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She sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s awful.”
It was, but Kaden wasn’t so self-centered that he didn’t understand it was a small price to pay for living his dream.
“It comes with the territory. My show and the occasional television specials allow me to do what I love.”
Her expression softened. “Yeah, I get that.”
He sensed she truly did understand. So what were her dreams? And what was she paying to achieve them? Kaden shook his head. If she wanted him to know her secrets, she would share them.
“But you’re right.” He returned the conversation to his vandalized Jeep. “I doubt anyone in Pike feels strongly enough about my career to slash my tires.”
“Then why?”
“A warning. Someone—or maybe more than one someone—doesn’t like me asking questions.”
Lia lightly pressed on the brakes, pulling into the narrow parking lot attached to a long building with a row of doors and a sagging metal canopy. They parked in front of a door with the wordOfficehand-painted in red. Kaden hid his grimace, hoping the place was at least clean.
Turning in her seat, Lia sent him a worried glance. “If it’s a warning, maybe you should go back to Vegas.”
He arched a brow. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
She hesitated, glancing toward the swishing wipers that struggled to keep up with the thickening snow. “This is starting to feel dangerous.”
“I’m not leaving.” Kaden clenched his teeth, mentally visualizing the bastard creeping through the alley to slash his tires. He was either desperate or brashly confident in his ability not to get caught. Leaving the knife behind made it feel like sheer arrogance. “Not until I have answers.”
She rolled her eyes. “How did I know you were going to say that?”
He allowed his gaze to trace the delicate lines of her face, lingering on the smattering of freckles that dusted her nose. Everything about her was familiar. As if they’d known each other in another life.
“Because we’re partners.” The words felt eerily right as they left his lips.
“Partners?”
“That’s how it feels to me.”
Her lips parted, but no words came out. Were they stuck in her throat? At last, she turned away, her hands clenching the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.
“If you get hungry, you can order takeout pizza from Bella’s. They don’t deliver, but it’s just a couple of blocks away and it’s the best food in town.”
He was being firmly dismissed. Something that hadn’t happened in a long time. It didn’t matter if people loved or hated him, he was famous. And that meant he was usually given star treatment. Now he struggled to hide his smile.
“Good to know.” He shoved open the door, holding on to the satchel and knife. Climbing out of the SUV, he turned back to send Lia a warning glance. “Be careful. I’m not the only one who’s asking uncomfortable questions.”
Chapter 8
It was precisely eight o’clock the next morning when Lia climbed into her SUV to drive to the motel. Kaden didn’t strike her as the sort of guy who would sleep until noon. Not with that barely leashed energy that hummed around him like a force field. But he was from the West Coast and he might not have adjusted to the time difference yet.
Plus, she had to wait for Della to arrive to watch the store.
Della Kramer had been a friend of Lia’s mother and had worked at Porter’s for over forty years. The older woman was widowed, with a son who rarely remembered to visit his mother. Lia considered her a part of her family and one of the many reasons she was determined to keep the store open. Della not only needed the income she earned, it gave her a reason to get up in the morning.
Lia pulled into the parking lot, realizing for once she’d had perfect timing. Kaden was not only up, he was also currently standing in an open doorway being handed a set of keys by a young man dressed in a pair of blue coveralls. Apparently, the rental company had gotten on the ball bright and early to bring the new black Jeep that was parked near the office.
She waited until the younger man had jumped into the passenger seat of a waiting tow truck before she switched off the engine of the SUV and climbed out. The snow had stopped, but the lot hadn’t been plowed and Lia was glad she’d been sensible enough to pull on a heavy pair of snow boots, along with her thick parka. The middle of winter was no time to worry about fashion. Even if she had spent yet another night fantasizing about Kaden Vaughn.
Closing a mental door on the delicious dreams that had kept her warm, Lia battled through the snow to stand in front of Kaden. He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but she caught the fresh scent of soap clinging to his skin, as if he’d just stepped out of the shower. Awareness tingled through her as her gaze lingered on the stubble that darkened his chiseled jawline. The shadow only added to his dangerous appeal.
With an effort, Lia forced her attention toward the shiny Jeep. “You should give your rental company five stars. I thought it would take them all day to get out here with a replacement.”
