Page 52 of A Game of Deception

“Naples is what… three hours from here?” I asked suddenly buzzing with possibility.

“About that,” she confirmed, excitement coloring her cheeks. “We could drive there. Talk to him face-to-face.”

This wasn’t just talk anymore. We could actually do this—find Morrison, grill him about that night, finally get the truth.

“When?” I asked, mentally canceling whatever bullshit I had scheduled.

Tara frowned. “We both have tight schedules. The team, practice, my patients.” Her fingers drummed on the table. “This weekend? Saturday? We could drive down early, be back the same day.”

“Saturday,” I nodded. “I’ll make Leo clear my schedule.”

She hesitated. “Xander... we need to be careful. If my father finds out what we’re doing...”

She didn’t finish. We both knew what that prick was capable of.

“We’ll be sneaky as fuck,” I promised. “Nobody needs to know our business.”

She closed her laptop with a snap. “Saturday, then. I’ll pick you up at six. We should get an early start.”

I couldn’t help grinning. “Another six AM meetup? You really get off on torturing people with early mornings, don’t you?”

Her mouth twitched. “It’s the best time to get stuff done without people bothering you.”

“I can think of other activities that are better without interruption,” I said, voice dropping as I eyed her lips.

Her cheeks went pink, and she looked away. Then she stood up fast, gathering her stuff, the softness gone from her face as quickly as it had come.

“I’ll see you at the facility tomorrow, McCrae,” she said, all business. “Don’t be late for your session.”

As she turned, I nodded toward the cups. “What about your coffee? You didn’t even take a sip.”

She hesitated, a ghost of a smile tugging at her mouth. “Guess I was already wired enough.” Her eyes flicked to mine, softer for a heartbeat, before it was gone. “You can have it.” Then she was gone, walking out without looking back.

I watched her go, grinning like an idiot. Too fucking late for walls now. We both knew it. This truth-hunting mission was already tangled up in something way more complicated.

14

TARA

I tappedmy pen against Xander’s medical file, the rhythmic sound matching my pulse. Inhale. Exhale. The clock on my office wall showed 1:53 p.m. Seven more minutes until his appointment. Time to get myself together.

But focusing on paperwork wasn’t doing it today. Not when my mind kept replaying our weekend run along the shore, the way his eyes had locked with mine when we’d agreed to find Morrison, the heat in his voice when he’d leaned close at that coffee shop.

“I can think of a few other things that are better without interruption.”

I slammed the folder shut and pressed my palms against my eyes. This was madness.

My phone buzzed with a text, jolting me from my thoughts.

Chloe:Thanks again for coming to the opening! So... how’s Ghost Boy this morning? Still broken in all the right places?

Of course. Leave it to Chloe to cut straight through my pretense. I hesitated for just a moment before responding.

Me:I have a session with him in 5 minutes, and I’m freaking out. I don’t think I can do this.

Her response was immediate.

Chloe:Of course you can. You’ve got a wall full of diplomas and probably the most expensive pair of yoga pants in Miami right now.