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Damon’s low chucklebrought me back to the present. “If I was going to kill you, Icould think of a thousand better places to do it than a publicpark. Remember, I’m in law enforcement, Jill. I could get prettycreative if I wanted to.” He grinned down at me and my stomachsomersaulted.Stupid stomach.
“Okay, smart-ass.Since you aren’t currently plotting my untimely demise, may I askwhere you’re taking me? You mentioned food?” I asked.
I felt off-kilter,not knowing what was happening from one moment to the next. Somepeople liked surprises. I was not “some people.”
Damon stoppedwalking and turned to face me, never dropping my hand. He steppedforward until our chests were almost touching. He brought his otherhand up and cradled the side of my head. It took everything in mypower not to lean into him. His touch was so warm when he ran histhumb over my furrowed eyebrows.
“You’re cute whenyou’re frustrated,” he murmured with that stupid grin of his.
I jerked my headback and deepened my scowl. “If you think I’m cute now, just wait.I’m about to be fucking adorable,” I argued.
I briefly thoughtabout kicking him in the shin as he threw his head back andbelly-laughed. I almost did just that until I realized I wassmiling too. I couldn’t help it. His genuine glee wasinfectious.
When he calmed hissnickering, he glanced down at me with moisture in his eyes. He wasstill softly smiling when he rubbed his thumb across my lower lip,his eyes following the motion. My breath hitched and I wondered ifhe was going to kiss me. God, I wanted him to kiss me again. Theworld always fell away from me when he brought his lips tomine.
Before I could leaninto him, he pulled away from me. He brought our joined hands tohis lips instead and held my gaze as he kissed the back of my handbefore starting our forward motion again.
Still glancing downat me, he finally gave me the answer I was looking for. “There’s anamazing food truck that comes here around this time most nights. Ifigured we could eat and enjoy this nice night for a bit,” hesaid.
I looked up at himwith a bewildered expression. Not that I had much experience inthis whole relationship thing, but didn’t most men want to impresswomen with how much money they could spend?
“You’re looking atme like I have two heads right now,” Damon said, bringing me frommy thoughts.
“I just figured youwould take me to a fancy restaurant or something. I don’t know, tryto get into my panties by stuffing me with decadent food,” Ivoiced.
He chuckled at meagain as we neared the delicious smells coming from the nearbytruck.
“Well, I’m notexactly a fancy restaurant type of guy, for one thing. Not to say Iwouldn’t spoil you with good food, but I would honestly prefer tocook it myself. And I don’t need any help getting into yourpanties,Roja,” he said in a low heated voice.
I should be offendedthat he insinuated I was easy, but I couldn’t get past the look hegave me. It was like he had a direct line straight to my naughtybits.
We walked in silencethe remaining distance to the food truck. When we got to thewindow, Damon held his free hand out to a man named Julio. The twoembraced each other in a manly hand slap/shake and spoke to eachother like two good friends. I watched how he interacted with theother man and was amazed by his easy friendship. He introduced methen ordered for both of us.
Before I knew it wewere seated on a park bench overlooking the bay, eating the beststreet tacos I’d ever had in my life. I was the furthest thing fromladylike as I scarfed down my first taco and was already halfwaythrough my second one. I caught Damon staring at me while he wasstill on his first. I felt an unfamiliar flush creep up my neck asI looked at him after swallowing a huge bite. He was the only manto ever make me blush. I laid my mostly devoured food back into itswrapper and whipped my mouth with a napkin before looking at himagain.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head atme and grinned.
“I was just about toask if you wanted to eat mine too.” He laughed.
The heat in mycheeks deepened and I punched him in the shoulder. “Oh, shut up!” Icouldn’t keep the embarrassed laughter out of my voice. “I haven’teaten since noon and even then it wasn’t much. Plus, if you didn’tsee earlier, I used a large amount of energy getting the shitknocked out of me. I don’t think Krav Maga is for me,” I saidbefore I took a sip of my drink.
“Hey, I like a womanwho isn’t afraid to eat. I just don’t know where you put it. Andabout class, I hope you don’t let that asshole ruin it for you.From what I saw, you’re a natural at it. You won’t have to worryabout Vince anymore, though. Hugh kicked him out and told him notto come back.”
His words shook me.I figured if anyone was going to get kicked out it would have beenme. I didn’t feel guilty that the fucker got kicked to the curb,but I definitely wasn’t expecting it. After all, I was the new onein class, they could have easily placed the blame on me.
Damon must have seenthe shock on my face when he said, “There had been a couple ofcomplaints from the other women in your class about Vince. Hughgave him a verbal warning once already and he obviously didn’t takeit seriously. He’s probably wishing he had listened. I bet he’sicing his balls tonight, if he can find them. I have never seenanyone act so savagely in class before. He should have known not tofuck with a redhead with anger issues. I wouldn’t have expectedanything different from you, though.” He shook his head beforereturning to his food.
I looked down at thelast of my taco and felt what I had eaten turn to lead in my gut.Was that my identifier now? Just another hotheaded bitch. I knewmost people thought I was an icy shrew, but knowing Damon saw methat way too made something ache inside of me.
There were very fewpeople in this world that got to see the real me. I preferred itthat way. The fewer people who saw my vulnerability meant therewasn’t as big a chance for them to fuck me over in the end.
I’ve never caredmuch about what people thought of me. The people I loved most inthis world knew what kind of person I truly was. Sure, I was abitch any way you sliced it, but I was a loyal bitch. If you hurtsomeone I loved, then you had better hope I didn’t find out aboutit. I protected what was mine fiercely and I took shit from no one.If that made it hard for people to like me, then so be it. But Icouldn’t help the hurt that bloomed in me at the thought of Damonthinking of me as just another hateful jerk.
I shut down theemotion I felt rising before I let it fully sink in. This is why Ididn’t do relationships. It took too much of my energy to worryabout what the other person thought of me. I didn’t need morepeople in my life to make happy. I had a hard enough time makingsureIwas happy. If he thought poorly of me now, I didn’twant to know what he would think if he ever learned about my past.He would probably be disgusted by me then.
I put my food to theside and started to stand. Damon put his hand on my thigh, stoppingmy upward motion. “Hey, what’s wrong? You look like you wentsomewhere in your head,” he asked, concern lacing his voice.
