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    Realizing even being in the same room as him was wearing down my defenses, I reasoned with myself that one drink would probably be a good idea. In fact, I decided it was vital in this situation because above all else, I needed to ensure I kept the courage and wherewithal needed to hold out against him. “Yes, please. Whisky if you have it. “
    He turned away from me and fixed the drinks. If ever there was a time to start asking questions it would be now when he was not pinning me with that stare of his, the one that had so much power over me.
    Unfortunately, he got in before me. “You want answers? Is that why you’re really here, Alyssa?”
    “We need to talk.”
    “Indeed we do,” he replied, sounding resigned. He turned around and walked over toward me, handing me a tumbler of what looked like whisky. Sitting down opposite me, he placed the half-full bottle on the table before leaning back into the cushions.
    I took a deep breath and decided where I wanted to start. “I need to know everything about Gavin Barnes.”
    “Because of your mother or because of your company?” he asked, not missing a beat.
    “Both. They got married a little over two weeks ago without warning, and my PI cannot find a pre-nup. I have no idea why I was implicated in your investigation, but I need to know so that I can protect myself, my mom, and my company.”
    He nodded slowly and his shoulders slumped. He lifted his glass to his lips, and I watched his cheeks move as he swirled the liquor around his mouth before I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed it down, wincing ever so slightly.
    “Can’t handle your own liquor?” I asked wryly.
    “Not so much when I know I’m being watched while drinking it,” he retorted back smartly, and it hit me again how strong the pull was between us. A connection that shouldn’t be possible, given the limited amount of time we’d spent together. I diverted my eyes and heard him sigh before he continued. “What do you need to know?”
    “Tell me everything.”
    “I can’t tell you everything, but I’ll tell you what I can. The case is still active; we’re just waiting for things to cool down before moving back in. My cover story was somewhat blown when you overheard us.”
    I felt my anger taking hold of me again but had the foresight to realize that blowing up at him would not get me the information I needed. I knew I had to be smart, to protect myself from both Gavin and from the man in front of me, the former a threat to my family and livelihood, the latter a danger to my heart.
    “Can you just start at the beginning, Mark?” I asked, swallowing down the animosity I was feeling and showing him my sincerity.
    He growled under his breath when I said his name again and before I could stop myself, I felt the corner of my mouth quirk up. I watched his eyes drop to my mouth, just like he had over the table at the rooftop, and inside my hotel room. I was unable to stop flashbacks of his lips on mine, his hands on my body and the way he felt hovering above me invaded my brain. Then his voice brought me back to the present.
    “What happened is, I picked up my criminally-funded first-class ticket and boarded the plane. Then I saw the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen and despite knowing I was in the middle of a case that could make or break my career, I couldn’t stop myself from talking to her. As it played out, she just happened to be the very woman I was asked to get close to by the suspect.” Barrett downed his drink and grabbed the bottle from the table, pouring another three fingers of whisky before continuing. “A woman that had me seeing past the criminals I’d been forced to work for, and who gave me a small slither of hope that I could one day end up with a woman like her. She lit up the room with her smile, made me curious when she blushed, and had the confidence to go toe-to-toe with me when I turned on my charm to get her into bed.”
    “Well you failed at