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The timer goes off in the kitchen, and he pulls back. I hold him a second longer and grin.
“Maybe we should forget the food,” I say.
He shakes his head, laughing.
“No way,” he says. “I haven’t cooked for you in forever, and you’re not going to be served a burned meal. Besides, I have to get back to the office in an hour, and let’s face it, if we do this, that won’t be happening.”
“True,” I agree.
I go and sit down and wait as Falcon disappears back into the kitchen. I suddenly feel like maybe everything will be alright between us. The kiss, the fact he’s here now—it feels more like us. The old us.
It makes me sure of one thing. I can’t leave Magnet now. I can’t admit that I caused such a massive problem for us for nothing.
Falcon comes back in with two plates. He sets one down in front of me, and I moan in anticipation when I see the juicy steak and the jacket potato.
“It looks delicious.” I smile.
“You know it’s my specialty.” He grins.
I cut into the steak. It’s the perfect medium rare. I put a piece into my mouth, and it just melts, and I moan again.
“Look, you have to stop moaning like that or dinner is off.” Falcon grins.
I jokingly grab hold of my plate.
“No chance of that,” I say.
“Elle, I’ve been a dick. A complete, massive dick. And I’m sorry,” he says.
“Let’s just forget about it and move on,” I say. “I didn’t exactly handle the situation as well as I could have either.”
He nods, and we eat in silence for a moment. It’s not awkward like it has been, but I still don’t like it. It’s still not how we used to be. I still love Falcon now as much as ever, and I think he still feels the same way about me, but the old us wouldn’t be eating this now. We’d have gone upstairs, and he would have eaten me instead.
“How was it?” Falcon asks, pulling me out of my thoughts of him ravishing me. “Your first day.”
I shuffle in my seat trying to forget about where my mind was going and how wet it was making me.
“It was good. I like the guys who work there, and I think I’m getting to grips with my training.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” he says.
He doesn’t sound overly enthusiastic about it, but he’s making an effort, and so I let it go.
“There’s just one thing, Elle. I know I just apologized for being a dick about this whole thing, and I meant it, but this is important to me, and I’d appreciate it if you’d meet me halfway on this one.”
My heart sinks. Has it all been an act? Has he been acting reasonably about this so now he can lay down a condition that I’ll feel obliged to agree to, something that will hinder me at work?
I nod at him to go on. I struggle to swallow the meat in my mouth.
“I know you say I’m paranoid, and maybe I am, but the worry about you eats at me, Elle. I know the office is only up the road, but will you please drive there and back? I hate the thought of you wandering the streets alone and—”
“Yes,” I interrupted, smiling. “I will.”
The meat has become easy to swallow again. Falcon’s request was a reasonable one, and truthfully, it’s something I should have thought of myself knowing he has these issues.
“Thank you.” He smiles.
“I have a condition too,” I say.
He raises an eyebrow, but he nods at me to go on.
“You have to teach me how to get steaks this perfect.” I grin.
He laughs and shakes his head.
“No way. If I teach you that, you’ll have no reason to keep me around.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I could think of the odd one or two.” I laugh.
He laughs and throws his balled-up napkin at me, and just like that, the tension between us starts to fade, and I feel a deep surge of hope flood me. We’re going to be okay.
CHAPTER EIGHT
FALCON
Today is the fourth day Elle has been to work. I’m making an effort to be happy for her, to show an interest in what she’s doing without interrogating her about Franklin fucking Ludlow, but it’s hard.
I have complete faith in Elle. I know she could do this job with her eyes closed, but I also know a complete stranger wouldn’t take a chance on her that way. Franklin is up to something. He’s going to make a move on her if he hasn’t already. And because I acted like such a dick about it all in the beginning, I don’t think Elle would tell me if he had.
I think I’d know though. I think I’d see the pain in her eyes as she realized I was right all along. I don’t want to be right about this one. One thing I’ve learned over the last three days is that actually, Elle going out to work isn’t the big deal I made it become in my head. It’s good that she has something that’s just hers. She’s come to life over these last few days. Her skin is glowing, her hair is shining, and that sparkle is back in her eyes. It hurts me to know I didn’t put it there, but I’m still glad she’s happy. I just wish she could be satisfied working at a different firm. One without the biggest slimeball in the city working there.
