Page 92 of Enticing Her Love

Her eyes narrowed, and she pointed her chopsticks at him. “That’s true. You know what? You’re the only person who gets me crazy enough to forgo my lists.”

“I think we have that in common. Not that I make lists, but I usually think rationally, and most of the time it’s impossible to do that with you.”

“What exactly are you saying?” she asked playfully. “That we’re bad influences on each other?”

“No. I think we’re good influences, and you should add that I help you make spontaneous decisions to our pro column.”

She smiled. “That’s very clever.”

“Sometimes I use my head for good and not evil.” He tapped his temple and sat back, taking in her living room, which was as feminine and striking as she was. Cream couches and lavender upholstered chairs were accented with cream, salmon, and deep purple throw pillows. French doors along the back wall led to a deck, and he remembered she’d sat out there the night she’d called him while she was out for a walk and had run into an errant cat.

That cat had opened a door for them, giving her a reason to call him, and he was grateful for it.

He glanced across the room at a cozy-looking window seat with more decorative pillows tucked between built-in bookshelves. A book lay on the cushioned bench. He imagined Sutton lounging there in the sunlight, reading. “I really like your place. It suits you.”

“Thanks.”

“That reading nook is awesome.” He pushed to his feet and went to check out the book.

“The nook and the bookshelves are what sold me on the townhouse.”

He picked up the book, which had a picture of a handsome guy on the cover. “His Wicked Ways. This sounds interesting.” He started paging through it.

“I forgot that was there. It’s nothing.” She jumped to her feet, hurrying over to him.

“Nothing huh?” He started reading aloud. “This isn’t going to be like a high school blow job, buttercup. I’m going to fuck your mouth, and—”

“Stop!” She tried to grab the book, but he lifted it out of reach.

“Do you have a highlighter? I’d like to take notes.”

Her eyes shimmered with amusement, but her cheeks pinked up. “Shut up and give it to me.” She held out her hand expectantly.

“Why? Do you want to study up for our next rendezvous?”

She pushed her hand closer to him. “Braden, the book, please.”

“Fine.” He handed it to her. “I’ll look for a copy this weekend.”

She rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. “What’s this weekend?”

“I was thinking about taking you up to Salvation Falls. Have you been there?”

“No.”

“You’ll love it. It’s a cool town, with a massive lake on one side and miles of forest on the other. There’s a great bookstore and lots of shops, and a café that has the best sandwiches you’ve ever eaten. Best of all, it’s far enough away that I can hold your hand and kiss you without worrying someone will see us.”

“That’s quite a sales pitch.” She set the book down on the cushion and crossed her arms, amusement rising in her eyes. “Are you asking me on a real date?”

“Yeah, I guess I am. I love spending time with you at my place, and being here is nice. Even if I had to park several blocks away and wear a hoodie so nobody recognized me.”

Her brow furrowed. “Sorry.”

He drew her into his arms. “It’s okay. I’d do it a hundred times over to see you. But I spent a lot of years hiding, and I don’t want to hide all the time with you. I know we have to be careful, and I wouldn’t suggest this if I thought it would jeopardize our jobs. What do you say, Steele? Want to spend an afternoon with me knocking around Salvation Falls like a real couple?”

“I don’t know.” She put her arms around his neck, stroking the back of it as light as a feather, the way he loved. “I guess that depends.”

“You have stipulations? Is there a mental pros and cons list being developed?”