Page 25 of A Real Good Lie

He didn’t lie a lot. In fact, he tried to avoid it at all costs. Jace was a quick talker and lies only served to tangle his tongue.And besides, he understood how important trust could be.

“No.”

At that, Callahan turned toward him, one brow arched high toward his hairline. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Why?”

“Look at you.” Callahan waved a hand in the air between them like the answer floated there.

“What about me?” He narrowed his eyes. “You think because I have smooth lines that I’m a liar?”

“Smooth lines.” Callahan made a noise in the back of his throat and rolled his eyes.

“They worked on you,” Jace spat.

Callahan swallowed and he turned back toward the window, silent. Jace sighed and looked out his own window, the sights of the city whirring past.

“We met through a friend,” he said when it became clear Callahan wasn’t going to speak. “Sebastian thought we’d make a good pair.”

Callahan let out a long breath.

“Our first date was at a club. We kissed on the dance floor.” Jace bit the inside of his cheek and fought against the way his eyelashes fluttered at the memory. “And we just…knew.”

“Knew what?” Callahan rasped.

“That it was real.”

Callahan turned his head slightly. His mouth was parted, audible breaths puffing out from between his lips. “When was this?”

“A year ago,” he suggested. “Maybe that’s long enough for us to have settled into a routine. We’re comfortable. Familiar. We don’t need to be touching and kissing every second we’re together.”

Callahan scratched his chin, then wiped the entire lower half of his face with a trembling hand. His fingers lingered on his mouth, and Jace knew what he was thinking because he was thinking the same thing.

“We do like to kiss though,” he said, licking his lips.

“Do we?”

Jace nodded and leaned closer. “Kiss me and see.”

Callahan’s eyebrows knit together and he looked like was thinking about it. Jace would have jumped at the chance to kiss Callahan again, and here he was, leaning in, leaning close. The leather seat made a crinkling sound as he shifted, and then everything stopped.

Literally.

“We’re here,” the driver called.

Callahan blinked rapidly and shook his head, then flung his seatbelt off like it had attacked him and jumped out of the car, leaving Jace alone and horny in the back seat. He pressed the tips of his fingers against his eyelids and groaned, then followed Callahan out of the car.

“Thank you, Gene,” Callahan said to the driver. “We can get the bags in from here.”

Gene hoisted their suitcases onto the curb in front of the hotel, and Jace didn’t even have time to look up at the grand gold monstrosity of a building before a valet had swooped in and loaded their bags onto a baggage cart.

“I can get that,” he muttered.

“Unnecessary, sir,” the bellhop told him with a smile.

Callahan finished speaking to Gene, then shifted his attention to the bellhop.

“Trevor. Thank you,” Callahan said, and Jace wondered how Callahan knew this kid’s name. Before he could ask, the bellhop started to roll the luggage cart after Callahan, who was already at the door to the hotel lobby.