Page 35 of Lethal Attraction

I scoot closer to the table. “Tell me what? How about we exchange information? You tell me one secret and I tell you one?”

She sighs, hanging her head before pointing at me. “Fine, but you’d better not laugh.”

I hold up a hand. “I would never. I’m a doctor, Little Devil. I don’t laugh about anything.”

That gets a smile from her as she takes a deep breath. “I like to crochet.”

My brows lift. “Oh? I hear it takes a lot of patience and practice. What do you make?”

“Mostly baby blankets. They’re the easiest and I like to listen to music or put on a show while I work. It keeps my head clear.”

Now we’re getting somewhere.

“I would love to see your work one day.” I encourage.

Her lips thin. “Pushing your luck. Your turn.”

“If I tell you mine, you can’t laugh either.” I say. “I like to read horror romance novels. Lots of blood and gore while still having the romance aspect to them to soften the pain.”

She rolls her lips in as our eyes crash. “I already knew that…”

“You did,” I nod. “Now, how did you feel about the ending of Bloody and Broken?”

She throws her hands up. “What kind of fucking cliffhanger was that?! Does Dax find Clara? If her car was at the bottom of the river, where is her body?!”

We fall into steady conversation, bouncing from topic to topic as our food is brought and we’re so caught up in each other that we hardly eat. Hours pass as stories are swapped and our dishes grow cold. It isn’t until the waiter returns to tell us that they’re closing that both my date and I give each other a sheepish glance.

I pay for our dinner before guiding Thalia out of the restaurant. As we walk to my car, there’s a burning question I want to ask her. “How are you getting home?”

She sighs, her breath fogging in the cold air. “I need to buy a new car anyway. I figured I would shop around before heading back.”

I scratch at the back of my neck. “Well, Columbus is just so far away…”

“Are you asking me to stay the night, Reed?” She elbows me.

“Only if you want to. I wouldn’t make you.” I stumble over my words, mentally slapping myself as I wait with bated breath for her answer.

As her mirth fades, I know she won’t stay. “Thank you for dinner, but I have a meeting tomorrow morning that I can’t miss.”

Disappointment pierces me, but I’m not the type to give up. “Then at least let me go car shopping with you.”

Chapter eleven

Thalia

Did I say car shopping?

Reed looks like he’s ready to pop a blood vessel as I toss my leg over a shiny, black Kawasaki Ninja. The bike is what wet dreams are made of, as the salesman explains the features to me in great detail.

“You really can’t go wrong with this one,” the younger guy beams as if his pay is dependent on making this sale.

Reed places his hands on his sides as he deadpans at me. “You’re not getting a motorcycle.”

I stare him dead in the eyes as I kick the stand up and test the weight.

“Thalia,” he warns.

“How much?” I ask the salesman, whose eyes are flickering between me and my date.