In the Shadows (The Club)

He snorted. “No.”

“She seems to know an awful lot about you.”

Zeke’s face shifted. Those incremental movements somehow made him that brusque, cold man who walked on the opposite side of the street. It was unnerving to witness tha

t change after the way he’d started to open up with her.

“She doesn’t know anything. I like it that way.”

“Makes it kind of hard to get close to you though. If you’re in a relationship, that is.”

He didn’t say anything to that. All the flutters she’d felt in the restaurant when Zeke claimed her in front of his friend died in that silence.

They reached the car. He helped her inside, joined her, and started the engine. It purred while they sat there. She was about to say something when Zeke reached up and gripped the steering wheel. “I should get you home.”

“That’s it?”

His knuckles whitened as his fingers tightened. “Yeah.”

“Then I guess you're right.”

The drive back was painful. It was infuriating to not know anything about Zeke’s past while a woman like Delilah was clearly privy to a number of details. Worse though was the weight of knowing that she wasn’t good enough for Zeke to confide in.

“You’re upset.”

She blinked and looked over at him. The passing streetlights’ glow flickered over his face as they drove down the quiet streets. There was a cheekbone. Now those lips, still frowning. The edge of his chin. A brief moment of blue as an eye was illuminated. But never one complete picture.

“I’m not upset,” she answered. “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“You.”

She heard his amusement. “I doubt that’s a good thing.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Zeke. It’s taking me a while to figure you out.”

“Nothing to figure out.”

Okay, she’d managed to remain mostly neutral until that statement. “Well, seeing how our dinner date was ruined because of something you don’t want to talk about, I’d argue that.”

His frustrated growl made her feel a little better. He didn’t try to defend himself. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he drove her back to her apartment and walked her to her door. Didn’t ask to come inside, didn’t offer to make good on his promise of spending the night together. Instead, he kissed her cheek and headed back toward his car.

Maybe it’s better this way, the rational side of her pointed out as she stepped into the apartment and locked the door. You’ve been with men who didn't communicate before, remember? It’s one of the reasons you left Napa to come here. You barely know this guy, so it’s not like you’ll miss him when it’s over.

She dropped her keys in the dish by the door and continued on to her bedroom, kicking her heels off into her closet and slipping out of her dress. She’d almost convinced herself that getting over Zeke wouldn’t be too hard when she noticed the tiny blinking light of the window alarm.

An alarm he’d put up to make sure she was safe.

“Damn it,” she muttered as she yanked the curtains closed. “This one’s going to hurt.”

Chapter 7

Like shit rolling down hill, Zeke thought as he scrubbed himself one last time and rinsed off in the locker room shower. This damn week gets better and better...

Three days after the dinner date, he’d finally gotten the balls to call Vivian. She hadn’t called him back yet, even though he’d been desperate enough to call again and leave a more obvious “I’d like to talk and make up for being such a dick” message. And now he wasn’t going to be able to work for a few days and would be tempted to visit Divine Twins like some love-struck idiot so he could see her and try to apologize in person.

He would understand if she told him to take a flying leap off the nearest bridge. He'd really screwed up. Maybe tonight was his karmic comeuppance.