On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

I was never quite brave enough to actually do it."
    "That daredevil attitude has gotten me into a lot of trouble." He paused. "I think you saw me as better than I actually was."
    "Well, that's what daydreams are for," she said lightly. "But tonight isn't about the past, or the future," she added hastily. "It's just about now—this moment. Tomorrow is another day."
    He pushed a strand of hair off her face and smiled. "Tomorrow is still several hours away. You know I don't sleep much these days."
    "I don't feel like sleeping either," she said, her hand slipping down the sheet between them. "Oh, my."
    He smiled. "I have a few ideas on how we might pass the time. This time we'll go slow."
    "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"
    "I'm going to give it my best shot."

Chapter Eighteen

    Sara woke up to the warmth of the sun on her face. She reached for Aiden, but he was gone. She rolled over, staring at the empty side of the bed. She felt a sudden wave of fear. She knew they would eventually go back to their separate lives, but she wasn't ready yet. It was too soon.
    She slid out of bed and grabbed Aiden's robe off the back of the door. It was too big for her, but it was warm and cozy, and she felt like Aiden's arms were still around her. They'd made love three times, each time better than the last. She'd had sex before but not this kind of mind-blowing, life-altering sex. No wonder Aiden was such a hit with the ladies.
    She frowned, not wanting to put Aiden, sex and other women all in the same thought.
    Walking out of the room, relief washed over her at the smell of coffee and the sound of Aiden's voice on the phone. He'd gotten out of bed, but he hadn't gone far.
    He glanced up as she entered the living room, his expression tense. As she sat down on the couch, she wondered who he was talking to. It was obviously a serious conversation."
    "Thanks," he said. "I'll wait to hear from you."
    "Who was that?" she asked as he ended the call.
    "Jeanne. She was able to obtain access to some of Kyle's financial information—I'm not sure how, and I didn't ask."
    "What did she discover?"
    "A lot of debt. Kyle was drowning in it. His credit cards were maxed out. And the mortgage has a high interest rate because of their poor credit rating. Apparently, the only way they got the condo was because Vicky's parents came up with a thirty percent down payment. But Kyle was still going to face a stiff mortgage payment not to mention property taxes and homeowner association fees. He never should have agreed to buy that place. But Vicky fell in love with it, and he didn't want to say no to her."
    "I wonder if that was because he felt guilty because he was having an affair or if the affair was because he was feeling super-stressed about his marital life."
    "Or neither," he said, his mouth turning down in a frown. "I don't know that he was having an affair."
    "Just offering a theory, Aiden. You know I'm not trying to paint Kyle in a bad light. I'm just trying to help you work through things."
    "I know. I get it. And I can't have blinders on. Kyle wasn't a saint. I wouldn't have liked him if he was."
    "The financial issues could be a reason for gambling, not having an affair," she said. "That was another one of your ideas."
    "Jeanne hasn't found anything to support that." Aiden got to his feet and paced around the apartment. "I don't know why Kyle didn't tell me about his problems. I would have helped him. I would have loaned him money. I have some saved up, and I think he knew that."
    "He might have been too proud to ask for help."
    "There was a big life insurance policy," Aiden said a moment later. "Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They took out the policy after Robbie was born." He paused again, his gaze meeting hers. "I worry that Kyle was feeling desperate. And in that moment, in the blazing heat of that fire, he thought maybe he was worth more to his family dead than alive."
    She sucked in a quick breath, not wanting to believe that any more than Aiden did.
    Aiden sank down on the edge of the recliner, his eyes dark and filled with painful shadows. "I just don't want to believe that Kyle might have killed himself. But in my dreams, he heads straight into the fire, as if he knows exactly where he's going. There's no hesitation in his step. He never looks back." He let out a heavy sigh. "I should have seen that he was in trouble."
    "You can't see what people don't want you to see," she said. "Kyle knew you were there. He chose not to