Page 94 of Deliverance

“I trust your judgment.” Zander smiles, his eyes roving over my face as I chew. He pulls a stack of napkins from the bag and sets them on the couch between us.

For a while, we sit in complete silence, eating and looking at the city as if nothing else matters, as if Rhys Jacoby doesn’t exist.

When my belly is full and my head is no longer spinning like a carousel, I put down my container and ask, “What exactly did you mean earlier today when you said you wanted me to reconsider?”

The sound Zander makes is hardly a breath, so soft it's barely discernible in the rustle of his jacket as he shifts. “I don’t know how to do this,” he says quietly, then turns to look at me and his features harden. “I’ve never really had to chase a woman before.”

“So you’re chasing me?”

“I suppose I am.”

“Why?”

“I like you.”

A nervous flutter crowds my chest. “I don’t know how to do this either.”

Zander laughs softly. “What a pair, huh?”

“This man…” I drop my gaze to my lap for a long moment and suck in a lungful of air. “This man who crashed my event tonight—the one you saw on the footage—is my ex. My ex-husband. My soon-to-be ex-husband.”

If my confession surprises Zander, he doesn’t show it. His face remains calm. The only indication that my words have affected him is the change in his eyes, which go from sky blue to black.

“When you say soon-to-be ex-husband…”

“My divorce isn’t finalized yet,” I finish for him.

“Okay.” Zander nods slowly, then adds with a shrug, “I don’t care. It’s just a piece of paper.”

“It is, but he’s not making it easy for me, and the fact that he’s now in L.A. really complicates everything.”

“Why don’t you want to involve the police?”

“I have to talk to my lawyer first. This was supposed to be a simple case.”

Zander reaches for my hand and laces our fingers together. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.” There’s sincerity in his voice.

“Trust me, it’s not the worst he’s done.” I laugh bitterly and feel Zander’s grasp on my wrist tightening. Something lurks behind his eyes, something dark, something wicked, something my instinct tells me he doesn’t want me to see.

But the strange thing is that I’m not scared of whatever it is he’s hiding.

My heart begins galloping and I draw my hand back into my lap. Not because his touch is unpleasant but because it’stoo pleasant.It’s distracting. “When you say you like me, where do you see this going?” I ask cautiously.

“Where do you want it to go?”

“Don’t answer a question with a question.”

He shifts his body to face me, his arm stretching along the back of the couch. “I’m not sure. All I know is that I haven’t been able to get you out of my head ever since I saw you for the first time that night at the gallery. Even before that. Ever since I saw your piece when I was on the way to meet you.” His voice is low and raspy and sends tiny shivers across my back. “I have no idea what it is about you that makes you so darn unforgettable—and believe me, I’ve tried—but I’m not ready to let you go just yet. I can’t.”

Nervous and a little wary, I turn his words into a joke. “You do know that in light of everything that happened today, that makes you sound very stalkerish.”

“Yes, it kinda does,” Zander agrees, grimacing. “Like I said, I really suck at this. Women usually throw themselves at me.”

I burst into mad laughter, my eyes filling with tears while he continues to watch me with his deep, luminous gaze. Goosebumps skitter across my skin and I suddenly feel hot in all the wrong places. It’s almost as if my body doesn’t belong to me.

Zander inclines his head a little and threads a finger through the loose strands of hair that fall down my shoulders. “I’m going to kiss you right now, Drew.”

I realize that he’s warning me, that this is my opportunity to shut him down. Problem is, I don’t want to.

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