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“Even then. He called me out on it. I wasn’t going to come off disrespectful. You don’t need that. As if I’m leering at you.”
“Very sweet, but you wouldn’t be the first man who has.”
“It had better not happen around me,” he said firmly. “Or I’ll have something to say about it.”
Whoa. Talk about a turnabout in personality.
One that might have cranked that arousal button more than it needed to be.
More than she might want to even admit.
“Let’s get back to the text. Or what your response was.”
“I told him we were friends. I added we used to date.”
Her smile was swift and genuine. “Did you tell him when we did?”
“He didn’t ask, thankfully. That might have caused me to get my ass busted on more.”
“I’m sure you can handle it.”
“Easily enough. But I told him we were friends, still are, and being friendly now.”
“Got it. Are you afraid to let anyone know we’ve had a few dates?”
“If I was, then we wouldn’t have gone out in public. We haven’t had this talk. I didn’t know where you stood, and I didn’t want to speak out of line. Though I’m positive the councilman got a good idea. Everything okay there? And that is why this is coming up?”
She put her hand out, held it there until he touched it.
His palm was hot, dry, soothing.
She was going to pull him up, but he gave her a little yank, pulling her off balance, her hands landed on his thighs, their faces maybe an inch apart.
The last thing she was going to do was say what Derek had said. It had no right to ride between any future happiness she wanted in her life.
“Careful,” she said when their faces were closer together. “Uncharted territory.”
“Maybe you should catch up,” he whispered. “What is it you want me to say or do, Ms. DA?”
What she wanted she didn’t want to speak out loud.
Not here. Not now.
Though she was positive he could read it in her eyes.
She could for sure read it in his.
“I think you handled it well. And it will most likely come up for me at some point with someone.” She wasn’t lying just now, just not giving all the facts. “Was Stacia in the room when Frank asked?”
“She came in while we were talking. Mentioned you walked into a wall and was concerned.”
She went to stand back up, but he wouldn’t let her.
She wasn’t surprised there either.
“Maybe my mind was on something else.”
“On me,” he said matter of factly.
