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“I doubt a place like this is big on government identification. They’re doing this retreat because they want money and probably converts. They’re not going to care who we are or where we’re from. Yeah, see?” He showed her the phone. “They want us to bring the payment in cash. Cults don’t like digital trails.”
As Cal handed back her phone, his fingers brushed against hers. The tiny touch sent an electric shock through her that had nothing to do with static electricity.
She pulled her hand back quickly, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “Right,” she murmured, trying to focus on the task at hand, not the sparks that Cal seemed to ignite in her with his every touch. “What about our story?”
He leaned against the side of her car and crossed his ankles as he pulled a pack of gum from his pocket. He offered her one. She declined, and he unwrapped his piece in thoughtful silence. With it came the bright scent of citrus that she always associated with him.
“We met a couple of years ago,” he said finally, folding the stick of gum into his mouth.
“Well, yeah. We did.”
“Exactly. We stick as close to the truth as possible.” He pointed at her. “It was love at first sight, and we were married within a year.”
She snorted. “I wouldn’t marry anyone after only a year.”
“I swept you off your feet.” He gave that crooked smile that had beguiled more women than just her. “You couldn’t resist my dashing good looks and charm.”
“I have so far.”
He ignored that and continued like she hadn’t spoken. “I recited poetry to you under the stars, and we danced to a single guitar playing soft music. You realized I was the one for you.”
“That’s cheesy.”
“You like cheesy.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help a small laugh. He was right. She was a sucker for cheesy romantic gestures. “Right, and I suppose you convinced me to move to Eureka for a fresh start.”
“Exactly. And now the honeymoon is over, and we’re having trouble. We stumbled on their website and felt a spiritual calling to attend the retreat. They eat that stuff up.”
It was a reasonable story, close enough to the truth that they shouldn’t trip up over the lie. “What about our jobs?”
“I’m a lawyer, and you’re…” He trailed off and rubbed a hand over his face. “Aw, fuck. We can’t tell them you produce true crime podcasts. They won’t like that.” He snapped his fingers at a sudden thought. “But they will if we leave out the true crime part. We’ll tell them you’re a podcast producer specializing in spiritual and self-help topics. That’s close to the truth and might earn us some brownie points with them.”
She made a face. “They’re going to try to recruit me, aren’t they?”
“Oh, definitely. They’re going to try to recruit us both, Elena.”
Her heart stuttered at the new name, making her feel like a different person already. The invisible strings drawing her closer to Cal tightened around her heart. She forced a laugh through her tightening throat, chiding herself silently. This was just another ruse. Another thing they had to play at.
But even as she told herself this, she couldn’t help but wonder if it would feel real — and what it would do to her already shaky feelings for him.
“Just remember this is just a cover, Calvin.” She congratulated herself at his slight wince when she stressed the name. “Once we’re out of there, everything goes back to normal between us.”
Cal just smiled at her, his eyes sparkling with the irresistible, mischievous light that made her heart race. “Nothing about us is ever going to be normal, sweetheart.”
She swallowed hard as she met his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze. She felt a jolt of something unfamiliar in her stomach— fear? Excitement? She couldn’t tell.
“I have to get back to the office and rearrange things for the week.” He pushed away from the car. “And you need to find someone to puppy sit.”
Oh, crap.
Puzzle.
She hadn’t even considered what she’d do with him while they enacted this crazy plan, but now the thought of leaving him for so long had her stomach twisting into knots.
She must have looked shell-shocked because Cal leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek. “We’ll be okay. It’s only a week. Go deal with your pup. I’ll call you this weekend.”
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