Page 31 of His Reluctant Savior

“A family you betrayed,” Dalton finally said as he watched me prepare our dinner.

“Yep. But I’m going to do my best to make it right when this is over.”

“Will they let you live?”

I shrugged. “My partner knows me well, and he’s intelligent, not one to react without all the facts before him first. His lover, on the other hand, has always hated me. It’s a ridiculous jealousy thing from years ago. He’s persistent. I’ll give him that. It’ll take a lot for my friend to hold his lover back and keep him from killing me, but he can do it.”

“Some family,” he said sarcastically.

“No family is perfect.”

I pulled out two soup bowls and scooped out some rice before topping it with meat and sauce. The bowls were decorated with cucumber slices, tomatoes, basil, and mint and then topped with marinated onions. Two smaller bowls contained pepper and coarse salt soaked in lime juice for dipping.

I put Dalton’s bowls in front of him, along with a pair of chopsticks.

“Eat up,” I said.

“Thanks. Smells so good.”

Dalton plucked some meat and vegetables with his chopsticks and dipped them into the salt and lime. He shoved the food into his mouth and groaned. “Whoa, this is good,” he said with his mouth full.

“Thanks. I don't have anyone to cook for, but I find it a relaxing hobby when I’m not working.”

He pointed his chopsticks at me. “Don’t you ever get lonely?”

“All the time. Don’t you? Do you miss your husband?”

He nodded, taking a sip of his beer. “Yeah, but I’ve been thinking about dating again, and I’ve been on a couple of dates, which didn’t go so well. I guess there’s no point in worrying about it if I don’t get out of this alive.”

“You will.”

“Such confidence.”

“I have a lot of experience backing me up.”

“Have you ever failed a job?”

I shrugged. “When I was younger, but not for a long time.”

“Well, I wish I was as confident as you. Running for my life isn’t exactly commonplace for me.”

“After this, let’s hope it stays that way.”

After dinner, we chattedfor a bit more about the case before Dalton stood and stretched. “I guess I’m going to head on up. What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“We wait on what my guy sends back. I don’t want to jump the gun and miss out on other targets.”

He nodded and started to walk away, but I had other plans. I stood and followed him out into the foyer before he reached the stairs. I grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back against the wall. Who knew why I liked shoving him around? I always had, like I was itching to push his buttons and get a reaction out of him, especially the heated kind he tried so hard to cover up… just like that kiss so long ago.

Dalton may have been a kind person, but he’d never been apushover.

I pressed my body against him as my cock stiffened; so there was no doubt about my intentions. To be fair, I reacted to him as much as he did to me, if not more so.

“I want to rediscover those sparks again, the ones we still have,” I whispered against the side of his neck.

“Sid…” he warned.

“You felt it, too. I know you did. You’ve never been able to hide around me.”

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