Page 67 of Underground Prince

“No.” But he lingered on me for a second too long before he callously scanned the room, hands resting on his hips. “Everything good?” he asked Craig, who was loitering at the doorway.

“No problems,” Craig replied.

“Fine.” Theo headed over to me, cupping my elbow and directing us into the kitchenette. “Come with me for a moment.”

I was too surprised—and too limp—to argue, until I stubbornly tensed my arm back into place.

Once we were in relative privacy, he said, “So. You’ve been showing up to your shifts regularly.”

“Where else would I be?” I said.

“I wasn’t sure if the other night frightened you too much.”

“Takes more than an unloaded gun and a B-list actor to scare me straight, Theo.”

“I went gentle on you,” he said. “That wasn’t anywhere close to the type of collections—”

“Is this your way of asking me if I’m all right?” I asked. “After two weeks of silence?”

He huffed an impatient breath out of his nose. “I’m checking up on one of my employees. Unless you want me to baby you?”

“Because it’s okay, you know,” I said, resting a hand on his forearm, “to wonder how I’m doing after sending me into homes with guns and drugs.”

His fingers touched mine for the barest of seconds. “I wanted to ensure…”

“I know,” I said to him. “But you seem frustrated, not that you used me for collections but that you…” Think about me.

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it atop his head. “It’s been a rough day.”

Asking him what happened would be a useless endeavor. Theo was hard and secretive, a quiet implosion rather than a fiery explosion.

“It’s all clear here,” I said. My heart tapped in agreement, my boring, routine night transforming into a soft exchange with a man who sent my stomach into a flying trapeze act with my heart.

You’re getting the jump you’ve been craving. Admit it. It’s him who has you falling.

I bit my tongue, refusing any more inner dialogue.

“Yes.” He glanced down at me. “I see that.”

“And it’s all good up here.” I indicated my head. “So—and I’m not saying you do—but if you do feel guilty, don’t.”

He inhaled quickly. It made me feel like what he said next wasn’t what he truly wanted to get across. “I don’t do this normally—take on new girls, show them the ropes by convincing them to run away.” His hand came up to his head again, fingers tangling into the strands. “In fact, you’re perfect for the job. Charismatic, quick-witted, smart. Fearless in many ways I don’t expect.”

I laughed, but it wasn’t joyful. “I’m not as brave as you think. More stupid than intrepid—”

“Don’t.”

I flicked my gaze to his lips, then back to his eyes. “Don’t what?”

“Question yourself like that. Or think that what I show you is chosen with malice. I want the very opposite…”

“So roll with it,” I said. Don’t fight me. “Be curious about it, because I am.” I shrugged, laughing again. “And take me out.”

His mouth went slack for a moment, the gift of surprise allowing me to see beyond his hard-edged exterior for one heartbeat before he found his mask again. “You want me to what?”

“Take me on a date, Theo,” I said. “I’m not afraid to see you on the outside. Are you?”

Simply standing here was sending my pulse into overdrive. I didn’t do this. I never challenged a guy to take me to dinner. I never pursued.

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