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Or, maybe he did know the truth, and that was the part that scared her the most.Because what if she’d just let another monster straight into her life?Into her home?
And they were all alone.He was much bigger than she was.Much stronger.He could overpower her in an instant.
No, no, he’s not like Hudson.
But she still retreated.Made her way casually toward the set of tools she’d left spread out after doing some repairs that morning.A hammer waited to the left.A weapon to use in a pinch if she needed one.
He didn’t follow her, but Naomi felt his gaze on her as he said, “You grew up in the foster system.Have no close family.Your juvenile records are supposed to be sealed, but you did enjoy going on a joy ride or two back in the day, didn’t you, Naomi?”
Her spine stiffened.“I didn’t steal cars when I was a kid.”That had just been a lie told in order to get her transferred from one foster home to another.She’d been painted as the villain so someone else would be safe.
It never pays to be good.
She eyed the hammer.Did she need a weapon?
“You put yourself through college by waitressing.Got a degree in business.You were working as a manager at one of the fancy hotels in Vegas when you met Hudson.”
“Vegas is great.It hides all the sins in the world beneath a glossy surface.”She’d thought about going back to Vegas.Maybe if she got the property fixed up well enough, she’d sell it and not go with the bed and breakfast dream any longer.That dream sometimes felt like a weight around her.
“There was no more law breaking once you hit eighteen.In fact, you were quite the upstanding citizen in Vegas.”
Had she been?Maybe she’d gotten too boring for a time.
“You loved the party circuit.Were seen with plenty of movers and shakers.The rich and the elite.”
“Those were the people who visited my hotel.”She turned away from the hammer.“It’s called networking.A necessary part of the job.”
His head tilted to the side as he watched her.
“That’s all you know about me?Truly?”Naomi tsk-tsked him.“Very disappointing.And here I thought you’d have something dark and deep to share.Some earth-shattering details about my torrid past.You’ve just disappointed me.”
He strode toward her.Again, moving with that casual but dangerous grace.A predatory grace.
When he stopped before her, his scent teased her nose.A slightly woodsy, definitely masculine scent.She might have liked that scent a bit too much.
“Do you have something dark and deep buried in your past?”he asked.
She did.“Doesn’t everyone?”Now her hand rose and pressed to his chest.Instantly, that spark was flaring through her again.Dammit.“Don’t you have something dark and deep that you hide?”She knew he did.“How many people have you pretended to be over the years, Eb?How many personas have you adopted in order to bring down your targets?”
He blinked.“Hudson told you about that?”
Hudson had told her plenty.“You’re the master chameleon.You can adopt any accent.Become any person.Good.Bad.Everything in between.He told me that you speak five languages.”
“Six.”
“Wonderful for you.”She kept her hand over his chest.“You slip into hellholes.You dance with princesses.You can be anything and anyone.And you are relentless.You don’t stop until your goal is achieved.”
“I do like to be goal oriented.”
“What’s your goal now?”She wet her lips.“You’ve been staying away, you’ve barely spoken to me during our entire acquaintance—even when I stood at Hudson’s grave, you didn’t say a word to me.No sympathy, real or fake.You just watched me.Watched and didn’t speak.”
“Didn’t realize you even knew I was there.”
“I felt your stare on me.”Hard to explain, especially with so many other judgmental eyes on her.But there was something about Eb.His stare almost burned it was so intense.She’d felt it at her wedding.Felt it at the grave.Felt itnow.
“You’re mad I didn’t approach you at the funeral.”
Mad wasn’t the right word.She was hurt, shattered, that not one person had stood at her side.Everyone had already been suspicious.So certain she was evil.What happened to the whole innocent until proven guilty bit?