Alice exhaled, exasperated. “Is that what you came for? To find out if Dylan Fall and I are an item? What, did you run out of good gossip to barter with at the local donut shop and thought you’d dig up some here? I’ve got more important things to do than feed your salacious curiosity.”
She spun to go, but paused mid-turn at the sound of Jim’s low chuckle. She glanced back. His pleased expression made Alice’s frown deepen.
“Salacious? I guess Dylan has his hands full with you.”
Alice gave a disbelieving bark of laughter, a comeback forming on her tongue.
“You aren’t helping matters much, Jim,” a man said. Alice started, her retort forgotten. Dylan strode into the clearing, Sal Rigo trailing behind him.
For a stunned second, she just stared in shock, sure she was hallucinating Dylan’s tall, impressive form. He wore an impeccable dark blue suit, a pristine white shirt, silver cuff links, and a silver and navy striped tie. Even through her amazement at his presence, Alice distantly acknowledged he looked downright amazing. His bold masculine features seemed tense and determined. His near-black eyes flickered over her quickly. She was so keyed in to him she knew instinctively he was making a quick thorough assessment of her well-being. He seemed both bizarrely out of place in the midst of the sylvan setting, and yet completely at home at once, like he utterly owned these woods.
Which he did, of course.
“Dylan,” both she and Jim muttered at once. Jim sounded just as surprised as Alice. Seemingly having decided all Alice’s limbs were where they should be, Dylan locked his attention on Jim. Sheridan had labeled Dylan the iceman earlier, and Alice had often had reason to suspect he would be intimidating when pressed. Seeing him at the moment, Alice knew she’d been a hundred percent correct in her assumption.
“Why are you questioning Alice out here in the woods?” Dylan demanded quietly.
“You make it sound so unusual. I just had a few questions about last night, that’s all. It hardly warrants an emergency trip from the office on your part,” Jim said incredulously. The sheriff’s gaze ran over Dylan and then Rigo, lingering on Rigo. Rigo was nearly as tall as Dylan’s six-foot-three-inches, but bulkier. He reminded Alice of a rock. Alice now knew that Dylan had personally commissioned Sal Rigo and another man from Durand’s security division with the task of watching over Alice at the camp. Dylan had originally done it without her knowledge. Alice was being followed—spied on, in truth. To see the evidence of her surveillance so blatantly paraded in front of her raised her hackles.
“What’s all this about?” Alice hissed, her question for Dylan.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Dylan replied with seeming calmness, still pinning Jim with his stare. “What is it that you feel is so crucial to question Alice about while she’s working?”
Jim sighed and took a step back. “The truth? I guess I came to ask her what’s got you like this,” the sheriff said, waving at Dylan.
“Got me like what, exactly?”
“What’s got you rushing out of your office and traipsing through the woods the second Mr. Security Guard here says the word,” Jim said mildly, nodding at Rigo. Alice saw Jim’s glance slide over to her, his eyebrows arched expectantly. Dylan’s gaze followed the sheriff’s lead, flickering over her. For a split second, his gaze locked with hers.
Stop this, Dylan. Stop making more of this than there is! If you insist on highlighting the Addie Durand situation, how can I keep up this constant effort to minimize it and deal with the everyday details of my life?
Dylan’s features stiffened as if he’d heard her panicked thoughts. He turned his shoulder to Alice and faced Jim. Feeling utterly dismissed by him, Alice’s anger and helplessness swelled.
“I see you think you already know the answer,” Dylan said to Jim.
“I wouldn’t say that. If it’s anything close to what I’m thinking in my wildest imaginings, though, I can’t quite make out why I’ve been left in the dark.”
“You haven’t been left anywhere. But if you had, surely there would be good reason for it,” Dylan replied. “Whatever you’re thinking, coming out here to the woods and badgering Alice isn’t warranted.”
“Stop talking like I’m not even here!” Alice blurted out, their private little conversation infuriating her.
All three men gave her startled glances. She met Sal Rigo’s gaze straight on, zeroing in on the most comfortable target. The man had been her watchdog for the past several weeks, slinking around, following her every move on Dylan’s request. The reality of her invaded privacy suddenly seemed all too real. After she and Dylan had made love in Addie Durand’s old room last night, she’d suddenly had an unpleasant thought and asked Dylan about Rigo’s and Peterson’s nighttime duties. He assured her that her “bodyguards” were finished for the day once she was with Dylan, a fact that had relieved her greatly.