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Marlowe moved closer to me. Not quite touching, but closer.

I put my arm around her shoulder and closed the gap. Then a waiter came up to announce the specials. After the steak and baked potato, I wasn’t all that hungry, so I ordered soup and salad. Marlowe did the same.

“Before you place the order with the kitchen, can you come back in five minutes?” I asked the server.

“Sure,” he said.

Marlowe looked perplexed.

“Sweets, I already had a steak and baked potato for lunch, so I’m not all that hungry, that’s why I didn’t order much. Are you sure a salad and soup is all you want?”

Marlowe frowned, then blew out a breath.

“Kai, that’s nice that you’re asking, but I know my own mind. Even if I’ve probably had the second roughest day of my life, I can figure out what I want for dinner. The soup will feel good after all the stress I went through, and the salad is because I haven’t eaten a vegetable in four days, but I’ll probably just look at it. However, it’ll make me feel better that I at least ordered it.” She paused. “So, in the future, would you please not think you know better than I do about what I want?”

She said the last sentence in the sweetest voice imaginable, but she sure as hell got her point across. I couldn’t help but grin. “I hear you. I won’t do it again. Thanks for speaking up for yourself, I really appreciate knowing where I stand.”

She blew out another long breath, and that’s when I realized she’d been holding it. I kissed her temple. “Lady, you just keep getting better and better in my eyes.”

She looked surprised.

“It’s true.”

The server came back at that moment so I couldn’t follow up on that line of talk. I got the feeling that her relationship with the stalker had really done a number on her in a lot of ways.

When we were done with dinner, I asked Marlowe to wait at the table for five additional minutes while I got things from my room. I came back with my rucksack full.

“What’s that for?”

“I’m driving you back to your place and sleeping on the couch.”

“Why would you do that?”

Huh?

“Marlowe, somebody tried to kill you today. Of course I’m sleeping on your couch. Or you could sleep here in my room. But there’s only one bed, and the couch is more like a loveseat. I do want to sleep with you, but I don’t think tonight is the night, do you?”

I watched as her brown eyes turned almost black. Her body relaxed even deeper into mine, and her hand that had been resting on the table came up to my chest and started petting me.

“Tonight would be the perfect time for us to make love,” she murmured sensually.

With just those words, said with that tone of voice, I got so hard, I could hammer nails.

“Marlowe, I don’t want to take advantage of you if you’re overwrought.”

“What did I just say about you questioning my choices?”

“Oh yeah.” I couldn’t help but grin. “Well, we better get to your house fast, I’m feeling pretty needy.”

“What’s wrong with the one bed in your room here?”

She was still using her sexy voice. She needed to stop or I would never be able to walk out of here.

I thought about it. I knew what she’d said about knowing her own mind, but somebody had tried to kill her today, and her beloved dog had almost died.

Fuck!

Okay, I’d take her up to my room. I’d hold her. That’s the ticket. She needed to be held. And my damn cock would just have to get with the program.