Page 30 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

“No, I said to offer ten thousand over their asking price. I received information that Taylor and Taylor Properties is also about to make an offer. I want to beat them. I want that office complex.” Damon turned onto the expressway and headed back to the apartment.

His real estate broker, Kurt Swanson, hummed on the other side of the phone line, the sound echoing through the speaker. “Umm, okay. Got it. Ten over. Anything else?”

“No.” His phone beeped, and Slater’s name was shown on the caller ID. “I need to run. Call me if there’s an issue.” He flipped over to the other line. “Hello?”

“We got a tip on a bail jumper. I knew you were working, so Xavier and I headed out here to do it alone. A mistake on this one. We need some backup. Kenneth Ashland is here with the one we were after. Not going to go quietly. Already called Ryker. He’s en route with the sketch artist to Ella.”

Damon accelerated. “Where are you?”

“The port.”

“I’m pulling into the apartment complex. I’ll change and then head right there.”

“Sounds good.” Slater ended the call, and Damon parked, his mood darkening as he spotted Ella standing on the sidewalk, talking to a young guy.

Damon jerked open the door, not wasting time.

“I don’t normally ask a woman out when I do a delivery, but if you’re not busy later?—”

“She is.” Damon dropped his arm over Ella’s shoulders, forcing her to walk with him to his apartment or get dragged along.

She stumbled, catching herself with a hand on his abs. “What the hell?” She laughed. “That was my food delivery guy.”

“Who was asking you out? First Jeff and now him. Did you get asked out this much before?”

“No, never. Who’s Jeff?”

Damon snorted and pulled his keys out, unlocking the door. He looked down at her, taking a breath to ask her if she was oblivious to how gorgeous she was, but stopped himself. He saw it in her eyes. She’d lived for so long in the corporate world, running it, that no man would dare to approach her while she was in command of Cassin Systems.

But as Ella, she was approachable.

“Jeff is Detective Moore. I’m in a rush. Slater called, and they need backup.”

“Oh no. A runaway case?” She moved into his apartment after him. “I ordered you a sandwich—simple turkey and cheese. You said you’d be home at lunchtime, and I thought you’d like something. You’re always worried about feeding me. Wanted to return the overbearing favor.”

He unbuttoned his dress shirt, dragged it off his wrists. “Thanks, and no, it’s not a runaway. Might be a double capture, which means he needs more than two of us there.”

Ella set the bag on the counter and then turned, holding the sandwich in her hand. “Do you want…”

He pulled off his undershirt and balled it up. “Do I want what?”

“Uh…” Ella was staring at his chest. She swallowed. “Something to drink.”

When she lifted her gaze back to his face, he smiled at the blush crawling across her cheeks. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry.” She ducked her head, setting the sandwich to the side. “But you’d stare if I suddenly took my top off in front of you.”

He chuckled and walked to his bedroom, saying, “I’d do more than just stand there and look at you.”

“I might have, but you said you were in a hurry!”

He laughed louder, swapping his suit for jeans and boots. He tugged his T-shirt over his head as he reentered the living room. Last night, he’d pushed the boundary. But the thought of him ending up like a Matteo, someone convenient for her time here, made him pull back from the idea of seeing where this went.

Now, standing in front of her again, recognizing that small spark of interest, made that risk almost worth taking.

Almost.

She stood by the door with his sandwich and a bottle of water. “Here.”

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