Page 36 of Don't Lie To Me

“Is it really necessary? You know I’m a cop, right? I can take care of you.” The way he says it makes me feel all warm inside. He doesn’t even know me and already I know he’s a man of his word and he really would take care of me.

“I can take care of myself. But yeah, it’s necessary. Onyx comes with me everywhere I go. You’ll get used to him. He can drive us in my Porche.” I redirect him to where Onyx has parked my car.

“Fancy,” he says, impressed by my wheels. “I was expecting a bike.”

“I’m a fancy kind of girl. Can’t really ride a bike in this.” I motion to my fitted dress. It’s also hard for Onyx to protect me, though the truth is, my brothers never let me learn how to ride. They said it wasn’t safe for me. Just another thing I hold against them.

Onyx goes to walk by us, and I halt him with a hand to his arm. “Reef, this is Onyx, the best bodyguard in the business.” I don’t know why I stop and introduce them, but it feels important tonight, so I do. It’s also the truth; Onyx means everything to me, and what Romeo said in my office this afternoon is one hundred percent accurate. I owe him my life. I need to stop being such a bitch to him because he won’t give me what I want. He’s trying to protect me, though from what exactly I’m not sure even I understand these days.

“Nice to meet you, Onyx,” Reef offers. He’s so polite even if this situation is awkward for all involved.

Onyx gives a nod and a grunt of acknowledgment. Then he moves around to the driver’s side, hopping in.

Reef opens the back door for me, and I slide on over as he moves in beside me. I can’t help smiling at him, and I don’t even know why. He pissed me off this morning with his uppity attitude about searchingmy club, but like this, he’s charming and very likable. I think I’ll give him a second chance.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I don’t know Ravens Hollow all that well just yet, but one of the girls at work said I should take you to Casa Moretti.”

Onyx snickers from the front, probably because of my terrible business meeting there last night.

“No?” Reef asks, worried he’s done something wrong.

I place a reassuring hand on his thigh, meeting Onyx’s gaze in the rearview mirror in warning. He’s supposed to be invisible. “Sounds perfect, their food is to die for.” I smile at Reef.

The car falls silent as we drive through the busy city streets of Ravens Hollow. The sound of a siren punctuates the air. Reef glances out the window, taking it all in, and I can’t help but watch him. He’s easy to watch, a calming presence when my life feels so chaotic at the moment. And this would all be new to him, if the story he told me the other night was even true. But I know he’s new in town, we would have heard about him earlier if he wasn’t.

He looks back at me, catching me checking him out. He doesn’t seem to care, and if anything, the twinkle in his green eyes tells me he quite enjoys my eyes on him. “Are your brothers like that with every guy you date?”

My cheeks heat, not sure how much I want to admit to him. I know I have to be super careful. “I don’t normally date, Reef. I’m pretty positive my brothers have no idea what to make of this. But you can be sure they don’t like the fact you’re a cop.”

“I’m okay with that.”

“Good. If you’re going to hang out with me, you will need to be okay with a lot when it comes to my brothers.” I study him carefully, wondering what exactly his angle is here with me. The way he looks atme, he seems genuinely to like me. But we both know what happened this morning. He takes his job very seriously, and he’s likely still investigating my club. I need to tread carefully.

“Am I just a job to you, Reef?” I ask, just putting it out there, knowing he won’t be able to answer me truthfully even if I am. But I’m hoping to see the truth in his actions. I’m normally pretty good at reading people, though I’m doubting my ability more of late after my bad decision with Romeo, but he is a master manipulator. So maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh on myself.

“When I stumbled into your club a few nights ago for a drink, I had no idea who you were. Or who the Iron Strykers are. I was there for a relaxing drink after a stressful day of moving, sitting there wondering if I had made the biggest mistake of my life, and then there you were, all pretty and confident. I thought all my luck had changed.” His eyes meet mine, warm and comfortable, the same buzzing of electricity I felt the first time we met. “I didn’t start with Ravens Hollow Police Department until today. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw your club was the first job on my list.” Is it really all some messed up coincidence?

“You shocked the shit out of me when I saw it was you as well.” I laugh, not able to help it. How does this shit happen to me?

His hand trails up my thigh, feeling the fabric of my dress. “I wanted to see you again, it just wasn’t the way I was expecting.” He smiles at me in a way that makes my cheeks heat and my body thrum with excitement. He’s so gorgeous when he smiles.

“So, the story you gave me was real?”

“One hundred percent. Did you think I was undercover?”

“I had wondered, it seemed too much of a coincidence. How’s your gran?” I ask, remembering his reason for moving here.

“She has her ups and downs. Today was a good day.”

He’s a regular Mr. Nice Guy, the complete opposite of every other man in my life. And way too sweet for me. But somehow, I find myself imagining just what it would feel like to have his full lips on mine. Explosive, I decide. Like fire and ice, pain and pleasure, light and dark. My complete opposite.

Onyx pulls up out the front of Casa Moretti and kills the engine, bringing me out of my daydream and back into the present. Reef opens the door and hops out, thanking Onyx for the safe driving. He’s so polite.

Onyx’s eyes come to me for a second before I get out of the car, his hand capturing mine. “Be careful, trouble. I will be right here if you need me.”

I offer him half a smile and nod, sad for him. He has to watch me date some other dude right in front of him. But he could have me and he won’t. I’m not going to be alone forever because I can’t have him in the way I want. Not that I’m saying I’m actually going to date the detective. That seems like a stupid thing to do, unless I could corrupt him. Now that could be more fun.

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