Page 95 of Elite Metal: Warriors

Intelligence? “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“Okay.” He shot her his trademark grin and noticed how her lips parted. “Googley dolls.”

She blinked. “Googley dolls?”

“You know. With the bobbing heads?” He made a chagrined grimace. “Not very romantic, I know.”

“It sounds…very romantic to me.”

“That is very kind of you to say.” He lifted his drink to her. “But patently untrue.”

“My mama always taught me to be polite,” she said in a playful tone.

“Please thank your mama for me.” It was intended to be a jest, but a darkness flickered over her face. It was there for a fraction of a second before the mask resumed, but Coop saw it. “So,” he said by way of changing the topic. “What is a beautiful woman like you doing here in Hong Kong?”

She looked down in what he assumed was a demure pose. “I’m not all that beautiful.”

An outright lie.

Fortunately, Coop was used to the ploy, women fishing for compliments, and he was more than happy to oblige. “I doubt I’ve ever seen a woman as beautiful as you.” And damn, it was true. “I noticed you the moment I walked into this bar.”

Her response was an expression of disbelief. “It’s far too dark in this bar for you to notice anything.”

“Okay. I saw you in the lobby and followed you in here.” Might as well lead with the truth…or part of it anyway.

“Now that I believe.” She took a sip of her drink.

“And why are you in Hong Kong?”

“I live here.”

Was it his imagination or was she avoiding the question? Should he care, or just ignore it and forge on with his seduction?

“This would be an exciting place to live.”

She huffed a soft laugh. “I suppose. If I had time to enjoy it. My boss keeps me pretty busy.”

“Oh? What do you do?” As direct questions went, that one was pretty fucking direct.

She hesitated, then finally answered. “I’m in translations.”

“Translations?”

“Yes.” Her lashes fluttered. “You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I speak eleven languages.”

“Wow. That many?” Coop only spoke six.

Nat nodded. “English, of course, Mandarin, German, French, Russian…I could go on.”

“Please do.” He spoke all of those plus a little Arabic.

“I’d rather not.”

“What would you rather do?” He didn’t intend for his tone to be quite so seductive, but he was glad it had been when her gaze met his. Steamy, scorching and sultry thoughts tumbled through him. Damn, she was hot. And she wasn’t even trying to be hot.

An undeniable sexual tension rippled between them.