Page 46 of Duty

Andino smirked. “Not today, anyway.”

Jesus.

This man was something else.

• • •

“I take it you own this place, too,” Haven said, cutting into the waffle dusted with cinnamon and confectioner’s sugar. “Right?”

Andino smiled across the table. “What makes you think that?”

Haven nodded in the corner of the private dining area where Snaps slept on his own bed. Yeah, he had his own pillow that was big enough for a dog his size, and that’s right where he had gone after they entered the business through the back.

“I figured it out when Snaps went to his bed,” she said, giving him a look.

Andino laughed. “Yeah, he’s not really supposed to be in here. They call him a health hazard.”

He scoffed.

“He’s actually really well behaved.”

“I know,” Andino replied. “So, I bring him in through the back, and he sleeps on his bed in here when I’m doing business, or he’ll sleep next to my desk in the office.”

Haven popped a bite of the waffle into her mouth, and considered his words until she was free to speak again. “So, I take it you do quite a bit of work here, then?”

“Mostly, yes.”

“For the restaurant?”

Andino lifted a brow. “Yes, and no.”

“What does that mean?”

His husky laughter filled up the table, and the rich sound was enough to make Haven’s stomach clench in the best way possible. He looked damn good no matter what he was doing—laughing, though?

Christ.

Andino looked sinful when he laughed.

Reaching for the cup of coffee in front of him, Andino lifted it for a sip, and then stared at her over the rim of the mug. “The restaurant is a hub of sorts for a lot of my business—look at it like that.”

That told her nothing, and left her with more questions. This man had a way of doing that with every single thing he told her, but Haven didn’t quite know what to make of it. She just wanted a straight answer, and yet, she also found she didn’t care.

Why?

She liked his company.

Talking to him.

It was all easy.

Or … it seemed to be.

“Your parents must be incredibly proud of you,” Haven said, smiling. “You’re a successful businessman, you’ve got your shit together—”

Andino barked out a laugh. “I do not have my shit together. Far from it, actually.”

“Oh?” Haven arched a brow. “Do tell.”