“I’ll see what I can find out,” she coolly replied. “No one reports about those kind of highway robberies to the police department, you know.”
“Then you’ll get the word out that there’s a price for the information,” he insisted.
“Of course. That’s my business, Dragan. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” She nodded to Dilaver and then turned to Hawk. “Nice to meet you, Hawk. Come back anytime. I like feeding hungry men.”
Her heart skipped a beat again at the intense look he gave her. Was that the same one that Lily talked about this morning? It was the kind of look a man gave to a woman when he had something wicked in mind—heated and personal—leaving no doubt to his intentions.
She shook off the wobbly sensation in her tummy. For goodness’ sake, she hardly knew the man! And when had she grown into such an expert at analyzing masculine gazes? She was about to turn to leave the table when his hand reached out, offering her a business card.
“My number,” he told her, that easy deceptive smile hiding the fact that he knew she didn’t need it. “Thanks for the delicious meal.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, taking the card. Their fingertips touched and even that felt too personal. She stepped away and added, “I’ll be in touch, Dragan.”
As she slipped through the door back to her study, she heard Dragan snicker in a pseudo-whisper, “Ja miris jedan osvajanje. Now, do you like this one over my girls?”
“To je zena,”she heard Hawk reply.
She sniffed in self-disgust. So Dilaver had challenged him into thinking she was a conquest, was that it? No wonder he was giving her all those looks. She stuck her tongue out at Lily. “I don’t want to discuss it,” she declared quietly.
“To je zena,indeed,” Lily mocked. “I think he likes you, sweetie.”
“He’s responding to some challenge from Dilaver, didn’t you hear?” She waved a hand at the two-way mirror, mimicking Dilaver’s tone, “‘Do you like this one over my girls?’ Ugh. They’re comparing me to Dilaver’s women?”
“You’re such a silly goose. Girls, Dilaver said his girls.” Lily shook her head. “Hawk pointed out to him that’s a woman, meaning you’re all woman to him, dummy. He’s probably been in and out of thosekafenaswith that asshole and meant that there was a difference.”
Amber narrowed her eyes at her friend. “Why are you defending him and explaining him to me? What difference does it make what he meant?”
“Did you watch him eat that hamburger? He’s looking for something, that man.”
Amber sighed. “Someday I’ll understand your little side observations, girl, but I have a bunch of things to do today. Did you call Brad?” There was a rise in color in her friend’s face. “Quarreled again?”
“No.” Lily checked her fingernails. “As a matter of fact, I’m going out to meet him right now. He said he needed me to help him coordinate an interview with some international news agency.”
Amber raised her brows questioningly. “Really? What kind of interview?” She was surprised that Lily had agreed to anything to do with Brad. “About the girls?”
“Yes.”
“That isn’t a bad idea. You’ll have to be careful not to bring attention to us.”
Lily looked up sharply. “Hey, that’s what he accused me of! Am I that loose-lipped?”
Ooops. Looked like those two had quarreled. “No, just very noticeable, Lily.” Amber smiled. “You’re tall and beautiful and you get very passionate when it comes to a particular topic. I can just see you being the focus of some kind of article, that’s all.”
“Then maybe I shouldn’t agree to help out Brad, since I don’t know how to stay out of anyone’s way,” Lily flashed back.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Amber poked Lily with a finger. “You’re an expert at being in the background. It’s just that there are fireworks whenever you’re near Brad and you don’t seem to hold yourself together like you always do.”
“Oh, look who’s talking about fireworks. What about you and Hawk out there?”
Amber frowned. “What about me and Hawk? I don’t even know him.”
“Exactly. And already there’s so many fireworks between you two, it smoked right through the two-way into this room.” Lily poked Amber back. “You, my friend, are in the same predicament, only worse.”
“How so?” And when did the conversation revert back to her? Amber looked at Hawk’s calling card still in her hand. He had written something on the back.
“Hello? Two prior meetings and each time one of you had to sedate the other? I think that’s a pretty serious chemical reaction, don’t you think?” Lily laughed. “What did he write?”
“Ha-ha, very funny.” Chemical reaction indeed. She had to smile at the way it sounded, though. She and Hawkhadknocked each other off their feet. She pocketed the card. “Looks like I have a date tonight, too. Will you be out late?”
