Page 57 of Unspoken Obsession

She shifts in her seat, already disliking the line of questions. But I don't care. I need answers. I never thought it was a clever idea to push her before - but at this point, I am desperate for the truth, and she isn't giving anything away.

"I left Las Vegas. Yes, I grew up here. I left and went to Canada to start a life for myself there, but my father hunted for me and when he found me, he had his men follow me and they made my life so annoying and difficult that after a few years, I was forced to come back here."

"When did you leave?"

She rolls her eyes, and I suppress a chuckle. I can't understand my attraction to her annoyance. She is cute when she is happy and she's cute when she is annoyed with me. But she's answering my questions - and I can't stop now.

"I left over three years ago." She sighs, throwing me a glare that says, 'Are you done - can we enjoy dinner now?'

But I'm not done.

"Three years. Then you came back. And now your father is having you followed everywhere?"

She nods, her lips sealed tight. She will not give away any information for free. That's for sure.

"What does your father do for a living?"

She glares at me. Her mouth turned down in a tight frown.

"I was thinking of trying the carpaccio for a starter. What do you think?" she asks, changing the topic.

I narrow my eyes at her, annoyed yet intrigued.

What secrets could be so big that she won't even utter them?

What could she be hiding that might be so bad?

"I'm a big fan of carpaccio - but if we each get a different starter, we can try two of them."

"Good idea - you choose something else then."

When the server comes over to take our order from the limited, but incredible-looking menu, we order the carpaccio and calamari in garlic butter with a side of Brussels sprouts.

They bring our first wine pairing with the bread.

A light white to ease into the evening.

Outside the window, the sky is changing color and the reflection from the glass is making Frankie's skin glow.

She is gorgeous, and it makes it so much harder to be wary of her.

My feelings towards her are a mess and I'm struggling to figure out if I want to protect her from her father - and whatever it is she is running or hiding from - or if I need to push harder to expose her secrets.

It's driving me crazy trying to figure out what to do.

The tension between us is palpable as I lift my wineglass and say "Cheers." She grins and tilts her glass towards mine. "To new experiences and good company."

"To both." I agree.

The wine is smooth and goes down easily. After the glass, I am a little more relaxed than before. And when our appetizers arrive with the second glass, I feel the tension leaving my body.

I am still wary of Frankie - this mysterious girl who wants to keep her secrets close to her chest - but at least I'm not so wound up about all the negative possibilities.

Tonight - it is just about relaxing. And hopefully, somewhere along the line Frankie will slip up and say something revealing to me -- something that helps me see who she really is and why she thinks she has to hide it from me.

I stretch my legs forward beneath the table and press my knees on both sides of hers. She grins at me, that sly cheeky expression I love so much.

The wine is making her cheeks glow.

---