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“I’ve never ordered anything else. I got it the first time I came here and it’s too good to get anything else.”
“Well, that was easy enough.” I put my menu back into the holder and folded my hands on the table in front of me.
He stared at me for a moment before doing the same.
“You look shocked.”
“I didn’t think you’d pay any attention to what I said.” He scratched his jaw. “You generally do the exact opposite of what I recommend.”
“You brought me coffee this morning. I’m feeling amicable.” I half-smiled as the waitress came over.
We placed our order for the same thing, me adding an iced vanilla latte and him adding a regular coffee. Once she’d left after a lingering look at Damien, I suppressed my eye-roll and looked out the window. There was nothing to see, just the shops on the other side of the street slowly opening. Lights flicked on, shutters raised, and signs flipped in the window. They were more boutique stores, more catered to the individuals who dared walk down this out-of-the-way street than the kitschy, touristy ones I normally saw.
And of course, there were the people. The men in suits and women in smart dresses, not unlike the two of us at this table. Parents wrangled children, clutching at their hands to keep them out of the road. A young girl ran past in yoga pants with her headphones in, lips moving as she sang along.
I could watch people all day, and in this city, there was no shortage of diversity.
A fact that was proven as a gentleman teetered past the window in three-inch heels and a bright, red wig.
Ahh, Vegas.
“You know,” Damien said, “if this were any other city, I’d be alarmed right now.”
I peered over at him. He had a slight smile on his face as he looked out of the window, too.
“Me too. It’s more normal than not.”
“You’ve got something on your mind.” He slowly turned back to face me, his expression unreadable.
I propped my chin up on my hand as our coffees were delivered. “I just inherited a multi-million-dollar business. I have a hell of a lot on my mind.”
He inclined his head. “More than usual, then.”
“I am wondering why you showed up at my house this morning.”
“I’m wondering why you didn’t have your guard turn me away at the gate.”
“So am I.” I fought a smile. “Color me intrigued. You generally blindside me at work—it’s not like you to announce yourself.”
“I was feeling generous this morning. Blindsiding you hasn’t exactly worked in my favor so far, has it?”
“True.” I sipped my coffee. “But neither has your attitude. Although, that does seem to have improved.”
“I’m trying the charm offensive. Is this working?”
“Better than before. I might actually—shock horror—be starting to like you a little.”
“Enough for dinner?”
“Enough that I might get through this breakfast without considering the quickest way to kill you.”
“You’re so delightful, Ms. Lloyd. This explains why I can’t stay away from you.”
“The reason you can’t stay away, Mr. Fox, is because you still want to buy my bar,” I drawled, not bothering to hide any of the dryness in my tone. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten that fact.”
He held his hands up, sitting back as a grin stretched across his face. “I’d be amiss in thinking you had.”
“You continue to surprise me with your intelligence.”
“I think that was a compliment.”
I smiled. “It was the closest you’ll get to one today.”
Damien laughed and adjusted his sleeve. “I’ll take it.”
Then, our breakfast arrived, cutting short our conversation. We ate in a somewhat awkward silence, except for him asking me if the food was good. It was—of course it was, and he knew that. The question was whether or not he meant it or whether he’d asked just to break up the awkwardness for a second. Either one, I didn’t care, because it had broken the silence and the awkwardness, and for that, I was thankful.
I hated silence around him. I never knew what he was thinking. When he knew you were watching, he clammed up. That was something I’d slowly realized over the past several days. He played his cards close to his chest, and he was exactly who I’d want on my poker team, that was for sure. Emotion and feelings were shared as and when he deemed fit.
Otherwise, he was the human version of Pandora’s box. Who the fuck knew what was going on behind those dark, brown eyes?
Not me.
Sometimes, I didn’t want to know.
No, I used to not want to know. I simply wanted to rid him from my life.
While I didn’t necessarily want to keep him in my life, I wanted to know everything about him before he disappeared.
If he did.
I was spending too much time with him for him to disappear easily.
My phone rang when I was halfway through eating. I hesitated, but Damien motioned for me to get it with a wave of his finger, so I pulled my phone from my purse and excused myself from the table.
