Page 2 of Night Prey
“You think he really knows something?” Ian’s voice came from behind her.
Startled, she spun and locked gazes with those large eyes the color of rich sapphires, forgetting all about Junior for now. She freed her gaze to run the length of his body, taking in his black zip leather jacket, white button-down, and V-neck sweater in a cashmere gray. Deep navy jeans and suede chukka boots rounded out his attire. All of it fitting a body that he’d kept toned since high school.
“Like what you see?” He grinned, revealing his even white teeth.
She hated that he caught her ogling him, but it wouldn’t be the first time and perhaps not the last. He’d been a fine looking teenager and was an even finer looking man. Partially due to the fact that he carried himself with an air that said he couldn’t care less what anyone thought about how he looked. It was intoxicating.
“I do, actually,” she said. “You’re still something to look at, and you know it. Though you work very hard to pretend you don’t.”
He snorted. “Still the outspoken Malone, I see.”
She nodded. What did a grown woman say to a man that she’d followed around with a huge puppy dog crush her last years of high school?
“You look quite nice yourself,” he said. “I always knew you would be a stunner as a woman, and I wasn’t wrong.” He gestured at their classmates. “The guys can’t take their eyes off you.”
She waved a hand, though she had indeed caught a few of the guys studying her when all she wanted to do was fly under the radar until the ceremony. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
“Why’s that?”
“You never took any interest in fitting in. Always the loner and happy to be one, if I’m right. So why hang out with people you spent two years avoiding?”
“I saw your name on the invitation and had to see if I was right.”
“About what?”
“About if you turned out to be a stunner.”
“Oh, that.” She shook her head. “Here we are talking like we’re back in high school. That how we look issoimportant when it’s not a big deal at all.”
“Sure, there are more important things, but isn’t seeing how people age the biggest reason for coming to a reunion?”
“Maybe.” She looked around the room, searching for Junior now, trying to decide what to do about his comment. “I wasn’t planning on coming until they promised to donate to my favorite charity if I attended a brief ceremony.”
“I like that the reunion has a purpose. Says a lot about the committee that they took what we’re going through in our country right now and decided to focus on outreach and how we can make a difference.”
She nodded. “I hope our classmates give generously to all the causes the committee is highlighting.”
His eyes darkened. “I see the need every day and have the same hope.”
She didn’t know anything about the current-day Ian Blair, and as much as she was thinking of going after Junior, she wanted additional details about Ian too. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a detective with the Portland Police Bureau.”
“You’re what?” She gaped at him. “That’s the last thing I would have guessed.”
“Yeah, me too.” He grinned.
She had to swallow hard not to lean closer to that magnetic smile. “How did you get into law enforcement, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“You remember my parents are loaded, right?”
She nodded.
“My dad made his fortune in the movie industry before we moved up here from LA. Their lifestyle was—actually still is—such a waste. Parties. Living for social standing. Superficial.”
Memories came back from high school. “Their parties were legendary at school.”
“Yeah, and I wanted no part of it. When I graduated, I knew I had to do anything but what they were doing. I wanted to make a difference. So I got a degree in public administration, but I figured I needed to live the life of service first before taking charge and making changes.”
