Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(32)

And it didn’t matter whether she was nice or spoiled. Either way, Claire Parker was trouble. She was too attractive for her own good, and that feistiness of hers was like an aphrodisiac. The smart thing for him to do would be to keep her at arm’s length, and he’d do his damnedest to do that.

Even if I have to hurt her feelings to do it.

Frowning at Jeremy, he said, “We’re not going to discuss this again.”

His partner gave him a disappointed look and muttered, “Fine. I’ll be upstairs.”

After Jeremy left the kitchen, Grayson turned off the lights and pulled back the living room curtains, then reached out to twist the wand for the mini blinds, angling them so he could see out but no one could see in. He settled into an upholstered chair they’d positioned in front of the windows, still thinking of what Jeremy had said.

It was no surprise that Claire thought he was rude. A lot of people thought the same, even if they didn’t use that specific word. Usually, words like “gruff” or “intense” came into play. The gist was the same, though.

It wasn’t as if he disagreed; he was gruff. He could—and should—do a better job of considering other people’s feelings. Despite what Claire thought, the gruffness didn’t come from a desire to be mean. It came from an inability to tolerate bullshit. Anything that came between him and his goals was fair game, which was why he’d reacted to her demands the way he had.

And it doesn’t hurt as much to lose people when you aren’t close to them, right?

Suddenly exhausted, Grayson let his head fall back against the chair. What he wouldn’t give for a decent cup of coffee. Maybe then he could clear his thoughts and act civilized. The dreck they had at the safe house was pure shit and wasn’t doing anything to improve his mood.

Tomorrow when he went on a grocery run, his first stop would be a Starbucks. But for now, he’d have to settle for some hot tea.





Chapter Twenty-Two





Claire paced the floor of the master bedroom. Dinner had been miserable; the tension between her and Grayson was making this house feel tiny. That, combined with the fact that she couldn’t set a foot outside, had her going stir crazy. There was no choice left but to try to make nice with Grayson.

Jeremy had already gone to bed by the time she headed back down to the kitchen. It was completely dark as she took the last few stairs. When her eyes adjusted, she found Grayson was keeping watch in the living room, drinking a cup of what smelled like hot tea as he stared out the front windows into the moonlit yard and the street beyond.

After pulling in a deep breath, she said, “I want to apologize for this morning. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Grayson didn’t turn around. “Don’t flatter yourself. You didn’t offend me.”

For several seconds, all Claire could do was stare at his back. Resolution or no resolution, she wasn’t going to be able to ignore the comment.

“I’m trying to be nice and that’s how you act?”

He turned around in his chair to meet her gaze, his face impassive. “How am I supposed to act?”

“For starters, how about older than a toddler?”

“Considering I’m living with a spoiled brat, that would be kind of difficult.”

Shocked at his bluntness, Claire sucked in a breath. No one had ever spoken to her like that, although to be honest, no one had ever had to. She’d always been so soft-spoken, so eager to please, and by doing so had avoided confrontation most of her life.

Until now.

Studying him in the dim light that spilled from her bedroom upstairs, she realized Grayson’s eyes were alit with something that looked like a challenge.

He’s trying to goad me.

Enough was enough. Crossing her arms over her chest, Claire said, “I need to speak with your supervisor.”

Grayson stared at her, stoic but for the slight flare in his nostrils. “If there’s a problem, we’ll address it.”

“There are lots of problems. Why don’t we start with why you aren’t telling me what you know about my case?”

He pulled in a breath and dropped his gaze to his mug. “There are things we can’t share just yet. My supervisor isn’t going to be able to tell you anything different.”

“I’m sure he won’t dismiss me the way you do.”

Grayson looked back up at her, his jaw set. “I don’t dismiss you.”

“Are you kidding me? You most certainly do,” Claire scoffed. “You’ve been pissed off at me from day one, and for what? No good reason. I’m not about to apologize for caring about my dog or my client. The fact that you don’t only proves that you’re an unfeeling monster who has no concern for others.”

The hint of amusement that flitted over his annoyingly handsome face confused her, but Claire squared her shoulders, refusing to back down.

“We’re going to catch the kidnappers,” he finally said, his face impassive again. “Then you’ll be done with me.”

Claire blinked several times but didn’t respond. Was that supposed to be an apology?

“Anything else?” he asked. That dismissive tone she loved so much was back.

She’d said her piece, gotten her point across . . . she should just walk out of here. But when she tried to leave, her legs wouldn’t cooperate. Apparently, she wasn’t finished with him.