Page 29 of A Rhapsody of Ravens and Revenge

Evangeline had spent the past couple of days trying to figure out Cal’s game. Which caused her to wonder why everything always had to be a game with them to begin with. Their time together had been pleasant—comfortable—and as familiar as their childhoods had been. It was making her nervous. Not to mention she was wondering when he was going to kiss her again.

She’d never stopped loving him. Even when she thought she’d hated him. And being forced together over the last couple of days had been an exercise in restraint. Especially when he looked at her the way he had been—those intense, longing looks that made her think he was going to swoop in and kiss her at any moment.

But he hadn’t kissed her again. And God, how she’d wanted him to.

She’d been surprised how easily they’d moved into a steady routine. She was a private person by nature and treasured her solitude. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in such close proximity to a person for multiple days.

But Cal somehow managed to stick close to her without invading her space. He just simply was in her space.

His conversation with Atticus had piqued her curiosity, but she’d learned from her father that if she looked like she wasn’t paying attention than people tended to loosen their guard on what they said. So after she’d made breakfast she set up her laptop to get caught up on work. She’d been so far ahead on her projects that she could have taken a month off, and everything that was in her inbox she could’ve done with her eyes closed.

Cal hung up the phone and she could feel his eyes on her from behind.

“Thanks for breakfast,” he said.

“We’ve all got to eat,” she said dryly. “Though we’re probably going to have to get groceries soon. I’d forgotten how much you eat. You were always a bottomless pit as a teenager. Looks like time hasn’t changed much in that regard.”

“At least Robert has a first-rate gym in this place,” he said. “I normally just fuel to survive. But you’re a good cook. Apparently all I needed to get my teenage appetite back was a good home-cooked meal.”

“Hmm,” she said as she swiveled on her barstool to face him.

“Looks like exciting work,” he said, mouth twitching.

“Everyone needs a hobby,” she said.

“Most people take up road cycling. Or knitting. Or read ridiculous amounts of romance novels.”

She felt the warmth in her cheeks. If he’d wanted to come out and say that he’d been spying on her for the last ten years that was the easiest way to do it. One of the ways she stayed in shape was with road cycling. She loved the feel of the wind against her face as she soared downhill, and the way her thighs burned as she battled up a steep climb.

And knitting…well, she’d been bored and figured it was a good skill to learn. She hadn’t mastered it and all she’d managed to create was a couple of lopsided blankets, but it had kept her hands occupied on nights when she’d been tempted to use them for other things, especially in those early months after everything had been taken from her.

As for the romance novels, it wasn’t her fault that she was a fast reader. And what constituted a ridiculous amount? It’s not like she lied about other plans to her co-workers whenever they invited her out for after-work drinks and instead went home to read a book in her bathtub and drink a glass of wine. At least…not always.

Instead of responding, she tightened her lips and cleared her dishes away, putting them in the dishwasher.

“That was Atticus on the phone,” he said. “We’re about to have some company.”

“Atticus is coming here?” she asked, turning to face him, her embarrassment forgotten.

“Not Atticus,” Cal said. “Nathan and Eden Locke. Nate was part of our CIA black ops team.”

“I’ve heard Dad talk about him,” she said. “I’ve never met him though.”

“He met Eden when Atticus sent him on a mission to track down a recruit that had been Israeli Mossad.”

“Did he find the recruit?” she asked.

“He married her,” Cal said, grinning. “She’s a hell of an agent. I’m glad she’s on our side.”

“So what you’re saying is that Atticus is kind of a black ops matchmaker.”

Cal burst out with laughter, doubling over to catch his breath. “Oh, Atticus is going to love that one.”

“Oh, God. Don’t tell him I said that.”

“I’ll take full credit for it,” he assured her. “Atticus never did have much of a sense of humor. He’s a very serious kind of guy. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t give him a jab from time to time, just to see if we can crack that shell.”

“I’m sure it must give him a lot of peace to know he’s running an agency of teenagers.”

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