Page 35 of Seducer

“A triple decker ice cream cone?” I challenged to yank myself out of purgatory as I snatched the last French fry off the communal plate.

My God, the man was watching everything I did. Either he was as aroused as I was, or I had something in my teeth.

Zach eyed the treat as if gazing at a bar of gold. When he snapped his fingers around my wrist, I issued a slight gasp. The move wasentirely unexpected. He leaned forward, dragging the end of the fry through the ketchup.

I watched in silence and perhaps a hint of reverence as he closed his eyes, lifting our arms toward him. When he bit down on the end of the fry, he did so as if savoring a bite of the finest French cheese or a Swiss chocolate.

“Mmmm…” The single syllable he muttered was strangely thrilling and I realized I was holding my breath.

If this was some younger dude, I’d say he was just trying to impress me to get me into bed. With Zach, he was doing nothing more than being himself. Why I was lucky enough to receive a dose of his true personality was beyond me, but I was happy to take it.

He chewed several times, swallowing before releasing his possessive hold. When he did, I felt a sense of loss, which was silly on every level.

“I’ve done four scoops at one time,” he stated almost as if an admittance.

“I’d need to see that. I can’t imagine you didn’t get it all over you.”

Leaning forward, he waited as I finished the last of the fried treat. “It doesn’t hurt when there’s a beautiful woman to lick up drops of fallen ice cream.”

“Hmmm… If I didn’t know better, I’d say that was a proposition.” Maybe with him I could be anyone I wanted to be. I was still hiding behind a mask of sorts, protected by vibrant colors splashed across my face.

“And what if it was?” His phone rang and almost instantly, he lost his impish grin. “I need to take this.”

“Of course.”

He slid from the booth, moving toward the side window several booths away. Given the late hour, there was only one other customer in a booth close to the entrance. I casually glanced over my shoulder, studying Zach’s expression. Almost instantly after taking the call, a scowl crossed his face. I couldn’t hear his voice, but it was easy to tell he was furious with either the call or the information relayed.

I shifted my gaze out the window, thinking about how dawn would slip over the horizon in less than an hour.

His heavy footsteps were as deliberate as they’d been before. When he eased down onto the seat, I sensed the call had left him in another realm. He said nothing at first and frustration grew exponentially.

“News on my car?”

His nod was brief and slight, his jaw clenching as he did. “Unfortunately, parts need to be ordered.”

Maybe I was being overly sensitive since I didn’t know him, but it felt like he was lying. What the hell was going on?

“That was fast. Parts? What parts?” I asked. There was an ominous tone in his voice. Not as if he’d instructed his man to ruin my vehicle, but more like what had been discovered troubled both.

“A starter for one. Should arrive at his shop late morning.” He was now staring at me as if he didn’t know me or as if we hadn’tspent the last hour plus together. He was also good at the game, acting as if the situation was an inconvenience and nothing else.

I hated the fact I wanted to grill him.

“Shit,” I whispered, fearful of the costs.

“Don’t worry, Wild Kitty. My buddy will be very reasonable with the charges, I assure you.”

Arguing with him seemed pointless.

“Then I guess I need to call an Uber. It’s very late.” I suddenly realized living this fantasy wasn’t good for me. Not right now anyway.

“Yes, very late. Unfortunately, they stop running just before three. A company policy. Too many weirdos on the roads late at night.”

“Shit.” I had no need not to believe him and I laughed nervously, reflecting my fury at being caught with my pants down. “Maybe a cab.”

Laughing, Zach pulled the small paper check from the table. “In this part of town at this hour? Not a chance. I’ll take you home.”

“I can’t allow you to do that.”

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