Page 35 of The Prime-Time Experiment

She took the steps carefully, and once she was up on the wrap around porch, it opened before she even got a chance to knock.

Declan stood there, one hand resting lightly against the frame, his posture relaxed in a way that suggested familiarity with the space rather than the performance she had seen from him at the gym. There was no tension in the way he held himself, no subtle adjustment to make himself or the moment appear a certain way.

“Hey,” he said, stepping back without hesitation, giving her room to enter. “Thanks for coming.”

Riley paused just inside the threshold, her attention shifting briefly from him to the space beyond, then back again.

“It is a well-structured property,” she said. The words came out jilted. Riley had the distinct sense that her observation wasn’t exactly what most people would say, but at least it was truthful.

Declan blinked once, then a small smile pulled at his mouth. “That’s… one of the better compliments it’s gotten.”

Riley held his gaze for a fraction of a second longer, as though checking whether that response required anything further from her. It didn’t appear to.

She stepped fully inside.

The shift was immediate. The air felt different, still and full in a way that wasn’t empty at all. Sound existed without overlap, a low, consistent hum from somewhere deeper in the house, steady enough to fade into the background rather than pull focus. Air moved through the vents in a predictable pattern, a soft, continuous current that didn’t fluctuate or spike. Even the light felt... contained, filtered rather than harsh, settling across surfaces instead of bouncing unpredictably between them.

Nothing demanded her attention. Which meant, for the first time since she had arrived, she did not have to divide it.

Her shoulders lowered slightly before she consciously adjusted them, correcting for a change she hadn’t actively initiated.

Behind her, the door closed. Riley turned back toward him, her attention sharpening as the next variable presented itself. A brief pause followed, small but noticeable, where the conversation should have continued and simply didn’t.

So she supplied the next relevant question.

“You’re sure that you’re comfortable with all of your clients having access to your home address?” she asked.

The question was framed without accusation, in a way that implied curiosity or concern. It had carried over from the night before, sitting unresolved in the background of her thoughts after she had raised it with Dee, how quickly he had offered something most people guarded, how little hesitation there had been in the decision.

Declan didn’t hesitate now, either.

“Yeah,” he said. “I assure you, with the amount of social media stalking my family and I experience, the place is secure. Cameras cover the perimeter and the entry points. If anyone tries anything, it’s flagged and police get called.”

Riley held his gaze for a moment. “I can imagine that is a sufficient deterrent,” she said.

He nodded once.

The conversation appeared to have reached a conclusion, but neither of them moved. Riley was aware that something else was required socially, but the correct response remained unclear.

Declan seemed equally aware of the problem. He shifted his weight slightly before letting out a breath. “Before we go downstairs,” he said, his tone shifting slightly, more deliberate now, “we should probably start over.”

Riley’s attention softened. “I think that would be nice,” she said.

Declan leaned back lightly against the wall, leaving her space while still holding the conversation there between them. “Talk me through what happened,” he said. “From your side.” Riley didn’t answer immediately.

“The observation sessions were manageable,” she said eventually. “Not comfortable, especially not in that gym setting. At least I knew what was expected of me and I had prepared for it.” Declan stayed quiet. “Then you changed the parameters.”

One corner of his mouth twitched. “That’s a very professional way of saying I was being a pain in the arse.”

“Yes.”

The answer came quickly enough that he actually laughed. Riley continued before he could respond.

“I had prepared to observe. Instead, I was required to participate.” Her fingers shifted slightly against her side. “And I was required to do so twenty-four hours earlier than I had anticipated.”

His amusement faded. “The change itself wasn’t the issue,” she said. “The lack of warning was.”

Declan’s attention sharpened.