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Her brow knitted with confusion. “Like what?”
“Do you bring guys home on the first date?”
She let go of my hand. “Get real.”
“I’m moving in, so our story needs to be that we’re getting back together after having been an item in California.”
She thought for a second. “An item?”
I took her hand again. “How else are you going to explain our relationship going from zero to sixty in a day or two?”
“I guess that would work.”
As we walked, we started to hash out a history together we could both remember.
Passing E Street, Kelly nodded toward the J. Edgar Hoover building. “Is that where you work?”
“No such luck. That’s headquarters. I’m out of the field office on Fourth.”
Turning right on Constitution, we still couldn’t get a good view of the brightly lit monument until we’d gone another several blocks. But once we did, it was an impressive sight. We paused to take it in for a few moments, and then circled back the way we came.
We alternated discussion of our backstory with her playing tour guide for me as we passed several of the Smithsonian buildings on the way to the garage.
Back at the car, I opened the door for her.
“I had a nice time tonight,” she said, laying a hand on my arm before she settled into the seat.
I closed the door, walked around, and climbed in the driver’s side, all the while wondering why those words struck me as they did. I shouldn’t have cared. This was a protection assignment, pure and simple, and she was a Benson no less.
I started the car and looked over. “I’ve had a nice time too.”
As I backed out of the parking space, she said, “You’re not at all like Dennis said.”
I put the car in drive and rubbed my bad knee. The mere mention of her asshole brother pivoted my mood one hundred eighty degrees.
“He said he’d be out in a few weeks,” she continued. “We should get together.”
“No,” I told her—without the vitriol I felt at hearing his name. No fucking way in hell was I sitting in a room with him for even a single minute.
She put a hand on my shoulder. “Oh, he’s not that bad.”
I slammed on the brakes, pulled to the curb, and looked over. “I said no, and I meant it.”
Her mouth dropped open for a second. The mood between us shifted instantly to full-on frosty.
“Take me home.” She crossed her arms and looked straight ahead.
She didn’t get it.
* * *
Kelly
I stayedsilent during the rest of the drive to my house. The glances I chanced in Adam’s direction showed an angry, jaw-clenched version of him so unlike the amiable version dinner had brought out.
The bad blood between my brother and him obviously went deeper than I knew.
“I’m sorry,” I ventured. “I didn’t know how strongly you felt. I won’t suggest it again.”
