Page 24 of The Acquisition

"I hope this place is okay. I don't always like to go to the stuffy places Beck prefers, so when he's not with me I come here."

There was a stupid smile on my face, and I know he saw it before I managed to school my features to a more neutral expression. "Yeah, it's great."

He tipped his head down, but I still caught him smiling at me. "There's a table in the corner. It's more private than here by the bar. Will that work?"

The moment he walked in the door the few women here took notice. Colter seemed to be oblivious to their attention. Men like him and Beckett were used to commanding attention when they walked into a room. It was only a matter of time before he noticed the tall redhead eyeing him in the corner.

Call it jealousy or cattiness, but it seemed a display to make her back off was in order. I leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear. "Do we need somewhere private?"

His hands gripped either side of my waist and held tight. I knew he was teetering on the edge of whatever we'd been dancing around, just as I was.

"Did she see?" he whispered back.

I leaned back to look him in the face and saw the amusement sparkling in his hazel eyes.

"The redhead in the corner," he pointed out. "You've been shooting daggers at her since the moment she looked at me. Am I safe from being snared in her claws now?"

I slapped him on the arm. He dramatically rubbed at the spot even though my fingers barely touched the smooth material of his suit. "So violent," he murmured. "I'm going to have to tie you up to be safe."

I smirked. "Sounds fun."

His jaw fell open, and he gawked at me as I walked to the table in the corner. I felt his eyes on me the entire way. Every other man I'd ever been with made me feel inconsequential, but with Colter I felt like I was able to command all his attention at any time. It was a heady feeling. Powerful.

Not once in his short trip across the room did he give any of the women his attention. Aside from an awareness of being watched, he didn't seem to care one way or the other if the women were watching him. That was also different. I'd always felt the men I was with were with me only until someone better came along.

We weren't here to discuss the building tension between us, though. I took the folder out of my briefcase and set it on the table. When Colt joined me, he moved the folder to the side and pulled the small electronic kiosk over so both of us could see it. I blindly chose a drink, and he picked after I was done.

"We'll get to all that, but I could use a drink and a moment not to think of business. Let's just be for a minute."

"What are we going to be?"

"For just a second, let's just be us." His hazel eyes held mine. "Let's not be coworkers. I won't be the father of your best friend, and you won't be too young for me."

"Am I?" I asked him.

He reached across the table, hand open, waiting. Without hesitation I placed my hand in his. If we were going to suspend reality for a few minutes I was going to go all in.

After a second or two, he lifted his eyes off our joined hands and looked at me. "Are you what?"

"Too young for you?"

"Twelve years can seem like a lot. You're twenty-six, and still just starting out. I'm thirty-eight and settled in my ways."

I laughed at him. "You aren't even forty, and you're making it sound like you spend your weekends playing shuffleboard."

His eyes glazed over, and I knew his mind was somewhere else, but then he shook it off. He smiled sadly. "I know what it’s like to feel like you wasted most of your life. I don't want to steal this time from you."

"You let me worry about how I spend my time. I swear, you and your daughter are so much alike. I have to fight you for every square inch of your life you let me into."

The sadness melted, and a more wolfish grin emerged showing white teeth with one tooth just slightly crooked. It was the type of imperfection that enhanced rather than detracted. It made him human.

"I'll let you all the way into my life," he began.

"I feel like there's a ‘but’ coming," I interjected.

He nodded slightly, a quick dip of his head. "I might not let you back out."

My first instinct was to pull my hand away, but I squeezed his instead. Before I could formulate what to say, the waitress came around with the drinks I forgot we ordered. It took her longer than necessary to set napkins down and place the drinks in front of us.

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