Page 53 of Control

But there was also talk of the glory hole, which was one of the reheating furnaces used to reheat the glass during the creating process.

And finally, there were paddles. Although they were wooden boards used by glassworkers, I could only think of one use for them. Given the jeans she was wearing and the way they molded to her ass, I didn’t think even Alana could blame me for having naughty thoughts about paddles.

Overall, we’d had a great time filled with lots of knowing smiles, mischievous stares, and intentional touches. We could go back to pick up the pieces we’d made tomorrow.

But now that we were out for dinner, I’d merely wanted to confirm that Alana had enjoyed herself. Even if her words indicated she thought I’d been a bit immature about the terminology today, I think she still had a fantastic time. In fact, I think the lightheartedness only made it that much more enjoyable.

“Alright, alright. So, I found some humor in a few of the words. I thought you liked it, too.”

“I did,” she assured me. “It really was a lot of fun. But I have to admit, I was a bit nervous.”

“Why?”

“That pipe was so long, I was sure I was going to drop the glass right off the end of it,” she shared.

I clamped my lips together to stifle the laughter and recalled how uneasy she’d been when it was her turn to use the blowpipe.

Alana noticed my efforts to hide my amusement. “What is that look about?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

“It’s something.”

I grinned. “I was just going to say that it’s okay you felt nervous. You probably just aren’t used to holding things that big or long.”

Her eyes widened, her cheeks turning pink. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe you just said that.”

“You said it first,” I pointed out. “I was just trying to make you feel better about it.”

She narrowed her eyes on me. It was clear she wanted to be intimidating, but the light shining within them told a different story. “So, are you telling me you looked so comfortable with theblowpipe because you’re accustomed to handling things that are big and long?”

My pulse picked up as I sent a confident smirk her way. “Mmm. Wouldn’t you like to know?”

The embarrassment I’d seen moments ago was gone, replaced by a cool confidence. Alana nodded and leaned forward. “You are so right, Ty. I’m devastated I might not ever get the chance to have answers.”

The way this was going, I was more than prepared to give her all the answers she wanted. Tossing my hand out, palm up, I reasoned, “You’re a reporter, though. You know how to get to the bottom of a story. I would think those skills might transfer to things you aren’t planning to report on. Surely, if you wanted the truth in this case, you could figure out a way to get it.”

I lifted my drink to my lips and took a sip as she countered, “That’s an interesting take, especially coming from a bodyguard whose job it is to protect things. Maybe you’d hide it from me.”

I nearly choked on my drink. “Not a chance.”

She cocked a brow.

And before either of us could say another word, our server returned with our dinner salads and broke the overwhelming sexual tension that had been building. It was a bummer, because I’d been enjoying it. I hadn’t ever met anyone who could flirt the way Alana did.

As we dove into our salads, Alana said, “In all seriousness, I enjoyed the glassblowing. I’ve never done it before, so I was happy to be able to do it with you.”

Though she’d made it clear she could flirt, Alana also seemed to know when to shift the conversation to something else, something that would make me see she wasn’t just about playing games. I couldn’t describe the way it made me feel to hear her say she was happy doing something for the first time and getting to experience it with me.

I smiled at her, reaching across the table to give her hand a squeeze. “Me, too.”

The two of us sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments as we ate our salads, and while there was no question I could have looked at her all day long without needing to say a word, I didn’t want to waste the opportunity we had tonight. So, I asked, “Have you given it any thought?”

“What’s that?”

“The work situation,” I clarified. “Are you set on going back to the station?”

“Wait a minute. I thought you said you didn’t want to discuss work, stories, or investigations tonight,” she countered.

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