AllFreeNovel Stories worth discovering

Greed

Page 28

by Deborah Bladon

His promise of punishment for borrowing his shoes has been echoing in my mind since he mentioned it earlier.

“Abby.” He gestures toward a small table tucked into a corner. “I saved you a spot.”

I glance in the direction he’s indicating. “You also ordered me a drink?”

He nods. “That’s part of your punishment.”

I laugh as I take a seat in front of a glass tumbler filled with something clear, a wedge of lime, and a few ice cubes.

“Try it,” he says as he lowers onto the chair beside me.

His thigh brushes mine as he sits, and even though I don’t know if the contact is intentional, it sends a shiver through me.

I sling my purse strap over the back of my chair before curling my palm around the tumbler. “Tell me what it is.”

“Drink,” he insists. “You trust me, so drink.”

I inch an eyebrow up. “I trust you?”

He leans closer. “You trusted me with your body the other night.”

He’s right about that, but this is a step beyond what I’m comfortable with, so I push the glass toward him. “You take a sip first.”

A smile ghosts his mouth. “You want me to test it to be sure it’s safe?”

I nod. “A woman can never be too careful.”

He brings it to his lips and tilts it enough that he takes a mouthful. He swallows and grins. “Just the way I like it.”

I prop an elbow on the table to rest my chin on my hand. “Now, we wait.”

“For?” he asks with a cock of one dark eyebrow.

“For you to pass out,” I say with a straight face.

He pushes the glass toward me again. “The drink is fine, Abby. I watched the bartender make it.”

I glance toward the bar and the guy opening a bottle of beer. I recognize him from the last time I was in here with Carrie.

Declan edges his chair slightly closer to me. “While you wait to see if I pass out from a sip of this perfectly fine drink, let’s discuss my shoes.”

“They’re nice enough.” I smile. “Black leather, red soles. Someone invests a small fortune in his wardrobe.”

He glances down even though the table blocks the view of his footwear. “You know I wasn’t referring to the shoes I’m wearing right now, but you obviously pay attention to every detail.”

“I’m a lawyer, remember?”

“As am I,” he says. “Which is why we need to discuss your recent theft spree.”

“It’s a spree now?” I can’t contain a chuckle. “I borrowed a pair of your shoes. I returned them a day later with absolutely no damage to them.”

“True.” He leans back slightly before picking up his glass to take a sip of what I suspect is whiskey. “You also stole my pride when you left.”

I shake my head. “What?”

“You fucked and fled, Abigail.” He clicks his tongue. “You left me feeling used.”

“I did not,” I protest with a grin. “We had fun, and I had to get home. There was no oral or written contract that suggested I’d stay until morning.”