Hot Stuff (Hot Zone 1)

He shook his head. "I'd rather eat here."

"Avoiding the company?" she asked.

He didn't reply, but instead sat on the bed and placed the box on the comforter.

"You really can't mean to eat in your bed."

"Hey, I don't mind if you don't."

"I'm easy" She opened the box and handed him a slice.

While they chowed down on the most delicious pizza she'd tasted, she turned the conversation to him. "What did the police have to say?" She asked about the lodge. "Any leads yet?"

He reached for a tissue on the counter and wiped his mouth. "None that are plausible."

She took a final bite of her second slice and left the crust in the box. "Who'd they suggest?"

"Laura." He said the name with no emotion, and having finished his pizza, he shut the box and rose to place the garbage on the dresser.

"You're kidding?"

He nodded with a brief jerk of his head. "She's done some slimy things and she can play head games with the best of them," he acknowledged. "But I don't see her as being capable of physical destruction."

"How about hiring someone to do the job?"

"No. Plus she asked for money. Unless she's having me fund my own destruction, it doesn't make sense. I just don't buy Detective Ross's two-pronged attack theory."

Annabelle bit down on her lower lip. He was so adamant, she wanted to believe his instincts. Still, at least one of them couldn't afford to be in denial. "I think I'll reserve judgment since I don't know the woman at all."

"That's what the police said. They're going to keep digging."

"Good. But it sounds like you've decided to give her the money?"

He shrugged. "On the off chance the cops are right, why make her more desperate, angry or jealous by saying no?'

She mulled that one over. "So what was the story with you two?" she asked, curious despite herself.

He rejoined her on the bed and leaned back against the headboard, hands clasped behind his head. "It's boring and I really wouldn't want to put you back to sleep."

She rolled her head to the side and felt a silly smile tilt her lips. "Your past could never bore me and considering how much of mine I've dumped on you in the past few days, I think it's only fair I listen to yours."

"You mean you think it's only fair I share?"

She grinned. "Yes, Vaughn. I'm asking you to do the one thing men dread. Open up and spill your guts."

He glanced at the ceiling and exhaled, obviously resigned to talking. "Okay look, Laura and I hooked up because I thought she was real. Except looking back, my reasons for thinking she was a decent human being were about the dumbest I can imagine."

"We all want to see the best in people. What were your reasons?"

"I figured because she was a school teacher, she'd have a better understanding of all I'd been through- dealing with the dyslexia, struggling academically, turning to sports because it was the one thing I excelled at."

"You excel at many things," she assured him.

He shot her a heated look, then they both laughed.

"But seriously your thinking seems sound. What went wrong?"

"It didn't take long before my lifestyle became more attractive to her than me."