Page 32 of Whatever You Want

He swirled his wine around in his glass. “Tell me about your business. Did you always want to be your own boss?”

“I guess you could say that.” I grabbed a piece of bread and applied a little butter. “You might find this hard to believe, but I don’t like being told what to do.”

He laughed. “I don’t think anyone likes being told what to do.”

“What about you? Did you always want to work in law enforcement?”

He sat back in his seat and rubbed his thumb along his bottom lip. “I had no idea what I wanted to do. I just knew that I didn’t want to get stuck behind a desk every day.”

“Don’t you do a fair amount of desk work as a detective?”

“Not if you’re a good one.” He winked before picking up his fork and twirling it around his pasta.

“For someone with a small head, it sure does seem pretty big. I’m surprised it doesn’t get swollen.” His fork paused on the way to his mouth at the exact moment where I realized how that sounded. “Oh, my God.” I threw my hand over my eyes in embarrassment. “Forget I said that.”

“Not a chance,” he teased as we both erupted into a fit of hysterics. “And you say my jokes are bad.”

Once our laughter died down, I sat back in my seat and shoved a fork full of pasta in my mouth. Maybe that would stop me from saying anything stupid. Logan didn’t seem to mind having a little fun at my expense, though. I loved how he didn’t take things seriously and how we both participated equally in the conversation. I might have been nervous earlier, but there was nothing awkward about this dinner. Feeling comfortable was a good sign. I felt like I could be myself around him.

“You realize, you’re the first official guest I’ve had in my new home.”

He leaned forward with a devilish glint in his eyes. “I’m honored to be your first.”

I moved some of the tomatoes and artichokes around on my plate. “I told Amelia you were coming over. I hope that was okay?”

He wiped his mouth off with his napkin. “Yeah, I figured when Marco called me and handed me a stern lecture on how to behave.”

I cringed. “I’m sorry. He means well. He’s just doesn’t want to get caught in the middle of any drama between us.”

“I can handle Marco.” He rested his hands on the table. “Do you think Amelia is okay with me being here?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re not a very good detective if you didn’t pick up on the clues she dropped on moving day.”

He grinned, and he really needed to stop doing that because it wasn’t helping my situation. “At least we have someone rooting for us.”

Us? What exactly were we? I didn’t give it much thought when I extended the invitation. All I knew was that it was an excuse to see him again. He was slowly chipping at the walls I had built up. But what would happen when he finally got what he wanted? Was he just interested in me because I was new? How long would it take him to get bored and move on to the next challenge?

“Hey.” His eyes filled with concern. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Of course not.” I shook my head. “I just don’t want Marco to be mad at you,” I lied.

He blew out a relieved breath. I guess I was more convincing than I thought.

“I don’t want to waste any more time talking about Marco. Tell me more about you. Tell me more about what a rebel you were growing up. Tell me all your embarrassing stories.”

“Okay.” I held my fork out and gave him my “mom” voice. “If you hold anything against me or tease me in any way, I will….” I paused, trying to think of something. “I don’t know what I’ll do but I’ll think of something good and you’ll regret it.”

His lips twitched. “Understood. I won’t tease you in any way. Scout’s honor.”

My eyes narrowed on the little liar. Like I would ever believe he was a boy scout. Whatever, I was thankful for the switch in topics.

I started telling stories from my teenage years. I loved how he listened intently and seemed to hang on to my every word. We laughed throughout the entire meal. He ate every last bite on his plate and even ate a handful of chocolate chip cookies I baked for dessert. I pushed my plate to the side and refilled our wineglasses. Never in a million years did I think things would be this easy between us.

He leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. “That meal was outstanding.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” I looked out through the sliding glass doors, noticing the glass streak with raindrops. “I was going to suggest that we sit outside by a fire, but seeing that it’s raining, would you be interested in a movie instead?”

“Sounds great. Let me help you clean up.”

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