Page 43 of Lethal Game

Which was why he was going to stay downstairs and review the investigation. He needed to think about work and not about Alisa.

But even as he pulled out his computer and sat down at the dining room table, his mind kept drifting to the smart, beautiful, sweet, and sexy woman upstairs.

He'd made the right decision; he just wasn't happy about it.

CHAPTER TEN

Alisa woke up at seven on Friday morning. The sun was shining through the shutters and when she got up to open them, she saw a blue sky, hopefully a good sign of what was to come. She'd taken a shower before bed, but she took another one now, the hot water soothing her stiff and aching muscles. And when she got dressed in some clean jeans and a pullover long-sleeve knit shirt, she felt a lot better. She'd also found an extensive first aid kit in the bathroom, which had allowed her to clean her wounds and reapply a bandage to cover the stitches on her palm and the long cut on the back. The fact that there were so many supplies reminded her she wasn't in a hotel, she was in a safe house. There had probably been people who had stayed here who had been worse off than her. That fact did not make her feel better, so she hastily tucked the kit away and made her way downstairs.

Jason was in the kitchen. He was standing at the stove, scrambling eggs, and looking very sexy in jeans and a black polo shirt, his dark-brown hair still damp from a recent shower.

He turned his head, giving her a smile, and she felt a jolt of attraction run through her. His eyes were so blue, his face so handsome, she had trouble looking away, especially since hedidn't look much like a federal agent today. He looked like a guy she might have spent the night with.

But he'd made it clear that wasn't on the table. Logically, she knew he was right. But she still kind of wished it had happened.

"Morning," he said. "Did you sleep?"

"More than I thought I would." She grabbed a mug from the cabinet and filled it with coffee, needing a shot of caffeine to clear her head. "I need to check in with the hospital about my mother. Can I turn on my phone?"

"I already checked. Your mother had a quiet, restful night. Her vital signs are good. Dr. Grayson is going to check on her at ten and would like to meet up with you then. I told the nurse to let him know we'd be there."

"Okay, but how come you can use your phone, but I can't use mine?"

"I used a second phone that we keep here in the house. It can't be traced."

"Oh. Well, thank you for checking. Maybe my mother is going to be all right." She felt more hopeful than she had in a long time.

"The signs are pointing in that direction. I made some eggs. Are you hungry?"

"If there's enough, yes."

"There's plenty. I've got bacon in the oven, too."

"I thought I smelled bacon." She sat down at the island, watching him work. He cooked in an efficient, no-steps-wasted kind of way. He seemed to be extremely organized and time- sensitive, popping in the toast at just the right moment so that it would be ready when the eggs and the bacon were done.

Ten minutes later, she had an enticing plate of food in front of her, and she savored the feeling of normalcy that came along with it. That probably wouldn't last long, but she was going to enjoy it while she had it.

"I wanted to ask you about Henry Cavendish," Jason said. "You mentioned that he visited with your mother on Wednesdaynight and that he's a longtime family friend. Is it possible your father would have spoken to Henry about where he was going?"

"Over my mother? I don't think so. If he was going to tell anyone, he would have told her."

"Unless he needed her not to know. But he might have asked someone for help. Would you say anyone else is closer to your father than Henry?"

She frowned, barely hearing the second part of his question because she was stuck on the first part. "Why would he need her not to know?" she asked.

"So she couldn't be forced to tell anyone. Nor could you."

"But someone could still think we know more than we do."

"Yes," he said, meeting her gaze. "But you're both under the protection of the FBI, so let's focus on Henry. Unless there's a closer friend we should discuss?"

"My dad has lots of friends, but I'd say he's closest to Henry. They golf a lot on Sundays. If my father isn't with my mom, he is usually with Henry. And even more so since Henry's wife died."

"How did she pass away?"

"Heart attack. It was unexpected. She'd always seemed to be in good health."

"I'd like to speak to Henry. You said he works in the building next to the hospital? Why don't we stop there on our way in?"

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