Page 117 of The Quiet Witness

Lucy?! Good luck practicing?

The paper crumpled together, sharp edges digging into her fingers. Her first instinct told her to torch his demands, slip into the sweatpants that she’d smudged with yogurt in the car, and apparently wasn’t in the washing machine’s skillset to spit back out clean.

She imagined how his narrowed gaze would linger on the faded, white speckles upon returning, with one eyebrow arched alongside the smug grin that would set her teeth grinding. No, blatantly ignoring him would only feed his… slightly sadistic side.

Ghost brushed up against her, she only paid him half a mind as she slipped a hand through his warm fur until he nudged her again, nose bumping against her hip.

She stared down at the wolf-like dog, perplexed.

Wait, what? From his long snout dangled two shoes, heels. His eyebrows raised in a question. She bent over towards him. “I also don’t know why he made you do this, my friend.” Lovingly petting him, she accepted the black, way too long ‘sticks’ from his mouth.

But as she held the heels in her hand, a smile spread out across her lips when she read the tiny note attached. Found you!

Cheeks hurting from the way she kept on grinning like a girl going to prom. Kate set the mug to her lips again, sighing with contentment when she found the beverage had cooled down, easing the flutters dancing through her stomach. Forgetting for a second how it all could go… wrong.

Chapter 49

Being a Gentleman

Gorgeous.

It was the first word Lucien’s startled mind could whip up after stepping inside the house, watching Kate lean against the wooden wall next to the kitchen counter, cheeks reddening in anticipation of his reaction.

“Here I was, thinking I’d find you lounging on the couch in jogging pants and a stained sweater.” He bent down through his knees in a mock bow with a genuine smile on his face. “You look drop dead gorgeous, sweetheart.”

Not that the woman in front of him didn’t rock her sports outfits, no one would hear him say that but… witnessing her with the black dress hugging her curves, toned legs peeking out beneath while she fidgeted on those heeled feet.

Jaw dropping.

Even though her eyes had widened, insecurities on full display as she did her best to strike an elegant pose on the tall black shoes. Her shaky laugh bounced off the walls. “You know, I was planning to do that but… well—” Cheeks reddening ever more, she continued. “I saw the dress and just couldn’t resist. But these,” she pointed to the shoes with a roll of her eyes. “I am not used to walking on sticks. At all.”

I’m staring. He tore his eyes away from her figure, the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable and start rubbing over those fingers of hers, from the way her hands clenched together by her sides, she wasn’t far off from turning them red and raw.

“You’re a fast learner.” The dress, it had belonged to his mother. Another reason to keep his eyes glued to her face instead. Because Kate being well… Kate. It struck him, how much they resembled each other.

All sweet smiles, insecurities lining their thoughts while carrying hearts of barbed wire, and nerves of steel when it came to protecting those they loved and cherished. He could never have extinguished that light. It would have been like seeing his mother die all over again. Shaking off those depressing thoughts, he strode over and offered his arm to her. “Can a guy take you out to dinner?”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Wow, I didn’t know you could actually ask!” She tucked a strand of her long, loose hanging hair back before graciously accepting, intertwining her arm with his.

Lucien couldn’t help nudging her playfully with his elbow against her side, grinning as she shrank in on herself.

So sensitive.

“Oh, I can be very polite, sweetheart.”

Lucien’s heart jumped up as Kate smiled softly, betraying the undertones of her jitters. Without thinking he answered it, lips quirking up into a warm grin.

Selfish. I’m being selfish. He knew that much, yet he couldn’t stop it, not tonight. Just one time, for one evening to be just a normal guy taking a girl out to dinner. A chance to dream of what could be before he would inevitably push her away with what he had done today, and with what he would do tomorrow.

In any other life, he’d have asked her out not unlike tonight. Yet, completely different, without everything that kept them apart. His line of work, the lingering fear that rolled around under her skin, that which she tried to keep hidden but he saw straight through.

Who knows what they could have been together.

Chapter 50

Date Night

The hostess who had introduced herself as Marianne greeted Lucien warmly, guiding them to a table in the packed restaurant. The shimmering, dark green dress she wore floated around her long legs as she led the way. Kate felt the woman’s gaze trail over her form, nodding approvingly. Guess I’ll take that as a compliment.