Page 24 of Deceitful Promises

“Fat is good for you, fat and salt, especially for somebody who works out. You sweat out the salt and need the fat for fuel.”

“Really?”

“Trust me.” He puts a hand on his chest, a small smile on his face. “Can’t you tell how vain I am?”

“There’s a hole in your shirt.”

He smirks. “Is there?”

Now I’m smiling. How does he keep doing that? I nod at his shirt. It’s on the sleeve. I’ve been trying not to look at it because I notice his muscles bulge whenever he moves. “Yeah. Right there, Mr. Vain.”

He grins at my sarcasm. It makes me feel more validated than it should—a simple smile. It almost makes me feel like we could have something together, which is something I need to get out of my head andkeepout of my head.

“It’s true anyway,” he says. “So ask away, but first, one mouthful.”

I swallow, my throat suddenly filled with saliva, feeling like it could close off. I need to get myself under control. I never expected a kidnapper-in-not-so-shining armor to ride into my life and be able to read every little thing about me easily. I never expected to care, or even if someone like mecouldcare.

“Question first,” I say. When he raises his eyebrow, I ask, “Why do you need to see the entrance?”

“That question’s too big,” he replies flippantly, but I know he’s only trying to hide how important the answer is.

“Is that your answer?”

He leans back, drumming his fingers on the table. He sighs and says, “I need to see the entrances to ensure nobody sneaks up on me.”

“Like who?”

“Nah-uh,” he says, nodding to the plate, then picks up a piece of bacon and munches it as though he’s showing me how.

I grab a knife and fork and begin cutting myself a piece, trying not to think about my future career and what I will have to do afterward. It’s like there’s this creature inside of me. Obviously, Idoeat … sometimes. I need to stop freaking out. I want to learn more about him. I want to understand all the different things that make him tic. I shouldn’t, but I do.

After a pause, I put a small piece in my mouth. I try not to cringe as I chew. It’s an instinct that makes me feel weak when Aiden looks at me so closely, with so much apparent concern in his eyes. I force myself to swallow it.

“Do I need to go,ahh?” I say.

He smirks, shaking his head, munching on his bacon.

“Who do you think will sneak up on us? My brothers?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not worried about them.”

“Who?”

“That’s another question.”

“You’re being vague to make me eat more. See,Ican readyou,too.”

“Maybe I am,” he replies, chuckling. “It doesn’t change the fact we had a deal, does it?”

I cut myself another piece of bacon. This time, I wash it down with some water. He’s looking at me as though he’s proud, which means more to me than it should. Iwanthim to be proud of something as simple as a few mouthfuls of bacon. No, not a few, two.

“My brothers?” I ask.

“It’s nobody specific,” he replies. “It’s just … Why wouldn’t I be careful, Ania? The world can be a cold, dangerous place. I don’t see why I would risk leaving myself open to an attack. I know how that sounds to some people.”

“How does it sound?”

He tsks and nods at the plate. My belly begins to warble. I wonder if he can see the indecision threatening to tear through me because he leans forward, nodding slowly, piercing eyes aimed at me. It takes a lot of effort, but I manage to eat another mouthful, and then he says, “It sounds like I’m a psycho.”

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