The Safe Bet (Hidden Truths #1)(17)

His erect posture waned for a moment as his shoulders arched forward a little.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice softening a touch.

He blinked his eyes open. “Yeah, sorry.” He swallowed. “But yeah—yeah, I know what you mean about wondering if life would be different if I didn’t join the Marines.” He didn’t regret his decision, but he knew he would never be the same.

“How about them Yankees?”

He looked up at Kate and smiled, her words surprising him.

“I always say that whenever things get a little too much.”

He nodded. “I’m more of a Red Sox fan.”

“Really? So am I.”

“I guess we have more in common than we realize,” he said. God, you’re sexy. He forced his attention away from her as the waiter delivered the rest of their meal.

They chatted on and off as they ate, and he loved simply hearing the soft sound of her voice as she spoke. And he also enjoyed seeing a woman finish her entire meal—he was so sick of watching his dates only eat salad—with no damn dressing even.

“I’m going out of town tomorrow. Just for a night. But I assume I will see you in the office Tuesday?” He finished his last bite of eggplant parmesan and set his fork on the table.

“Business meeting?” she asked.

“I usually spend every other week in New York, but I didn’t want to be away all week.” I want to get to know you more, he thought as he looked up.

She cleared her throat and touched her lips. Her eyes remained frozen on his as her bottom lip slipped down at the touch of her fingers. “Must be tough to bounce back and forth each week.”

He gulped, relieved that she’d spoken and moved her fingers away from her mouth. Was she trying to kill him? “Not really,” he said once he realized her statement was still hanging in the air. “How did you like dinner?”

She smiled and looked down at her empty plate. “It was delicious. And the wine was amazing. Nice choice.”

“Glad you liked it.”

“Thanks again for tonight. Sorry about—um—turning you down.” She peered at him from the corner of her eyes. The dilation of her pupils and the slight tremble of her lips seemed to belie her words.

He had to look away. He would lose his control. He would kiss her soft, full lips right then and there if she didn’t stop looking at him like that. “Let’s get going,” he grumbled.

He paid the check and said goodbye to the owner. They walked back to her hotel without speaking. “I should say goodbye here,” he said once outside the entrance of her hotel. He didn’t trust himself to be anywhere near her room. And he knew she felt the same way. He could feel it.

“Thank you again.”

His eyes drifted over the curves of her body before returning to her pouty lips. Goddamn it. He blew out a small but unnoticeable breath and leaned forward. He rested his hand on her arm and kissed her cheek. “Goodnight, Kate,” he said gruffly.

“’Night.”

He turned and left.

Two nights in a row he found himself walking away from this gorgeous woman—what in the hell was wrong with him?

*


Kate entered her hotel room and slipped off her heels. She couldn’t believe Michael’s arrogance. How could he be so bold as to mention sex at dinner? But then again, the man was used to getting whatever he wanted. To think that she had almost fallen victim to his gorgeousness.

She tossed her bag on the floor and sank onto her couch. She couldn’t get him out of her head, though. She wanted him, that much was obvious.

But they both had their reasons for keeping away from each other, didn’t they?

Why is this happening?

Frustrated, she pushed to her feet and walked to the bar to pour herself a drink.

She watched as the red liquid sloshed into the wine glass, and then she raised the glass to her lips, berating herself for agreeing to have dinner with Michael in the first place.

A knock at the door had her pulse racing. Oh, God. Michael? Would she be able to keep up her thin veneer of restraint?

She set her wine glass down on the coffee table and approached the door. She rested her hand over the safety lock and shut one eye as she looked out the peephole with the other.

No one was there. Had Michael changed his mind and left so soon? She unlocked the door and stepped out into the hall, looking left and right.

No sign of anyone, but she did hear the sound of the elevator doors closing down the hall.

He must have left. Maybe he realized his mistake and took off. Thank God. She turned to go back in but noticed a red envelope beneath her feet.

She took a step back and stared down at it. Her lip tucked between her teeth.

She realized that it wasn’t Michael who had knocked on the door—in her heart, she knew that whoever had been stalking her had just taken things up a notch.

She knelt down and picked up the envelope before returning to her room. She dead bolted the door behind her, then walked into the living area and tapped the crimson red envelope against her leg, not sure if she should open it.





CHAPTER SIX




KATE HADN’T OPENED THE RED envelope since she’d received it thirty-six hours ago. She had switched her hotel room within ten minutes of getting the envelope, and booked a room for the next night at the hotel where the gala was to be held. There was no way she was going to sleep one more night in a room where her stalker had been.