Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(31)

“Was Grayson in the Army?”

Jeremy looked up and frowned. “Why do you ask?”

Embarrassed that she’d actually voiced her thoughts, she shrugged. “He was wearing an Army T-shirt earlier.”

Jeremy nodded as he dumped sour cream into a bowl with other ingredients to make what looked like a creamy sauce. “He was. Enlisted after high school and became an MP—” He looked up, and noticing the confused expression Claire was sure she was wearing, he explained. “Military police. He finished his enlistment and went to college on the GI Bill.”

That explains the military vibe he gives off, and his bossiness.

“Was he in combat?” Maybe that would explain Grayson’s aversion to people. Maybe he had PTSD and his personality had suffered. There had to be an explanation for his surliness.

Jeremy shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. From what I understand, Gray served stateside. Then after college, he joined Phoenix.”

Once Jeremy had added the creamy sauce to the slow cooker along with the chicken, he turned the switch on High and set the lid on top.

“We’re good to go now for a few hours,” he said. “Want to watch a movie? I can set you up with the DVD player, and there’s a bunch of DVDs on the shelf below it. I think I saw a chick flick or two in the mix the last time I was here.”

“Chick flick?” she scoffed. “How about a good horror movie, or an action/adventure?”

Jeremy shook his head, laughing as he crouched in front of the TV. Selecting a handful of DVDs for them to choose from, he said, “Now you’re speaking my language.”

Claire grinned back as she dropped onto the sofa and curled her legs beneath her.

At least it would pass the time. Without her phone or internet, she couldn’t work on her case, chat with Leah, check in with her parents . . . nothing. And Grayson had nixed her going on a run, so she couldn’t do that either.

With those options off the table, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself, so a couple of hours mindlessly staring at the TV sounded like just the thing.





Chapter Twenty-One





Dinner that night was agonizing for Grayson. It was the first evening meal the three had actually shared together, and Claire didn’t have much to say. Jeremy had tried to start small talk a few times, but Claire hadn’t picked up the conversation thread, and Grayson certainly wasn’t going to. When she finished dinner, she mumbled a quick good-night and went upstairs.

Grayson watched her leave, trying not to stare at the gentle sway of her hips. Those leggings she wore hugged her every curve, and the filmy tunic top she’d paired with them was gauzy enough to tease the imagination, but crinkled so you couldn’t actually see anything. It was maddening.

Jeremy’s gaze was also on Claire. Once she was out of earshot, he grinned. “She’s pretty cool.”

Glaring at his partner, Grayson said, “Shouldn’t you be doing your job instead of palling around with the protectee? You two have been awfully cozy.”

“Whoa, touchy.” Jeremy raised his hands in surrender. “Would it be better if I made her into an enemy the way you have?”

Grayson clenched his jaw but stayed silent.

“Sorry, man, but it’s true.”

He stared at his plate. It wasn’t as if he’d been trying to piss Claire off— Okay, maybe he had. But he hadn’t intended to start an all-out war, which was what being in the same room with her felt like now after only a few days.

Why is it even bothering me?

“She’s a good person,” Jeremy said as he stood to load his plate and glass into the dishwasher. “Down-to-earth and easy to talk to.”

Surprised, Grayson looked up. “Is that right?”

“Yeah, it is. I like her a lot. Do you know she always brings her father’s driver a coffee whenever he picks her up?”

Hot pinpricks of shame swept through Grayson. That didn’t sound like something a spoiled debutante would do.

Keeping his voice even, he said, “Really?”

“Yeah. And she knows exactly how he likes it. It’s a routine of theirs.” Leaning against the counter, Jeremy gave Grayson a pointed look. “She cleans up the kitchen after I cook, and offered to do my laundry today. I think it’s really nice.”

“Are you trying to make some kind of point here?”

Jeremy shrugged. “Just thinking about her boyfriend. It’s going to suck for her when she finds out about him, and she doesn’t deserve that.”

Grayson leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Be careful what you say.”

“She’s in the shower, Gray.”

He listened, and Jeremy was right. The old pipes were clearly in use. “You need to be careful, anyway.”

“All I’m saying is it’s hard not to warn her.” When Grayson gave him a hard look, Jeremy held up his hands. “I’m not going to, all right?”

“See that you don’t.”

Grayson fought the unfamiliar surge of unease that swept through him. While Claire was doing her best to avoid him, she was having all her meals with Jeremy.

What do you expect with the way you’ve been treating her?

He scrubbed a hand over his face. Anyway, Jeremy didn’t have to worry about how Claire would react. Nice girl or not, she was tough. She’d find a way to get over the guy she was dating.