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He was joking. Of course he’d been joking. “You have a really good poker face. Anyone ever tell you that?”
Tor looked back at the steaks and turned them over with tongs, then he began chopping the ingredients for the salad. “I might’ve heard that a time or two. In my businesses, both at the den and outside of it, it’s important to keep the client or patron on their toes. Keep them in line, so to say. And the best way to accomplish that is by being—”
“A scary motherfucker?” The words slipped out before I’d thought them through. Tor turned his head in my direction and arched an eyebrow. I held my hands up and chuckled. “Brayden’s words, not mine. But you have to know how intimidating you can be.”
Tor lowered his gaze down over me, and when he brought his intense stare back to mine, he nodded. “Yes. I do. It’s something I’ve honed over the years.”
“So you like scaring people?”
“Maybe. Do I scare you?”
I looked at the large knife in his hand and the way he was eyeing me, and some part of me, something deep inside, thought that maybe he should. But a stronger part of me was adamant that this man would never hurt me. Look at what he’d done for a complete stranger. Who knew how far he’d go for me?
“No, you don’t scare me,” I said, and raised my chin for good measure, and the sexy curl to Tor’s lip told me he didn’t believe me for a second. So I added, “Except when you’re trying to.”
“Good to know,” he said, and then looked behind him again to check on the steaks. “How about you go and wash up? Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes.”
I hopped off the barstool and nodded. “Okay. I’ll be right back. And Tor?” I flashed him a smile, letting him know whatever I was going to say wasn’t bad. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
I thought I caught something flash in his eyes at that, maybe shock, but instead he said, “Anytime. Now go, or these will be cold before you get back.”
And without another word, I hurried off to wash up for dinner.
After dinner, I directed Jesse into the spacious living room, where I was able to open one of the large sliding doors that led onto the penthouse’s balcony. The rain had started around an hour ago, and with a fire going and Jesse moving down to stretch out on the plush rug, I grabbed two pillows and tossed them down beside him.
Romancing the little lamb tonight wasn’t that much of a task. He made it easy to want to look after him. Almost as easy as he made it to follow him. He was open and inviting with his smiling eyes, and the purity that poured off him was detrimental to his health around me—but I wasn’t about to tell him to go. Instead, I was going to do everything in my power to make him stay. Even if Brayden is trying to fuck with that.
I crouched next to Jesse, and as I did, Faolán trotted over beside him. Jesse sat up and reached out to stroke a hand over his head, and I watched with great interest as my fiercely loyal dog hunkered down beside him, paying little to no regard to me. It appeared that Jesse’s gentle nature appealed to both the beasts in this house.
“You’re so handsome,” Jesse said as he scratched under Faolán’s chin, and the dog raised his head to let him have better access. Jesse looked over to me and grinned. “Don’t get jealous. I promise you’re handsome too.”
“Somehow I’m not too concerned. Though I will say, he doesn’t usually take to anyone other than me. I’m surprised he lets you that close to him.”
Jesse removed his hand, and Faolán actually whimpered from the loss of it until I clicked my fingers and pointed toward the fireplace. Faolán got to his feet and moved down to sit by it on his bed, and once he was settled, I stretched out on the rug beside Jesse and propped my head up on my palm.
Open.
Inviting.
Making him feel comfortable in my home. That was the key.
Jesse chuckled and relaxed back against the cushions. “Well, you didn’t have to send him away.”
“Maybe I didn’t want you stroking anyone other than me.”
Jesse’s eyes wandered down the length of my body and then back up to my face before he scooted in a little closer to me. Yes, come to me, I thought as his eyes sparkled with the reflection from the fire.
“I’d love to stroke you,” he said in a soft voice as he brought a hand up to place it on my chest. “If that’s what you want.”
I reached for his wrist and drew his hand down to where I was hard behind my zipper, and when I pressed his palm to me, Jesse groaned. “Shouldn’t that be my response?” I said even as his fingers curled around me the best they could.
