To her surprise, Rick shook his head at her offer to talk some more. “I think I have enough. For now.” He shoved his pad into his pocket and stepped to the side so he had an unobstructed view of her. “I just want to clarify one thing, if it’s okay with you?”
She curled her legs beneath her, ignoring the protest of her aching muscles. A hot bath would be heaven right now. “You said you came to Yorkshire Falls to visit your birth mother’s hometown?” Rick asked.
“That’s right.” She chewed on her lower lip, hating the fabrication she’d woven for the officer, but knowing she had no choice. “I wanted to visit some of her old friends and stomping grounds.”
“And Samson was an old friend?”
Here Sloane tread lightly. “My stepmother mentioned him briefly as someone who’d made an impact in Jacqueline’s life. He seemed worth looking up.” She raised her gaze and tried for her most honest look. As someone who’d snuck out a time or two past curfew, she’d perfected the expression.
“Which is how she came to Samson’s old house,” Chase concluded. “Case closed, Rick.
Time for you to go.” He slapped his brother on the back as a blatant excuse to prod him toward the door.
Rick tipped his head toward her. “Talk to you tomorrow, Sloane.”
“Is that a polite expression for don’t leave town ?” she asked wryly.
“Yes, ma’am.” He shot her a boyish grin and she wondered how many hearts he’d broken on the road to matrimony. She’d caught sight of the ring on his left hand, telling her some lucky woman had snagged the good-looking cop.
Which made her wonder about Chase. Was he involved with anyone prior to their interlude? Someone he’d continue to see now? She was surprised at how badly the thought bothered her.
As Chase escorted his brother to the door, Rick didn’t seem insulted. Based on the rest of the interaction she’d witnessed between the men, there was a genuine caring that underscored everything they said or did. A family bond. One Sloane could well understand, since she shared the same connection with her parents and sisters. She had no idea what kind of reception she’d find with her one family member here in Yorkshire Falls, and she shivered at the thought.
How long before she’d find out? Sloane wondered. She’d failed in her mission to find Samson, and in lying to Rick and Chase about why she was here, she’d probably made her search more difficult. These men just might be able to help her locate Samson.
Diffuse whatever threat Michael’s men posed.
But to be truthful with them would entail a level of trust she didn’t yet possess. Not for the police officer or the journalist. Rick’s profession made him a wild card, and Chase was an enigma who could blow this story wide open.
She yawned, exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her. She couldn’t believe what she’d been through in the past couple of hours, but after being forced by Rick Chandler to relive the explosion, she was certain it hadn’t been a bad dream.
The door slammed shut and Chase reentered the room, his gaze keenly centered on hers.
“We’re alone. Now tell me the real reason you’re searching for Samson, because I don’t believe that cock-and-bull story you told my brother.”
Sloane swallowed hard, gripping the fabric on the sofa with her hands. She hadn’t expected him to see through her charade. “I already told you. Twice, as I recall.”
He stalked toward her, braced his hands on the arm of her chair and leaned down so their faces were millimeters apart. She already knew what those lips tasted like. Her heartbeat sped up, and if he promised her a kiss, she’d probably cave into his demand for her to talk.
“I don’t buy your excuse, honey. During that night we spent together, you told me other things too. Personal, intimate things.”
“Such as?” Because at this moment, she could barely remember her own name. She licked her dry lips, gratified when his eyes followed the movement and dilated with desire. At least she wasn’t the only one teetering on the brink of sanity.
“You said your life was based on a lie, but you’d still be expected to do the right thing. Is Samson a part of that lie?” he asked, his serious yet oh-so-sexy gaze never leaving hers.
She wanted to confide in him more than she wanted her next breath. Maybe even more than she wanted him to kiss her, and that was saying a lot. But the working part of her brain, small as it had to be right now, prevailed. “Do you really expect me to answer your questions while most of mine go unanswered?”
“Honey, I’m an open book.” He rose, spreading his hands before him in a gesture of giving.
One she didn’t buy, not for an instant. The man was as big an enigma as when she’d met him in the bar. Still, if he was offering answers, she wanted them. “Did you know I’d be in town, and if so, how?” Because she and her stepmother had carefully covered her tracks as best they could.
“I’m going to opt for honesty here.” His blue eyes twinkled with a hint of mirth, but mostly with caution.
Whatever his secret, he was wary of revealing it. Join the club, she thought. “Honesty would be nice.”
“I met your stepmother at your father’s press conference.”
“That’s why you were in Washington? To cover the story?”
He nodded.
She shouldn’t be surprised, nor should she be disappointed he wanted news coverage about her father. Possibly about her family as well. She could see the headlines now: SMALLTOWNJOURNALISTLEAPS TONATIONALPROMINENCE
BYEXPOSINGSENATORCARLISLE’SDEEPESTSECRETS. Thanks but no thanks, she thought. She wasn’t about to contribute to Chase’s career coup.
“So then you came home.” She stretched her legs out, feeling the pull of muscle as she settled in for a continued series of questions. “Did you know I was in town?” She couldn’t imagine Madeline revealing such private, possibly dangerous information to a stranger, let alone a reporter.
He sat on the couch beside her chair, leaning close. So close she smelled the remnants of smoke mixed with the masculine aftershave she associated with Chase. It was a familiar, comforting scent in a time of complete chaos, and she found it difficult to maintain the distance she knew was necessary between them.
“I knew you were here. It seems that your stepmother and my sister-in-law Charlotte are good friends.”
She blinked, surprised at a family connection. “The Charlotte who owns the lingerie store here and in D.C.?”