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“Can we eat outside? I wanted to go out on the deck earlier, but the alarm was on.” She smiled winningly at the server setting the food up on the table. “We can move the food ourselves. It looks delicious.”
The young man looked at Lina with a besotted expression that irked Hawk. “I don’t mind moving it at all. No problem.” He started gathering dishes and headed toward the French doors that led outside.
“I didn’t say I wanted to eat outside,” Hawk said mildly…he thought.
But the server flinched and froze halfway to the door.
Lina just grinned. “Come on, Sebastian, don’t be a spoilsport. Even big business tycoons have to take the time to stop and smell the roses sometimes.”
He frowned at her. “I’m not overly fond of flowers.”
She laughed. Even the server cracked a smirk.
Hawk sighed, giving in. “All right, we’ll eat outside.”
“Great.” Lina spun and headed outside, making it to the door ahead of the server so she could open it for him.
He smiled his thanks, his gaze traveling over Lina’s scantily clad body with unmistakable pleasure.
Hawk stifled a growl and followed them.
As expected, the outdoor furniture was immaculate and ready for the server to place the food. Hawk automatically pulled a chair out for Lina and she took it with another smile that only the most conservative would not call flirtatious. What the hell was going on?
She’d been furious with him earlier and now she was treating him like she had before he’d revealed his true reason for making her acquaintance eight years ago. Well, not exactly like…she’d grown up and was a lot more overtly flirtatious now.
Confused, he sat down and tried to figure out what had changed with her while he waited for the server to finish putting the food out. The younger man chatted with Lina as he set dishes on the table and poured juice in crystal glasses.
At one point he was bold enough to touch Lina’s hip. “Cute ink.”
Hawk’s hand snapped out and grabbed the younger man’s wrist before he even thought. “Don’t touch.”
Lina frowned and the server put his other hand up in a placating gesture. “I was just pointing out I liked her tattoo.”
Lina had a tattoo? No way. Hawk would have noticed.
He let go of the other man and barked to Lina, “Let me see.”
She rolled her eyes and stood up, ing her right hip as she did so. “See?”
Damn. There it was. Right over her hipbone. A tiny cartoon animal no bigger than a quarter.
“Can I sit down now?” she asked with exaggerated patience.
“Don’t on my account,” the server said with a laughing leer.
Hawk gave him a stare he reserved for employees on the verge of being fired, but Lina met the other man shamelessly riposte for riposte until he was done putting their food out.
“Thank you,” Lina said before Hawk had the chance.
Though he wasn’t sure anything but a snarl would come out of his mouth if he opened it. And right that second, he felt like doing anything but expressing gratitude to the guy.
“No problem,” the server said. “Just page me when you’re finished and I’ll come back to clean up.”
“Great, will do,” Lina said when Hawk remained silent.
The server nodded and left.
“You were awfully snarly with him.”
“You’re uming I’m not like this all the time.”
“That’s true. I only know of you what you chose to project eight years ago and most of that was probably a façade.” She sounded pleased by that umption, rather than angry.
“The only role I played was that of a student. The rest was me.”
She looked at him speculatively. “I wonder.”
“You think I’m lying.”
“I think you are unaware of how much of yourself you kept under wraps when we were together before.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re an intense man, Sebastian. You hid that intensity most of the time eight years ago, but it’s been on display pretty much nonstop since yesterday.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
To change the subject, he asked, “A tattoo?”
Lina shrugged. “It seemed appropriate at the time.”
“Why?”
“It’s the Road Runner. He should be a victim, prey…right? But he’s not. I needed a reminder I wasn’t either, that I didn’t have to fit the mold made for me, no matter how hard it seemed to live outside of it.”
“When did you get it?”
“The month after you left.”
For no reason he could fathom, he felt guilty. It was an unfamiliar emotion and even less comfortable one. When unsure of your defense, go on the offense. It worked in business, why not interpersonal relationships? Not that he had a relationship with Lina, but even he couldn’t deny she was more than a simple client. “Did you have to wear your swimsuit in front of the catering staff?”
“It was only one server and he didn’t seem to mind.” She started to eat, making a small moan of pleasure as she tasted the crab Benedict.
“Do you enjoy flaunting yourself in front of susceptible men?” He was aware that he sounded like someone’s stern father, but couldn’t seem to shut up.
Lina just chuckled. “He was pretty susceptible, wasn’t he?”
Hawk tensed, his jaw clenching.
She reached out and brushed his forearm. “Relax. I was just kidding. We were both being friendly. That’s all.”
Even through his suit jacket and shirt, his body reacted with a jolt to her touch. “Friendly plus half dressed equals flirtatious.”
“Whatever you say.”
He only wished.
She said, “I wanted to go back into the spa after breakfast, so I didn’t want to change, but if it bothers you that much, I’ll go put something else on.”
“It doesn’t bother me.” As the words slipped out, he realized they were a mistake, but he couldn’t call them back.
“So, it only bothers you for other men to see me with a little skin showing?”
“It’s a hell of a lot more than a little,” he growled, digging the hole deeper.
But she just shook her head. “You know what I think?”
“What?”
“You’re projecting your own feelings onto him. You’re uming because you want me that he does, too.”
“I didn’t say I want you…and why wouldn’t he?”
Her laugh was free, sweet and too damn sexy for his libido to stay in check. He’d been semihard since tracking her down in the spa and now his slacks fit like a pair of cycling shorts a size too small.
“Oh, you want me. I saw proof of that earlier this morning.”
“It’s called a morning erection. All men get them.”
“Statistically speaking, that’s not actually true, but don’t try to tell me your reaction this morning wasn’t you getting excited.”
“Lina!” Her earthy comment shocked him to the core.
“What? You think that just because I haven’t dated a lot, I’m hopelessly naïve?”
“According to your file, you’re innocent.”
Her perfectly shaped brows rose above a mocking brown gaze. “Was our little interlude at the lake or at Jennifer’s apartment in that file?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, then…”
“You’ve had increased security since then.”
She shrugged. “I won’t argue the point.”
“Because there isn’t one to argue.” It was more important than it should be—read that not at all—for her to confirm that she hadn’t had a string of clandestine lovers.
“But,” she went on without acknowledging his comment, “let me just point out the lack of practical experience, if I did lack it, would not stop me from reading up on the subject.”
“You’ve read books about sex?” Okay, maybe he shouldn’t be so shocked, but his sweet, innocently sensual Lina reading sex manuals? It was shocking, but more all too arousing a thought.
“Sure. Why not?”
He didn’t have an answer, so he didn’t attempt one. They ate in silence for several minutes. Lina seemed perfectly at ease, but Hawk kept thinking about all the things she might have read about.
She delicately dabbed at her lips, put her napkin on her plate and pushed it away. “Have you informed my father or his advisors of my location?”
“Why? Are you hoping to convince me to let you go?” He frowned at the thought, for once unsure what he would do if faced with that kind of test to his commitment to his ignment. Nevertheless, he said, “I won’t do it. Even after what happened this morning.”
