Page 21 of Innocent Salvation

Reaper was sitting in the window seat of a coffee shop near the park, his apparent preoccupation with the racing slips in front of him all a ruse. She knew he’d clocked every single person in the room and evaluated whether they were a threat before he even sat down. She also knew he was aware of her walking toward the door because she saw the slight fall of his shoulders as they relaxed.

The young woman behind the counter glanced up and smiled as she walked in, and Snow returned her unspoken greeting as she moved to join Reaper. With his tan skin and blond, almost golden hair, he attracted attention from women wherever he went. Nobody could deny he was handsome, in a surfer boy way and the Australian accent made him almost impossible to resist for old and young women.

Snow noticed the young woman’s smile fall as she sat across from Reaper. She tried to hide her grin as she took off her denim jacket and laid it on the seat beside her. “Still breaking hearts, I see.”

Reaper glanced up, a half-smile creasing his lips as he glanced sideways at the woman behind the counter and winked.

Snow groaned. “Do you ever turn it off?”

Reaper leaned back, placed his arm across the back of the chair, and assessed her. “What can I say, when you’ve got it, you’ve got it.”

“Whatever.”

At that moment a second waitress she hadn’t seen before came from the back with two plates. Both held a full English cooked breakfast. She also had mugs of coffee on the tray and placed them in front of Snow and Reaper with a flourish.

“Can I get you anything else?”

Reaper shook his head. “No thanks, Holly. This looks great.”

The woman preened under his praise and Snow fought the urge to shake her head at his antics. Reaper was harmless and never hurt any of the women who seemed to fall endlessly in love with him by promising things he couldn’t deliver. He was just one of those men who women fell in love with and ended up a lasting, sweet memory in their lives, even after he left.

Snow tucked into her breakfast with gusto. She hadn’t slept well. It always made her hungry and there was nothing like a full English to fix her woes. As she shovelled fried bread and bacon into her mouth, she forced her brain to ignore the memories of her encounter with Sebastian that tried to play on a loop inside her brain. She’d lain awake most of the night trying to make sense of her mixed emotions when it came to him.

She’d come into this thinking of him as the villain she needed to protect her niece from and had soon discovered he was a devoted uncle who not only put Fleur’s welfare first but was open and easy with his affection for the child. That Fleur adored him was a testament to how good he was with her. That didn’t mean he wasn’t a bastard in every other avenue of his life, and he was certainly hiding something. His involvement with Dominique was evidence of a dark side he hid from Fleur. No man who could smile at that woman could be trusted.

“What’s going on with you?”

Reaper’s voice broke into her thoughts, and she realised he’d been watching her for a few minutes as he drank his black as tar coffee.

Guilt assailed her at the memories of the way Sebastian’s lips felt on her skin, of the way he’d made her forget everything but him for just a few seconds before the reality had come crashing back in and she’d run from him. Retreat wasn’t like her, but she was self-aware enough to know that if she’d stayed, lines would’ve been crossed that they couldn’t come back from.

The problem was, in lots of ways and without knowing his history with Dominique, she liked him. He had integrity in his job, seemed to take care of his staff, even if he was cool and stuffy. But seeing him with Fleur was what really made her heart soften toward the arrogant asshole.

“Nothing is going on with me.”

Reaper leaned forward on his elbows and looked at her intently. “Why would you possibly think you could lie to me, baby girl?”

“I’m not lying.” Even she could hear the snark in her voice and winced inwardly at the dead give-away.

“Is it the judge? Do I need to kick his ass?”

Snow reached to place a hand on Reaper’s arm to quell any worry he had for her. “No, Sebastian is fine. I can handle him.”

“You sure? ’Cos Bein and Titan are meeting with him now. I can call them and they can fuck him up a bit for you.”

Snow laughed and shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. He hasn’t done anything untoward.”

“But he’s done something?”

Snow sighed. Knowing she had to give him something or he’d harp on at her like an old woman. “We nearly kissed.”

Reaper leaned back silently, his eyes moving to the people who walked on the pavement outside. His jaw in profile was square and rigid, his brows a slash on his forehead and she waited for him to speak. That was the thing with Reaper, he was never quick to react, always taking the time, no matter how long or short, to get his thoughts and feelings in order. His ability to not react without thinking things through, every scenario going through his head like a film, was probably what had made him such a good Special Forces operator.

Finally, his eyes came back to her and in the warm, blue orbs, she saw concern for her. “I won’t try and tell you how to behave or feel because despite me seeing you like a sister, I know you’re not a child. But be careful, Snow. We don’t know enough about this man and although you say he’s good with Fleur, and I can’t deny from what I’ve witnessed that’s the truth, he’s still a cutthroat businessman with a lot of secrets.”

“Is there any other kind?”

“Probably not, but his could get someone killed and remember, you’re the one who wanted to go after him to get to Dominique Dupont.”