Page 29 of A Matter of Time

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” I smiled, turning to look at him. “Where’s that tank you drive?”

I got the barest hint of a smile, the slightest curl to his lip.

I can talk when I have to, and I had to at dinner. I kept up a steady stream of conversation, from Law & Order to how I was thinking of becoming a Catholic because I liked all the different saints. I had him try my banana pancakes and smiled wide when he admitted that they weren’t bad.

“Christ, you talk a lot,” he said under his breath.

I went silent and drank my orange juice.

“Hey.”

I looked up into his slate-blue eyes.

“I didn’t mean you should stop. You just remind me of my sisters is all.”

“That can’t be good.” I leaned back from the table.

“No, it is, actually.”

I nodded and drained my glass. “So, you want something else, or are ya done?”

“I want something,” he murmured, really looking at me.

And I got the weirdest feeling, which I was sure was just wishful thinking on my part, that maybe he was talking about me. Because even though the man very obviously hated me, he was, without a doubt, gorgeous. Impossible for me not to notice the deep laugh lines around his eyes, the small scar over his left eyebrow, or the way his clothes clung to him like a second skin. And even though I had complained earlier, the idea of him being rough with me was very exciting. Every guy who had ever tried to throw me up against a wall or down on a bed I had been able to get free of. Most of them didn’t really want to be that physical anyway, didn’t want to wrestle me into submission—it was all for show. But Detective Kage could make me do whatever he wanted. The carved muscles, his size, the look in the eyes all told me as much.

“Cold?” he asked when I shivered.

I shook my head and took a breath. “No, I’m good.”

I got up, pulling out my wallet.

“I’ll get it,” he said stiffly, rising to stand beside me.

“Oh hell no,” I told him, putting twenty-five dollars down. I had to cover the tip too. “I’d rather get shot than owe you anything.”

He glared at me, and I laughed before I gave him a pat on the arm. “I’ll see ya.”

His hand clamped down hard on my shoulder to hold me where I was. “I’ll drive you home. Just stay.”

So I stood beside him while he put his half down and then walked out ahead of him.

“You wanna cuff me so people don’t think we’re dating?” I asked him casually.

“No one in their right mind would think we were together.”

“No?”

“Yeah, no.”

“And why not?”

“Because.” But he didn’t explain, so I let it go.

The alley was dark, but he was right behind me, so I didn’t worry. I saw his car as soon as we came out the other side, and I was glad because I was starting to freeze.

“Can I ask you a question?”