Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
She shouldn’t have been surprised to nearly run right into Zale when she stepped into her bedroom, but she was. He stood almost in the doorway of the bathroom, so it was impossible to get around him.
“You’re avoiding me.”
She blinked up at him and nodded slowly. “For the moment. I’ve got a few things I have to work out, and it’s difficult when I’m close to you.”
“I thought we made a pact that we’d talk things out together.”
“We did, didn’t we? But you aren’t telling me everything. In fact, you aren’t telling the truth. I already have a difficult time trusting relationships and men, and I know you and Rainier are avoiding telling us the truth, if not outright lying. That doesn’t make me believe everything you’ve said to me, Zale. I’m trying, but it’s difficult. It’s been a long day. I’m tired and I hurt like hell. I just want to relax and not think about anything but having fun with Stella and the others. This was my time with them, remember? You and Rainier intruded on that.”
“We did, didn’t we?”
She noticed he didn’t deny that he was avoiding telling the truth to her. That hurt. She wasn’t going to bring it up again. This was Stella’s bridal shower. She’d been so patient and kind, allowing the men to disrupt her schedule time and again. The Airbnb had been rented in order for the women to have fun in the pool together and not feel self-conscious. With the two men there, that wouldn’t be easy to do. Certainly, they wouldn’t have their normal, hilarious discussions about men.
She noticed Shabina, in particular, had gone very quiet. Rainier seemed to intimidate her. Stella easily could have asked them to leave, but she hadn’t. None of the women had, and Vienna was proud of them for that. At the same time, it wasn’t fair that they were intruding on the bridal shower, and she wasn’t going to let Zale forget that was exactly what they were doing.
Vienna nodded. “Yes. This is what Stella asked for. She rarely takes time off for herself. She wanted to climb, get some biking in, and kayak, as well as just have time with us together here at the house. When we get back to Knightly, we’ve got a hike planned together right before the wedding. We’re looking forward to that trip as well. Hopefully, you and Rainier will have completed whatever it is you’re doing and can be at the wedding so Sam won’t have to replace you.”
“We’ll be there,” he assured.
Zale tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She’d braided her hair and put it up on her head as she normally did when she was going into water that had chemicals in it. Her hair was so naturally blonde it was nearly white, and she didn’t want it turning green. She’d saturated it with conditioner before she braided it just in case. She didn’t intend to get it wet, but there was always the possibility of an accident.
“That’s good, since Sam is counting on you.” She knew her voice was stilted, but she couldn’t help it. He was standing right in front of her, knowing he was lying to her, or at least withholding something terribly important, but it didn’t matter.
They can’t be trusted. That voice. Where had she heard it? Why did it sound so familiar? It wasn’t Mitzi’s voice. The register was a little lower. Softer.
Zale cupped her chin. His thumb slid along her cheek. “Don’t pull so far away from me, Snowflake. You know the kind of job I have. I can’t tell you everything I want to. Some of the information I gave you I shouldn’t have. I did because I put you in a dangerous position and I felt you needed to know in order to better protect yourself. Not to mention, you brought a different perspective.”
He avoided saying “like Raine,” which would have been natural, because he didn’t want to bring her into the conversation. Vienna kept her eyes fixed on his. She simply nodded. He was telling her the truth—and yet there was more to it. She was becoming so much more adept at reading him now that she’d been with him.
“The fact that two men entered your suite with the intention of killing you terrified me. I thought Rainier and I controlled the security cameras in the hallway and no one saw me coming and going from your room, but I must have screwed up and put you in danger.”
She had to quickly veil her eyes with her lashes. They had controlled the security cameras in the hallway, and he knew they had. No one had seen him coming or going from her room. He had been terrified for her. That much was true. Why was he lying to her, and over what exactly? He was mixing truth with lies, and he was really skillful at it. An expert. How did one enter into a relationship with someone with an expertise like that?