Page 24 of Shadow Dance

“Not physically, no.”

Sami the Server returns with our food, aiming her big, perky tits at me as she asks what she can do for me. Again. Yes, I noticed hersignalsthe second we walked through the door, and yes, I noticed she was cute. I’m not blind. I just didn’t care because I’m here with someone. Maeve could be my girl for all she knows.

“So, how would you stop me?” Maeve asks once we’re alone again.

“By asking. Nicely.”

“Oh, because that works so well,” she says, shaking ketchup onto her plate.

“I’m not Callum.”

Her eyes fly to mine, wary, but I pick up my burger and take a bite. I said what I said, and I’m hungry.

We don’t talk as much after that, but it’s not bad. It’s more of a companionable silence, punctuated by commentary about the food, the servers on skates, the songs on the jukebox. When Maeve can’t finish her milkshake, she shoves it at me, promising it’s the best thing I’ll have all day. I don’t like sharing stuff like that with people, but I do it just this once. She makes me want to say yes.

The more time I spend with Maeve, the more I understand why Callum’s so obsessed with keeping her around. She’s wickedly smart and snarky as fuck. Down to earth. She’s nothing like the trash he cheats on her with, which makes me wonder why he cheats at all.

But then, it has less to do with her than it does him. My mother used to date guys like him. They’re narcissists, and they’re not known for their impulse control.

Sami drops off the check on her way to another table. I’m looking to see how much we owe when Maeve snatches it from me, wrinkling her nose as she reads the back. Then she balls up the check with a scoff and slides out of the booth.

“Maeve, come on,” I say, holding my hand out. “Let me see.”

But she justrifles through her purse and smacks a stack of crisp twenties onto the table. “Ready to go?”

“I brought you here. I’ll pay.” Swiping her money from the table, I get out of the booth and snatch the bill back, eyeing the phone number printed neatly on the back. Probably should’ve seen that coming. I stuff Maeve’s money into her purse. “You good?”

“Great.” She drops her eyes, her face shuttering. It’s an expression she wore all summer like armor, but I don’t like seeing it now. Why does Sami bug her so much? People do shit like this all the time—guys constantly check Maeve out when she’s with me. I just ignore it because she’s not mine. But then I think of Cal, the way he fucks around and flirts right in front of her face, and I realize maybe she’s just over feeling disrespected.

“Let’s go.” I fall into step with Maeve as she begins toward the front of the diner, and then, on a whim, I slide my arm over her shoulders. She stiffens with a sharp inhale before relaxing against me, and I catch a blush as she ducks her head. That’s new. It kicks off a weird flutter that starts in my chest and radiates to my groin.Well, fuck.

Sami’s chatting with the hostess at the front of the diner. She looks up as we approach, her eyes flitting between Maeve and me. I hand over a hundred dollar bill along with the crumpled check. “Food was good, but we didn’t order this,” I tell her, holding her gaze to make a point. “Have a good one.”

Her eyes widen, but I don’t wait around to hear whatever she’s going to say. I just walk Maeve to the door, open it for her, and escort her down the sidewalk like the gentleman I’m not.

Callum is lockedup in his office when we get back to the house around seven. And just like this morning, no one else seems to be around. A little strange, for sure. Mac and Griffin are almost always here, if not the whole entourage. Maeve disappears into her bedroom, and I head to the guest house, looking forward to a shower and some Netflix. Maybe a beer.

But a knock on my door derails that. Pulling my t-shirt back on, I glance through the window before opening up to Callum. “Hey, man.”

He jerks his chin in response. “You’re not busy right now, are you?”

Even if I was, I doubt I have a choice. “Just about to take a shower. Everything good?”

“Got some news today,” he says, his eyes gleaming in the dark. “I need you to come somewhere.”

My stomach churns, the heavy meal I enjoyed with Maeve an hour ago sitting like a brick.

“Yeah, okay. Right now?”

“We’re leaving in twenty. Meet me out front.” Turning on his heel, he walks toward the patio.

“What about Maeve?” I call.

“Mac’s on his way back to stay with her,” he says over his shoulder.

Dread settles over me as I shut the door. Callum’s never asked me to ride along like this—my place is here, my role as Maeve’s protector. Did I slip up? Did he find the cameras, the unsanctioned ones I hid around the property? If he did, I can probably explain them away. Say I wanted him to have the best surveillance. As far as Callum knows, he’s the only one with access to those feeds.

No one knows why I’m really here except for a small, very select few, so I don’t think anyone’s talked. I pull my jacket on as I rack my brain, trying to think of any slip-ups I may have made over the past few weeks. I’m always careful, meticulous, but stuff like this makes me paranoid, second-guessing every move I’ve made since I got here.

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