Truth or Dare (His Wicked Games #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

knock off a few points if a guy pulls out his cell on a date, but
Calder’s been dealing with a lot recently, so I’m willing to give
him the benefit of the doubt. Still, I’m only expecting him to
exchange a few quick words with his lawyer or something, so it’s a
bit of a shock when he stands up.
    “I’ll be right back,” he tells me.
    I watch his retreating form as he weaves
through the dining room, back toward the restaurant entrance, then
I take up my fork and grab another piece of duck. I pick around the
various plates of food, trying a little bit of everything as I
wait. But as the minutes tick by and Calder still doesn’t return, I
start to get a little antsy.
    He probably just doesn’t want to discuss
delicate financial matters in a room full of people , I tell
myself. Even in this secluded corner, there’s no telling who might
hear something. He’s doing his best to protect what’s left of his
family name. I refuse to fault him for wanting a little
privacy.
    But it’s impossible to keep my gaze from
drifting back to the door again and again. I try to distract myself
with the food, tearing my way through the rest of the duck even
though I’m more than full at this point. I’m already digging into
the venison steak by the time I finally spot him moving back across
the restaurant toward me.
    He looks tense, scattered. His brows are
drawn together, and he jerks his hand through his hair as he
strides back toward me. When he sees me watching him, though, his
hand drops and he puts on a smile.
    “I’m sorry about that,” he says when he
rejoins me at the table. He tips my head up, kisses me sweetly on
the lips. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
    “You better,” I joke.
    His smile widens, but it still doesn’t reach
his eyes.
    “Is everything all right?” I ask.
    “Of course.” He says it too quickly, too
lightly. “It was just Tim. He had a few questions for me.”
    He’s being purposefully vague, and though I
don’t want to pry, I also don’t want him to have to deal with this
on his own.
    “Do you want to talk about it?”
    “It’s nothing, I promise.” He grabs my hand
and brings it to his lips, kisses the fingers one by one.
“Certainly not important enough to spoil our date.”
    I want to believe him, but as the night
progresses, it’s clear he’s preoccupied. Or maybe “preoccupied”
isn’t the right word—it’s as though he’s trying too hard to pretend
that nothing’s wrong. He’s still sweet, complimentary—but there’s a
formality to it that wasn’t there before. The anxious awkwardness I
feared earlier returns in full force. Something’s shifted between
us, and I don’t know how to fix it.
    But I’ll be damned if I don’t try.
    “You have to taste this,” I say, offering him
a bite of the rich marquise cake from among our spread of
desserts.
    Calder plays along, opening his mouth for my
fork. His eyes never leave my face, but his intent gaze makes it
all the easier to sense the distraction lingering beneath.
    “Are you sure everything’s okay?” I ask after
I’ve set down my fork again.
    “Of course,” he says. “I’ve just had a lot on
my mind recently. But I don’t want to think about any of that right
now. I’m here, with you, and that is what I want to focus
on.” He raises my hand to his mouth once more, only this time he
plants a kiss on my palm. The heat of his lips sends a little
shiver up my arm.
    I offer him a smile, but his answer doesn’t
completely satisfy me. Something happened during that call, whether
he wants to admit it or not. But I don’t want to spend the rest of
our date arguing over what may or may not be my business. Calder
and I aren’t used to leaning on each other for emotional support
just yet. In the meantime, our time together is an escape—a few
moments stolen away from the ups and downs of everyday life. I can
still be that for him, if nothing else.
    By the time dinner is over and he’s driving
me back