Page 58 of The Quiet Witness

“That angelic voice of yours of course.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t about to serenade you, no.”

He chuckled while detangling himself off the wall.

Kate put her hands on her hips. “How long were you standing there for?”

“Long enough.”

Her cheeks went bright red. Recovering herself, she slid the jar over the counter, until it ended up right in front of him. “Well, don’t just stand there. Make yourself useful.” She turned away to pick two red onions from the bowl.

He raised an eyebrow. “Bossy.” But the challenge tightened his stomach. Better. Way better. Opening the jar with a plop, he noted the way she glanced his way. With her full focus on his forearms. Interesting.

Lucien leaned in next to her, planting the jar down on the counter with a clank. Lean in closer. See what she does.

To her credit, she didn’t step back. Didn’t even lean back. Many had cowered this close to him. But not her. Never her. Kate’s eyes trailed up to his. He closed the lingering space between them. His voice dropping to a whisper near her ear. “Don’t ever order me around again, sweetheart.”

He saw the goosebumps race down her arms. Took in the way she swallowed.

Nervous… scared. Yet she conjured up the same burning glare she wore when revealing her little DNA adventure to him. She tilted her head. “Perhaps you should say such brave words…” She paused, letting the words sink in. “Before doing exactly as I say.”

Shivers ran down his spine. Having someone in front of him who wasn’t prone to backing down was simply… exhilarating.

Her focus fell on the knife she was holding, used to slice the onions. But capable of far more than domestic work. Lucien followed her train of thought. Taking in the way her hands clenched around the knife. “Think you’ll be fast enough?”

“Want to find out?”

He murmured lowly. “You ought to relax the tension in your hands. Else, you run the risk of injuring yourself.”

She huffed, dropping the knife to swipe stray hairs behind her ears. Hands shaking. “I’m surprised you let me handle these things.”

Aren’t we all? She had a bad rep in terms of injuring him. His ribs still stole his breath away every evening before sliding into bed. Even so, he shrugged. “Anything can be used as a weapon, wouldn’t be a lot of furniture left if I have to keep that in mind.”

“True, I guess. Still. You mentioned having to watch your back. I can kinda see why.”

A snort escaped him while he stepped back out of her personal space. Taking note of the near imperceptible sigh she released as the space was hers once again. “I can tell the difference between you wanting to knock me on my ass. And actually taking that knife to back up your brazen words.”

The stiffness in her shoulders, the fierce look, the way she kept side-eyeing the knife. Lucien knew she was closer to the last option. This would prove interesting.

“Is that why you’re taking a step back?”

Her situational awareness, sublime as always.

Lucien kept his hands loosely by his sides, ready at a moment’s notice. If the need arose.

“Not at all, but I don’t want you to pass out. You know, lack of breathing and all.”

Her lips thinned. Oh, he knew how it riled her up. The way he clocked her every reaction. But she wasn’t the only one with exceptional awareness.

She reached for the knife, resting it loosely in her hands. “Not much for me to lose is there?”

At least she was listening to his advice. “I guess not, maybe you should just go for it.”

Kate advanced on him, fingers twitching around the weapon. He bet she wanted to drop the knife. but pride wouldn’t allow her. The need to make a stand was embedded in her nerves. A survivor.

Choice made.

Don’t drop the knife with those sweat slick hands, sweetheart. Now that would be dangerous.