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Yeah. He’d like to pull those pins from the tight blond twist at her crown, all right. His lower half went rock solid as he imagined that fall of hair raining down around her bare shoulders as he peeled that lacy, sexy cranberry-colored dress from her beautiful body. It was crazy to be so hot for her again after not seeing her for so long—or to her point, after not actively pursuing reacquaintance for all these years.
He should have looked her up. Why hadn’t he?
He blew out a pent-up breath. “Truth? I didn’t drive up from Austin to reconnect over a drink. I want your formula. But that’s just business.”
Tonight was very personal.
Nodding at the wine bottle, she drained her glass and held it out for Gage to pour her another. “I’m surprised you’d admit it.”
“I told you, I’m an open book. I don’t mind being cagey when the occasion calls for it, but I don’t have deep dark secrets.” Who had time for that noise? Life was too short to care about other people’s opinions, and that’s all secrets were—things you didn’t want others to know because you feared their judgment.
Cass leaned forward and the new angle did fascinating things to the deep V over her breasts. Not that he was a lecher, but come on. A lady didn’t wear a dress like that if she didn’t want her date to notice her spectacular breasts. And a lady who didn’t want a man to imagine tasting her breasts definitely didn’t lean.
“Really. No secrets?”
“Really, really.” His tongue was still a bit thick.
“Sounds like we need to play a game of truth or dare, then.”
Five
Cass held her breath as Gage’s gaze flew to hers. It had been lingering somewhere in the vicinity of her cleavage, and the heat from his appreciation had been warming her uncomfortably for the better part of ten minutes. But what had she expected with such a daring wardrobe choice?
Gage’s eyes on her body were far more affecting than any other man’s hands would be.
Question marks shooting from the top of his head, Gage lifted a brow. “Yeah, truth or dare. That’s what I was thinking, too. How did you know?”
She bit back the laugh. Even when he was being sarcastic, he was still charming. She wasn’t falling for it. “I’m serious. If you don’t have any secrets, should be an easy game.”
And she could pump him for information about his involvement in the leak without raising red flags. It was brilliant.
Lazily he traced the rim of his untouched wineglass, watching her with undisguised calculation. But what all those equations added up to, she had no idea. The clink of silverware against china filled the sudden silence, along with snatches of conversation from other diners.
“You know how that game works, right?” he finally asked.
She waved dismissively. “Of course, or I wouldn’t have suggested it. I ask you a question and if you don’t choose to answer it honestly, you have to do whatever I dare you to.”
“And you have to do the same.” The once-over he slid down her body unleashed a shiver.
She’d considered that. Not enough, apparently. “Yeah, so? I’m not worried.”
The waiter brought their dinners but instead of picking up a fork, Gage folded his hands in front of his plate of salmon and asparagus. “You probably should be. But now I’m insanely curious what you want to know that you feel you have to bury inside a game. You could just ask.”
Her pulse tripped as she scrambled for a response. She was slipping. How had he seen through that ploy so easily? “That’s no fun.”
His laugh curled up inside her thickly. “It so can be, but it’s all in the asking. No matter. I’m in. Truth or dare away. Truth for my first round.”
Forking a bite of salmon into his mouth, he watched her expectantly and it bobbled her pulse again. This was why she sold cosmetics for a living instead of becoming an investigator. There was a skill to it apparently, one that she lacked. Too late to back out now.
“Have you ever...” She cursed silently. Thinking on the fly was one of her strong suits but not with Gage’s hazel laser beams boring into her. Say something. “Cheated on your taxes?”
“That’s your question?” He shook his head with a laugh. “I’m almost afraid to ask what the dare would be. But it doesn’t matter because I have nothing to hide. As much as I think the corporate tax structure needs to be reworked in favor of businesses, no, I’ve never cheated on my taxes.”
