin and then yang. Problem was the black was quickly fading to gray and yin was shifting more to yang.
Not that there was anything romantic going on. Hey, how about that Chase guy? Just walk up to him and plant one on him hard and heavy.
Hard and heavy. Her gaze shifted to his lips, and she wondered what it would be like to … Holy hell! Why was she thinking about that?
“I gotta go,” she said, realizing they were just standing there staring at each other’s mouths like in some stupid movie. She only got a few feet away when she heard, “See you tonight.” Anticipation sounded in his deep voice and she got a distinct feeling it wasn’t just about the case.
The words “it’s not happening” rested on the tip of her tongue, but she’d already told him that. She’d told herself that too, but for safety’s sake, she repeated it in her head. Then she took off.
She got out of the woods, and all three girls were waiting in an aura of curiosity. Miranda, being Miranda, dropped the question first. “Did you do it?”
Scowling at the witch, she muttered, “Hell, no.”
“Told you she wouldn’t do it,” Kylie said.
Della glanced at Kylie. “So she told you guys the advice she gave me? Where does she get this shit?”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Miranda said.
“I see why it could work,” Jenny added her two cents to the subject, “but it could also be dangerous. What if she likes kissing Chase? What would that mean for her and Steve?”
“I wouldn’t,” Della said. “Because … I just wouldn’t.” She glanced from Jenny to Kylie and hoped both the chameleons didn’t have their vampire powers on and didn’t hear her heart skip a beat.
“I don’t know. He’s hot.” Kylie’s grin said she was teasing.
Too bad Della wasn’t in a teasing mood. “Then you kiss him. Go on. Lay one on him!” She waved back to the woods.
“Nope, I got the man I want.” Kylie gave Jenny a quick glance.
“Hey,” Miranda chimed in. “All I’m saying is that it worked for Perry and me. And you should at least give it a shot.”
Della rolled her eyes. “I’ll do that just as soon as hell opens up a free Popsicle stand. Now stop talking about me kissing Chase. It’s making me think crazy thoughts.”
“What kind of thoughts,” Miranda asked with an arched eyebrow, then wiggled her shoulders like a dog wagging its tail.
Della growled right as her phone rang. She suspected it was Chase, leaving his number. She pulled her phone out to check.
She was wrong.
“Who is it?” asked Miranda.
“No one,” Della snapped, wishing the witch would stop being so damn nosy.
“So, Steve, huh?” Miranda said.
Della growled again and started walking faster, wanting to outrun thoughts of Steve, Chase, and her prying friends.
But when her phone dinged with a voicemail, she knew sooner or later she was going to have to deal with Steve. But how?
It’s amazing how many PI and police cases are solved using social media. Derek’s words started sounding in her head during English, her last class. Yeah, maybe it was an avoidance tactic, to not think about all her other crap, but it worked in her favor. Because the idea just plopped into her brain, and it felt like a good one.
Facebook, here I come.
She might not know how to handle the old schoolmates of her dad and his siblings, but she knew how to handle teen girls. And maybe, just maybe, something they might say could give her a lead on Lorraine’s murder. Yeah, it was a long shot. Vampire killings were a different animal from your normal everyday murder. But how could it hurt to try?
How?
Easy. She found out all too quickly.
The more she learned about Lorraine, the more it hurt. The more she realized what a waste it was that someone so decent, with so much life, had been yanked from this world.