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Forcing myself to remember this little arrangement is supposed to be about keeping her safe and not about getting in her pants, I hold my hands up and shake my head.
“Look, I’m not your dad. I’m not your keeper. You can do whatever the fuck you want. But—” I take her chin, forcing Clara to look at me, and I swear to fucking God there are sparks when I do “—you need a safe place to lie low, and I’m offering. You’re not taking advantage, and I have plenty of room to ensure we barely cross paths. If that’s what you want.”
Clara’s eyes flick away as the corner of her mouth tilts up. “If, huh? That a jab at our kiss?”
“You didn’t seem to hate it.”
When her eyes come back up to mine, she sits tall, taking my hand off her chin gently.
She doesn’t drop the thing like a bad habit. Instead, she places it softly over my heart. And it does something to me.
“I just don’t know.” She chuckles, clearly emotionally exhausted. “I don’t jump into things like this. I’m a planner, down to the last detail.”
I lean back on my hands, glancing idly over at where Cam is talking with the cops.
“Well, can’t say I’m fantastic at planning this kind of thing. Once I’m clocked out, I’m more of a see what happens kind of guy.”
“That doesn’t surprise me in the least.”
I look back over at Clara and stand up off the curb, helping her onto her feet to join me.
“At least let me take you out of here now. We’ll go get some dinner.”
We’re holding hands, and she’s staring into my eyes, and fuck. I’m not supposed to feel like this about a woman I just met a day ago.
And yet, here the hell I am.
I wait a good ten seconds before the deep lines in Clara’s forehead ease off. She’s stopped frowning at me, and then she sighs.
“Fine. All right. I’m hungry and cold, and I can’t exactly go home, now can I?”
“No, you can’t.” I gesture toward my car, giving Cam an eye to let him know we’re out of here. “I’m buying.”
“You have to. I don’t have a wallet.” Clara’s tone is even, and then we’re both chuckling.
Life can be real freaking weird sometimes.
Chapter 11
Clara
Riding in Luke’s car to this little hole-in-the-wall after being damn near killed by a gang member isn’t how I thought this day would go. I didn’t think I would kiss him, either.
Or that I’d want to do it again—very much so.
He is way too charming. There’s absolutely no reason a human should be that charismatic, and I don’t know how to feel about the way he looks at me.
“Welcome.”
The waitress at the far end of the corner waves as the bell rings over our heads. Luke gestures for a booth off to the left, the red pleather shining in the fluorescent lighting.
“After you, doc.”
Shaking my head with a grin, I walk to the booth, sliding into the dead center of my long bench seat and watch Luke do the same on the other side.
“Gotta admit, this isn’t where I thought you’d take me.”
I look around the quaint diner, admiring the black-and-white checkered floor and shiny chrome accents. It’s something right out of the ’50s.
