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She nodded and pulled her arms tighter around her waist.
His hand came to rest on her bicep, this time tentatively, as if he expected her to shrug him off again. His palm was warm, gentle. It was everything she’d missed and never had all rolled into one.
Cautiously, she lifted her gaze. His bore down into hers. Gone was the coolness he’d exhibited in their previous brief encounters. Gone was any sign of flirtation, too. He was just... present.
“There’re some answers I need that will help me keep you safe. I promise I won’t push you to share anything you don’t want to, if you can at least try to help me understand things.”
She ran her tongue over the backs of her teeth. “What’s in it for me?”
“Besides a burger? You can ask me anything you want.”
Her eyebrows inched up and she lifted a shoulder. “What makes you think I want to know anything about you?” The playful note in her voice was a betrayal. What was wrong with her?
“Ha. Well for starters, you were a little bent out of shape about who N was.”
She balanced her hands on her hips. “Fine. But when I say no more questions, I mean it.”
He pulled his fingers away from her arm and raised his palm. Her skin cooled, and she craved his warm touch. Dangerous.
“Promise,” he said flatly. Then he retrieved the white plastic bag and nodded at the table.
The smell of grease and salt called to her almost as much as Toth’s tempting smile. She took one of the chairs and he sat in the other.
He pulled out a carton and passed it to her. “Last time I was here the food was good. I didn’t know what you liked so I got all the fixings.”
Savannah cracked open the container and lifted out a burger on a brioche bun. She salivated, and her stomach rumbled. She bit into the soft bread and the flavors of pickles, ketchup, and cheese filled her mouth. She rolled her eyes and groaned. “Oh my god,” she said, between bites. “So good.”
He chuckled. “Better than a protein bar?”
“Blows that garbage out of the water.”
His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Good. We’ve got lots of food now. Should be set for the remainder of our stay.”
She knew he was referring to the time left on his contract, but intimacy seemed to line the statement. Which was ridiculous. There was nothing intimate about hiding out while her father killed off a gang. But part of her, some foreign part that’d been buried for so long, clung to this sorry excuse for companionship.
All right. The signs all pointed to one thing: she needed to get laid.
And Toth was right here, for the taking.
No.God, she needed help. Messing around with Toth would only complicate things. Whenever he was close, something stirred inside her, making her loins clench and her skin heat. But it wasn’t just sexual attraction. She wanted him to look at her, to touch her. His holding and comforting her after he’d pulled her from the stream had satisfied a need that she’d been suppressing for a long time. But now. Now she wanted more, dammit.
She had an itch that needed scratching, but if she was smart, she’d stay the hell away from the man who made her heart hammer. If their relationship was under any other circumstances, Toth would totally be her kinda guy. But just the fact that he worked for her father gave her an icky feeling as sordid memories cascaded over her from her last boyfriend.
When this was all said and done, she’d put herself out there. Not that she wanted a boyfriend, necessarily, but she also no longer craved solitude and loneliness.
Weird. She was too young for a midlife crisis.
She picked up a French fry and popped it in her mouth. Salt tingled her tastebuds and she fought off another groan. “All right, you’ve wooed me.” She kept her tone dry. “What do you want to know?”
He took a bite of his burger then stuffed a few fries in his mouth and rubbed his fingers clean. “Tell me whatever you’re comfortable with regarding Lionsgate,” he said, covering his full mouth.
She mulled over his words. The food helped distract her from getting sucked into the past.
“Take your time,” he added.
She took a few more bites then wiped her mouth with a napkin. “My dad used to do business with Lionsgate. He sold them drugs.” She swallowed the piece of bun that clung to her tongue. If she just stuck with the facts, she could hold herself together long enough to change the subject.
Toth raised an eyebrow and went for another bite. Anxiety pulled at her nerve endings. Hell. This conversation was starting to ruin her meal.
