Page 51 of Samson

“Wait. What if I promise not to touch you or proposition you?”

“Uh…I don’t?—”

“Please. I’d like to show you something.” He didn’t have the usual mischievous grin on his face. In fact, it was probably the most fervent she’d ever seen him.

“Show me what?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“The only people who say that are those who have never had a decent surprise. Trust me. This one time. If I screw it up, I will never set foot in here again.”

“No, that would be terrible.”

“Really?”

“Not for me. For Luca.”

“Oh.”

“You bring in a lot of business, and he appreciates it.”

“Okay then, I’ll bring in as much business as he can handle, but I’ll leave you alone for good.”

“You will?”

“Don’t look so excited.”

She tipped her head sideways and grinned.

“I really hope that smile means I’ve changed your mind,” he said.

“You sure do know how to make a hard-to-resist offer.”

“Hard to resist or impossible?” His eyes sparkled.

Samson was the kind of guy who knew how to make offers people couldn’t refuse. It’s why he lived the life he did. He knew what to give people in order to get what he wanted. But it was more than his offer that was hard to resist.

She could spin it like she was doing it for Luca, but she was curious about this surprise and also couldn’t deny that having him out of her hair after tonight would be best. After their conversation, she wasn’t sure how good she’d be at resisting him in the future no matter how bad she knew he’d be for her.

“Okay. You have a deal. Let’s go.”

“What, now? I thought you were working?”

“I was filling in. Unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“No way.”

He slid out of the booth and tried to take her hand, but she tucked them behind her back. “I told you. I don’t want to be a girl on your arm.”

“Okay. If you find it too hard to control yourself when I touch you, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“That’s not charming at all,” she said as she followed him to the door.

He just laughed.

Chapter 12

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