Page 8 of Legacy's Destiny

His shrug was almost imperceptible. “Proprietary information,” he said smoothly. “I’m afraid I can’t get into specifics.”

“Oh, I get that.” She nodded, her expression shifting, softening her features. “So, where were you born?”

“Colorado,” he said, watching her reaction. “You?”

“Montana. Bozeman. Where in Colorado?”

“We claim Denver because my father has a spread in the Rockies. North of the city, way up in the mountains.” His tonesoftened as he spoke, memories of home flashing briefly in his mind. “Mom home-schooled us until we graduated high school. Then I went to college with my twin brother.”

Her brows rose. “A twin, huh? Another man like you?”

“Ronan is definitely a man.” He chuckled. “The guy is as macho as you can get.”

She lifted both eyebrows and shook her head. “More than you? I find that hard to believe. Where did you go to college? In Colorado?”

He nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Yep. You?”

“Bozeman High School,” she said, nostalgia creeping into her voice. “Then MIT after that.”

His whistle was low, appreciative. “MIT? Smarter than the average bear, huh?”

“Well, I don’t know about that, Yogi,” she shot back with a chuckle, her wit quick and effortless. “I graduated and accepted a commission in the Army because ROTC paid for most of my tuition and such. I played that game for eight years before I got out.”

“And now, you’re in IT for one of those Beltway companies,” he said, piecing together her story.

“Good guess.” She grinned, leaning back. “Virginia. They love scooping up former military, don’t they?”

“They do,” he said, nodding. “I served in the Air Force. Left after my commitment was up and never looked back. It was a great start …”

Her eyes rolled, playful exasperation evident. “I know. The military had way too many limitations for me.”

“They’re called regulations,” he teased, his grin widening when she made a face at him. So, she was a rule-breaker. Interesting.

“Yeah, those things. Hated them.” She laughed again, and it warmed the space between them.

When the food arrived, fragrant steam curled up from the plates, filling the air with an enticing medley of spices. Deacon ordered another round of drinks, and Echo eyed him with mock exasperation though her lips twitched in amusement.

When she took her first bite, her eyes fluttered closed, and she let out a low, almost indecent moan. “My goodness, this is amazing.”

Deacon couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. “You should try the curry here. It’s the best in the city—that’s why I came tonight.”

Her eyes popped open wide with surprise. “Wait. You’re not staying here? You actually came here just for the food?”

He grinned, leaning back in his seat. “I did. My team went to the clubs, but I prefer the quiet and good food.” His voice softened. “I love what I do, and the people I work with are like family, but sometimes, I need a bit of distance.”

She paused her chopsticks poised mid-air and regarded him thoughtfully before placing a dumpling in her mouth. After a moment, she set the sticks down and dabbed at her lips with her napkin. “I think I’m the opposite. I spend so much time alone that when I get a chance to do something social, I jump in with both feet.”

“Time alone?” The woman across from him was vivacious and witty. Why in the hell did she spend so much time alone?

Echo nodded. “Perks of the job. I work on things I can’t discuss, and my job puts me in really boring company.” She dropped her head back and looked at the ceiling before righting herself. “And really old company. Man, I can clearly see myself in thirty years because they were like me once, but they’re still doing the same thing, albeit in bigger and better offices.” She shook her head. “So, yeah, both feet. Big splash.” She lifted her purple cocktail, the rim glistening under the low lantern light, and tilted her head. Her voice dipped to a husky murmur,sending a shiver down his spine. “Do you want your distance after I finish?”

Deacon met her gaze, his smile slow and deliberate. “Distance isn’t what I was thinking about.” He took a measured sip of his beer, letting his words hang between them.

Her smile grew, lighting up her face as her foot brushed against his leg. The movement was subtle but unmistakable. His eyes seemed to widen at her own boldness, and she laughed softly, taking another sip of her drink. “That’s good,” she said, her tone turning playful. “I wasn’t thinking about distance either.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his gaze locking with hers. “Oh?” His voice dropped an octave, low and inviting. “What were you thinking?”

She picked up her chopsticks and pointed them at him like a playful weapon. “Kissing you.”

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