He ordered himself a firewhisky - a whole bottle - and then turned his eyes to study the woodgrain of the table they were sitting at. He wasn't sure how long the silence lasted before Alyssa broke it. His head stayed bent as he glanced up at her from beneath his brows.

And in that instance he was struck with just how utterly fragile she appeared. Oh, he didn't believe her to be such. In fact he knew her to be far stronger than many men he knew. There was something, however, in her tone - in her face - that belied what he knew.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Caught me at a bad time?" He gave a harsh laugh. "Lousy excuse. I know. 'Lys..." he started, halting as the waitress dropped of her drink and his bottle. Pouring himself a shot, he downed it, ignoring the burn, poured another and let his eyes rest on it. "'Lys...what was it about him that drew you in? Didn't you sense it? What he was inside? Did he really fool you?"

Not once did he dare to look up at her.