Page 75 of Fatal Betrayal

"Why not? Afraid of commitment?"

"I don't think so. I grew up with a good example in front of me. Maybe my parents set my expectations too high."

"Maybe," she agreed. "And my parents set my expectations very low. I don't trust easily. I can easily assume someone is lying even when they aren't, which doesn't work well in a relationship. I also love to work, which takes up a great percentage of my time and my energy. I haven't found any men who enjoyed being second."

"So, your work is your relationship, isn't it?"

"Uh-oh, I sense we're venturing into psychologist couch category."

He grinned. "More like I've known you since you were eight category."

"I didn't work when I knew you."

"Not for money. But you threw yourself into neighborhood mysteries with a passion equal to a job."

"I suppose that's somewhat true. When I'm on a mission, I don't like to be stopped. Like tonight, having dinner, drinking wine. It's great, but it's also eating at me. I should be doing something more important than this."

He gave her a thoughtful look that made her even more uneasy. "What?" she asked, when the silence lengthened between them.

"You used mysteries and projects as distractions when you were a kid. You didn't want to slow down, because then you'd have time to think and thinking made you sad. Maybe that's what you do now, too. If you never stop running towards the next goal, you never have to assess your life, deal with your emotions, or have a relationship, develop a trust that can only happen with time."

She frowned, wishing he wasn't so good at reading her. "I love what I do. And I'm good at it. Why should I stop to reassess anything when I'm doing what I want?"

"Because I don't think it's physically or mentally or emotionally possible to never give yourself a pause. Eventually, you're going to run out of gas and then where will you be?"

"I guess I'll find out then," she said, her words putting a small smile on his face.

He tipped his head. "I guess you will."

"It's my life. I get to live it how I want. And I thrive in my job."

"It's great that you love what you do, because that's rare. You might thrive in a relationship, too, if you're willing to take a risk. But love scares you more than anything, more than a bullet or a bomb, I'm guessing. You can risk your life for your work, but your heart is a different story. You guard that like it's Fort Knox. No one gets close enough to break it."

He was shockingly right. She took in a breath as his words rang around in her head. "I don't know if I should be impressed by your analytical skills or if I'm really easy to read," she said lightly, trying to downplay the drama of his words."

"Like I said, I know you."

"But you don't know me," she argued. "And I don't know you. We're grown up. We're not kids anymore."

"We're older and taller, but our personalities aren't that different. I saw how much you were hurt by your parents' divorce. It has to have affected your relationships, your ability to trust, your view of love."

"I said I don't trust easily, and I know that has something to do with living with my father, a man who lies and cheats with a straight face and a very believable demeanor. He didn't just lie to my mom or to me but everyone I ever saw him with. It still stuns me that so many women have fallen for his lies. I don't want to get taken in by a man who's as good at lying as my dad."

"You never would. You're too suspicious and discerning. Any man is going to have to jump through hoops to get your trust."

Or maybe fire, she thought, thinking that Cooper, sadly, might be the one person she could trust. But he could never trust her.

Since that stung, she made a joke instead. "Wow, what a great compliment," she said dryly. "I'll have to put that on my dating profile—suspicious and discerning."

He grinned. "Do you have a profile?"

"No. With my job, I can't be that public. I have to be very careful about who I let into my life. I can't risk that someone might use me in some way." She paused. "And considering you're as single as I am, I'm not the only one who has had trouble finding the perfect partner. What are you looking for that you haven't found?"

"Someone I can trust."

Her heart flipped over as his words echoed the thought that had just run through her mind. "Did my betrayal make you afraid to trust other girls, other women?"

"Yes," he said flatly.

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