Page 27 of Vas

“Yes, I get that,” she said, sounding just as frustrated as he felt. “But why now? I had thought we were starting a friendship but then you froze me out?”

“That was a mistake and one I regret.” Unable to sit still, Vas stood and paced to the other side of the coffee table. Anya followed him with her eyes. Usually keeping a low profile, he was uncomfortable being under such scrutiny. Hell, most of the people who knew him didn’t even know his real name. “I know this might sound crazy, but the first time I saw you, I was drawn to you. Not just because you’re beautiful—” he wanted to make that clear. “It was something I felt. Almost like a wave of warmth crashing over me.”

He went over to her, sitting on the cushion next to her, and took her hand. “Listen, if you were smart, you should probably run away from me as fast as you can, but in spite of that, I’d really like to take you out. On a date. To dinner or maybe a movie. Whatever you want.”

She ducked her head, staring at their clasped hands. She was silent so long he thought she wouldn’t answer. But then in a voice so soft he almost didn’t hear, she said, “You hurt me.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.”

“How do I know you won’t do it again?”

“I don’t know. I try not to make promises I can’t keep, and I’m new to this, so I’ll probably fuck up.” He placed a finger under her chin, lifting her head until their eyes collided. “But I won’t hurt you intentionally. Never again.”

Emotion worked behind her eyes. He could see she was thinking, so he gave her the time, not shielding the emotions in his own expression. He’d never wanted anything as much as he wanted Anya to say yes. Growing up, there had been weeks when food had been so scarce, his mother had gone without, and the scraps he and his sister had shared left him going to sleep with an empty stomach. He knew the desperate feeling ofwant.

Yet he still wanted Anya more.

“Okay.”

Hope flared in his chest as he waited expectantly for the rest of her answer.

“You can take me on a date. But I want dinneranda movie. And I get to pick which movie we see.”

Not a hardship. To sit next to her for two hours in the dark, he’d watch anything. “Deal. When’s your next day off?”

“Thursday.”

That gave him a day to plan. “I’ll pick you up at five.”

“There you go being bossy again.” But her smile told him she was teasing. After a few moments of silence, she stood. “Well, I better go.”

“I’ll walk you back to your car.”

The return trip, like the first, was conducted in silence, but unlike the first, their silence was comfortable as they walked at a leisurely pace.

“When do you have to go out of town again?”

Vas glanced over. Anya had her hands shoved in the pockets of her jacket and was staring down at her feet as she walked. “I don’t have any jobs scheduled.”

She looked up. “Does that ever bother you? Not knowing when your next job will be?” She chuckled. “’Cause, I’ll admit, not knowing when my next paycheck was coming would freak me out.”

Vas chose his words carefully. He knew she worked hard for the money she made and didn’t want to come off as bragging or belittling her situation. “I make a comfortable amount from each job and live meager enough that I don’t worry too much.”

She nodded looking back down at her feet. “That’s what I figured. That you make a lot of money.” She gave her head a hard shake. “I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have brought up money at all. That’s not why I agreed to go out with you.”

He took hold of her arm, stopping them in their tracks. “You think I don’t know that? I know you’re not a gold-digger, in fact, it’s been like pulling teeth just to get you to take anything I’ve offered.”

She gave him a wry smile. “I think we’ve already established thatofferwas not what you did.”

Not wanting to remind her of why she’d been mad at him, he quickly amended, “You’re right, I misspoke. What I meant to say was, I don’t think you want to use me only for my money.”

She nodded and they continued walking.

They’d just reached her car when she blurted, “I wasn’t completely honest that night.”

Confused, he asked, “What night?”

“The night of the attack. I’d said I just wanted to be friends, and while that was true, it’s also true the first time I saw you, I was drawn to you too.” Even with the poor lighting, he saw her cheeks instantly pinken. “I just… wanted you to know that.” Giving him her back, she unlocked her car and got in.

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