Page 6 of The Perfect Deception

“Come on, let me take you to the cellar,” Damien says, guiding me toward the stairs.

I laugh, light and carefree, as we descend arm in arm, looking every bit like a happy couple. “This is pretty cool, like an actual cellar, but fancy. Kind of like the one I imagine you’d have. Do you?” I glance at him, teasing.

“Maybe a sex dungeon,” I joke. “But not a cellar.”

“If you have a sex dungeon and I haven’t seen it yet well, I think I might be offended.” Her face shifts into a playful frown. “Or relieved, actually. I don’t know.”

I lean in close to whisper in her ear. “Oh, you know.” I don’t miss the way she shivers against me.

“You’re right,” she says, catching my gaze. “I’d be offended. You definitely know your way around my body.”

“Damn right I do. That’s because it—and you—are mine.”

Her tongue slips out, slicking across her bottom lip as if she’s suddenly hungry for me. Right now. “Damien.”

Thankfully—or not—we’re interrupted by the start of the tasting.

“Later,” I promise, and brush a soft kiss to her lips before we find a table for two.

I can’t deny how much fun I have when I’m with Francesca. She’s refreshing, not as jaded as she should be considering she spends her days and plenty of nights chasing criminals. The wine not only relaxes her, but it loosens her lips. “I’m happy you talked me into this.”

“I knew you would be. You’ve been too stressed to do your job effectively.”

She nods, taking a sip from a sweet white wine. “You’re right and to be honest this guy has me spinning my wheels. There’s so much we don’t know, and the bodies keep piling up.” Her jaw clenches tight. “Sorry. No work talk. No. Work. Talk.”

I smile. “It’s okay. I didn’t get to where I am by keeping my work thoughts on a nine-to-five schedule.”

That perks her right up. “When you started out, was it to conquer the world or just make money doing something you love?”

“Who says I love what I do?”

She shrugs as we progress to the red wines. “Fair point. Either you love the work or you’re highly motivated by money.”

Both of my brows lift in surprise. “Aren’t we all motivated by money?”

“Sure. I mean we allneedmoney to survive, but if we were all motivated in that way, we’d work ninety-hour weeks and shoot higher to make more money like you. There’s a difference, trust me.”

“And you’re motivated not by money, but by justice?”

“In a way, I suppose.” She sips the red and splashes it around in her mouth. “That’s good. I’m motivated by trying to stop innocent people from being victims unnecessarily.”

“So, gang violence is okay with you?”

Slowly, her lips curl into a grin. “No, it’s not okay with me but gang members signed up for a life of violence. It’s all illegal, but it stings more when random good people are targets, that’s all.”

Her words pique my interest, and I weigh my options about what to say next. “Where does law enforcement fall on that spectrum?”

Francesca pauses as if she’s never thought about it that way before. It’s fascinating, watching the emotions play across her face. For a homicide cop she is incredibly easy to read. “Good question. I guess you could argue that we sign up for this life, but when we go home,” she starts and then stops as the realization sets in. “Shit.”

“Flaw in your logic?”

“They’re not playing by the same rules we are.” She shakes her head again. “I know that. Logically I know that, but hearing it out loud…” She shakes her head again. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head as she gets lost in her thoughts. Here she is with the very man she’s hunting and even now, she’s thinking about me. Wondering what rules I’m playing by and how to use those rules against me.

“How about we get out of here?” I can tell she’s shaken but I want to keep a positive atmosphere, so I stand and extend myhand to her, flashing my most charming smile. “Let’s order some wine and then go dancing.”

“That sounds perfect.” Frankie stands up, letting out a heavy sigh. I watch as she lets go of the serious conversation, shaking it off before a smile starts, getting bigger with every passing second. “Let’s go dancing.”

I keep things light for the rest of the night and when we make it back to our hotel room, I make Francesca forget about everything in this fucking world except me.

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