The Dare Collection: August 2018. Avril Tremayne

before nine, he sat back in his chair, his eyes on his screen. “That’s enough for today. I’ll see what I can dig up with this info.” His tone was impersonal as he stood and picked up the plates and empty cartons. He helped clean up and stack the dishwasher, maintaining a chilly distance that made my stomach muscles tighten.

      You wanted this. Professional distance is good.

      When we were done, I turned to leave.

      “Remember, you need to let me know if you’re going outside,” he said.

      My face felt stiff so I didn’t even attempt a smile. “I haven’t forgotten.”

      He stared at me for a beat then nodded.

      In my den I made a stab at work for a solid hour before giving up and giving in to a burst of resentment. I swiveled in the seat and stared out the window.

      Caleb probably thought he was only doing his job, but his interrogation had peeled back a thin layer of memories I wanted to keep buried.

      Boston. My mother.

      Frustration threatened to build as I paced from window to wall and back again. My restlessness eventually drove me to the cinema room and I halfheartedly settled for a new rom-com I wasn’t really in the mood for.

      I startled awake to a blank screen and a sore neck. When my disorientation cleared, I noticed a blanket that had been draped over me and there were cushions I’d dislodged in my sleep, which weren’t there before.

      My heart lurched as that warmth encroached again, teasing me with its comfort. I pushed it away, got up and stumbled upstairs to bed.

      Caleb Steele, like everyone in my life, was a transient, paid presence.

      Nothing else.

      * * *

      Sunday was a repeat of Saturday, minus the mind-melting making-out sessions, the probing questions into my sex life and the sexually loaded banter.

      That set the course for the next three days.

      On Thursday we returned to the Japanese restaurant and picked our way through an uncomfortable meal.

      As he wove through light traffic on the way back to SDM, I glanced at him, that little morsel he’d let drop on Saturday returning like a nagging toothache.

      Who was the client who’d triggered his rule? Was he or, as I suspected, she, still in his life?

      At a stoplight he speared me with dark blue eyes. “Something on your mind?” His tone was cool. That plus the absence of his mocking eyebrow lift rattled me more than I cared for. It was like he had become a different person after the episode in the parking lot.

      I reminded myself that I’d only known him for a handful of days.

      That first night and day had been...out of the norm. Intense. We were both fighting for control. We’d reached an understanding and now he was focused on what he came here to do.

      This was the real Caleb Steele. End of story.

      So this unsettled sensation that had carved a small hollow in my stomach was misplaced. Right?

      I looked away from his piercing eyes. “Nope. Nothing at all.”

      He drove on, dismissing me as coolly as he’d done for the past few days.

      Unfortunately, the sensation knotted inside me wasn’t as easy to dismiss. Admitting I wanted the dirty-tongued, brooding-eyed Caleb back was...hard.

      I glanced out the window, frowning at my reflection when I caught myself biting my lip. I had more important things to dwell on than which version of my fixer I preferred. Besides, what the hell could I do? Crawl into his lap, drag my fingers through his hair and kiss him the way I’d wanted to do on Saturday before sanity returned?

      The dragging sensation in my belly gave me the answer.

      I avoided his gaze for the remainder of the journey.

      The fretful but excited buzz in the air when we reached my floor was a great excuse not to hunt for an answer right then.

      “What’s going on?” Caleb asked as we entered my office.

      “We’re presenting a midseason upgrade on two SDM products to the board tomorrow. The day before is always a little frantic.”

      His gaze narrowed slightly as he watched me. “That doesn’t include what you’re working on, does it?”

      “No. That’s still confidential. But I’ll be giving a presentation of my own to three of the board members tomorrow, too.”

      “Which members?”

      “Chance and two of his colleagues.” I couldn’t keep the stiffness out of my voice.

      He noticed. “He’s coming here?” he rasped.

      I swallowed at the volatile vibes oozing from him. “Yes.”

      His gaze narrowed on me for several heartbeats. “Okay, I’ll need the names of the colleagues.”

      I gave him the names, unable to stop the chill spreading over my nape. “Why?”

      His stare was direct. “Everyone who has access to you is a suspect until I catch this asshole. Don’t underestimate anyone, Lily. And if you can help it, don’t trust anyone, either. That way you’ll avoid any nasty surprises.”

      He turned away but not before I caught a flash of pain in his eyes.

      Add the confounding emotions coiling through me, it rooted me to the spot for several heartbeats until a knock on my door snapped me free. By the time I finished dealing with my team member’s query, Caleb was on his phone.

      We worked late into the night, then headed down to the seventh floor where the in-house catering staff had laid out a buffet-style meal in the dining room.

      Although Caleb stayed close by, he didn’t engage in conversation. I tried not to glance his way, but it proved almost impossible. Especially when Miranda slid into the seat next to him, and he gave her one of those smiles that had been absent for almost a week now.

      I turned away, finished the chicken parmesan I didn’t really want, while doing my best to reassure the two tech newbies on either side of me that they wouldn’t tank their presentation tomorrow.

      I wasn’t sure what made me glance over at Caleb halfway through my conversation. His eyes were fixed on me, a ripple of muscle ticking in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

      Abruptly, he stood and walked around to where I sat. “Are you done eating?” He glanced pointedly at my plate.

      “Yes.”

      “You ready to head out?” he asked, flicking a cold glance at one newbie, who cowered away from the arctic mountain glowering at him.

      I considered calling Caleb out on his rudeness, but it had been a long, draining day. I really wanted to get out of here. And it had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to get him away from Miranda, who was eyeing Caleb with barely disguised hunger.

      I swallowed a knot of irritation. “Don’t stay too long, Miranda. I need you back here by seven.”

      Her gaze swung to me, and I swore I caught a flash of something nasty in her eyes. A moment later it was gone. “Sure thing, boss. I’ll make sure you’re all set to go.”

      Caleb’s impatient hand gripped the back of my chair, and I rose.

      Maybe it was the don’t-mess-with-me vibes he gave off as we left the building, but nobody approached to talk to me. I continued with last minute prepping on my tablet right until we drove through the gates of my house. And then I couldn’t hold back the grain of irritation that had grown since dinner.

      I cleared my throat. “I need a favor,” I said briskly.

      He paused with a