Unconsciously, I brushed my lower lip.
We'd been driving for only a few minutes when Jacob guided us into the parking lot of a huge mall. He'd explained that tonight, a charity event was being held in the city. According to Jacob's secret informant, if we attended, we might run into the man who'd killed my family.
And all I needed was something fancy to wear to the party.
It seemed... easy.
Too easy.
“So,” I said, hating how hollow that single word sounded, “You really think he'll be there tonight?”
Jacob parked the car in an empty space among the packed lot. “I can't say. It's just something I was told was a possibility.”
“By who?” I asked anxiously. “You haven't said anything about your informant.”
He cut the engine. With the rumble gone, I couldn't hide my nervous breathing. Jacob faced me, reminding me how blue his damn eyes were. “What are you fishing for, Marina? Are you trying to figure out if I know more than I'm telling you?”
I hesitated, then gave up. “Yeah. Pretty much.”
“Still don't trust me?” he whispered. He was referencing our last meeting.
I didn't want to be reminded about how warm his lips had been. I had a hard enough time forgetting that morning as is. “I feel like you're leaving things out. You were gone for four days, Jacob. What did you do that whole time?”
His lips curled at the sides. “It isn't important. All you have to go on is what I've found so far. Right?”
Of course he was right.
I looked out at the parking lot. I didn't want to see his face, not when I braced myself for my next question. “Did you... do something terrible?”
The silence was long and stifling. I felt the white noise in my ears, the hairs on the backs of my arms. After a minute, I wondered if he'd answer me at all.
His voice was gentle. “Yes. I did a terrible thing.”
Fingers cupped my elbow. Jumping, I spun to find him inches away from me. The intensity that normally hid under his surface was peeking at me through a thin curtain.
“Marina,” he said in a throaty hush. “If I lie to you... lie for you, and the result is the same, does it matter?”
The structure of my spine was giving out. Jacob's nearness was making it hard to focus; I kept thinking about the sweet taste of his mouth. “Even if I'm scared of the truth, I don't want you to lie.”
The corner of his smile went up, an invisible wire pulling it towards one ear. “You, scared? I can't believe that.” He still held my elbow, fingers doing nothing but feeling me. “Let me keep my secrets. Please. I prefer it that way.”
I hesitated. “Secrets I can understand.” Glancing at his fingers where they touched me, I swallowed. “Tell me this much, and I'll quit probing. You are planning to find my family's killer, right?”
He ran a finger over his chest. “Cross my heart, I promise. You'll know his name soon enough.”
There was a fierce urge building in me, a wave made from hungry lust. Jacob vibrated with strength, and I knew how easy it would be to lean forward, close the gap, and feel his sharp teeth again.
Another moment, and I might have crumbled and kissed him. Me, the one initiating it this time. I wasn't proud of my desire.
It was the thought about Kite, and how hurt he would be, that kept me from acting on my impulse.
Jacob watched me, studying me in that vivid way of his. I felt exposed under his stare, wondering what he was seeing... thinking... feeling.
Abruptly he turned away, opening the car door and sparing me any further conflict. Leaning out, he eyed the sky. “It might rain, we should hurry.”
Freed from the tension, I dove eagerly into the cold air. It cooled the sweat on my throat. Shaking my arms out, I asked, “Is Kite going to meet up with us?”
“He's sure to find us after he gets his own shopping done.”
“You trust him to buy an appropriate outfit for tonight?” I teased, hoping to erase the awkward mood.
Snorting, Jacob held the mall doors open for. “He's capable, though I doubt he'll look as sharp as me.” Tugging at his shirt, Jacob preened. He was playing around, but I could have watched him adjust his outfit for hours.
Making fists, I dug my nails into my palms. Focus! Following Jacob onto an escalator, I stared up at him. “He told me that you guys have been friends since he was nine.”
Jacob spaced out, eventually looking down at me with a faded grin. “Has it really been that long?”
I gazed at his face, wondering what he was remembering.
He twisted away, giving me a view of his strong jaw and the tiny indent in his chin. He could have been a model, or maybe an actor.
Pretending to be someone else was definitely his strong suit.
When we reached the third floor, he led me towards a store that was so fancy, I couldn't even pronounce the name. I just knew it was some kind of French.
Stopping short, I threw up my hands and laughed nervously. “You realize I can't go in there.”