Free When I'm With You Part IV by Beth Kery Page A

Genevieve hesitated before she glanced into his glittering eyes. She took the glass, draining half the wine in her first swallow. He pried the trembling goblet from her clawlike grip.
    He guided her over to the sofa and pulled her down next to him.
    â€œWere you in the house?”
    She shook her head as she released her hands from his warm grasp.
    â€œI was working late on Oak Street. I drove home at around nine. I’ve been watching them try to put the fire out all night.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you call me?”
    She just stared at the carpet sightlessly. He didn’t seem to expect her to answer once he’d considered his impulsive question.
    They both knew the days were gone when she would have leaned on Sean for support.
    â€œFour engines were working on it when I got there, but they were just trying to contain the blaze at that point . . . keep it from getting to the trees and spreading. One of the firemen told me it had likely started in the garage and spread first to the kitchen. They had it out by the time I left. It was a nightmare. The police were there. The press . . .”
    His body tensed for action but he remained seated beside her. She threw him an exasperated glance. Three years hadn’t dulled her almost preternatural ability to read him. Never mind that he’d been trained by the United States Army to be an intelligence operative.
    She’d known her fair share of spies. Max had held a top position at the CIA before he’d retired and started his private intel firm. But while Max had proved to be an enigma to her, Sean was pretty much an open book.
    â€œGo ahead, call if you want to,” she said. “There was a cop— Sergeant Gould. The chief from the fire department was a Martin McGruder.”
    â€œI’m not going anywhere right now. What about Jim? Is he okay?” Sean asked, referring to Jim Rothman, Max’s longtime, live-in employee who did everything from house maintenance to grocery shopping.
    â€œHe’s fine,” Genny whispered. “He’d been out for the evening, like me. He came home from the movies at around eleven and stood with me, watching it burn.” Her breath caught on an inhale. “He was more upset than I was. He kept worrying he’d left some appliance running or hadn’t maintained the furnace the way he should. I must have told him a million times it wasn’t his fault, poor man, and even if one of us
had
done something inadvertently, it wasn’t intentional. He was worried sick. He’s staying with his daughter in Niles.”
    â€œThere was no indication it’d been set?”
    â€œSet?”
She sharpened her gaze on him. “Of course not. Who would have set my house on fire?”
    His brows drew together as he studied her. His hand rose to cradle her jaw. “Was there a medical unit there? Did they treat you?”
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œShock.” Their gazes met and locked.
    He didn’t try to stop her from standing. She returned to the bar where she lifted the wineglass to her lips. The crystal hummed when she set the goblet on the bar too forcefully. She saw him watching her in the mirror lining the back of the bar.
    â€œAm I going? Or are you?”
    â€œI think you know the answer to that, Genny.”
    She turned around. “You can’t expect
both
of us to stay here.”
    He shrugged and leaned back, spreading his arms along the back of the couch. He’d buttoned the crisp white shirt, but not completely. When he spread his arms, the fabric parted. Genevieve found herself staring at the sexy triangle of exposed skin and curling, light brown hair. She blinked when he spoke.
    â€œI’m working on a big project. My assistant will be here first thing in the morning. It’s easier to sleep here when I’m staying so late in the office.”
    â€œ
Sleep
, huh?” she muttered sarcastically.
    â€œYou couldn’t