Page 6 of Brick
She pulled her hand away.A haunted look flashed over her face then just as quickly disappeared.“Natasha Smith.”
He turned his attention to the menu.“What can I get you to eat, Natasha?”His intuition told him she didn’t want an abundance of attention right now.Flirting might make her flee.And while he couldn’t keep the soldier in his pants down, he sure as hell wasn’t going to do anything to startle her more than he had.
“Oh, goodness.You don’t have to buy it for me.This isn’t a date.”She flipped open the menu, her gaze on it intent.
“It could be.”Ah, fuck.So much for not scaring her.
One pretty eyebrow rose, and then her sharp tongue poked and deflated his ego.“You know nothing about me.Why on earth would this be a date?”
“I deserved that,” he countered.“Sorry.I flirt when I’m nervous.Feel free to ignore anything that comes out of my mouth from here on out.”
She pursed her lips as if fighting off a smile.“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
He leaned toward her just an inch.“Let me buy you food.It’s the least I can do.If you hadn’t stopped on the sidewalk I might’ve just died.”
She cocked her head, her eyes sparking with tantalizing mischief.“Died from embarrassment.”
He let out a loose laugh.“Exactly.That’s why I need this to be a date.So tomorrow when I can barely move, it won’t be for nothing.”
Her fingers delicately tapped the menu.“All right, Mr.Hamilton.It’s a date.”The warmth radiating from her smile hit his chest.Something told him she needed this date as much as his ego did.
Their server approached, and they both ordered burgers and fries.
Natasha was quiet and seemed pensive while they waited for their food.A band took the stage at the back of the bar, and rock music soon filled the air.
“Where’s home?”he asked, as he reached for his glass of water.
Natasha’s gaze darted away.“Detroit.”
“Nice.What brings you out here?”
“Just a work visit.What do you do?”
He noted how quickly she’d turned the tables but didn’t comment on her hesitancy to share about herself.“Just finished three tours in Afghanistan.Currently I work as a freelance bodyguard.”
Interest lit her face.“Really?What kinds of clients do you take on?”
“I’ve worked with a few politicians and businessmen.Unfortunately, working solo isn’t making me enough money.”But things would be changing soon, hopefully.One of his buddies, Rami, had mentioned he was thinking about starting a private security company.If all went well, he’d have a permanent, steady job in Seattle, his hometown, within six months.
Natasha grimaced.“That sucks.Especially if it’s what you want to do.I’m sure you’d be good at it.”Her gaze roamed appreciatively over his biceps.
“I’m good at a lot of things.Not all one can make a living from.”
Her cheeks turned pink and she ducked her head.Before he could say anything else, their food appeared and they ate and talked more.Meanwhile, his thoughts churned.Most women he met on the fly either put out or weren’t interested at all, though the latter didn’t happen often.But Natasha appeared to be somewhere in between.Despite her hesitancy to talk about herself, she seemed interested in him.And if the leisurely wandering of her eyes meant anything, she was as into him as he was her.
He ate slowly, one small French fry at a time.Because the sooner he finished eating, the sooner she’d leave.
And he didn’t want that.
“You flying back to Michigan tomorrow?”
Her expression went blank.“Uhm.No.I’m driving.”
He bounced his eyebrows and did the math.That was over twelve hours—a lot of driving for one person.“How come?That’s pretty far.”
“Oh, it was cheaper, I guess.I didn’t want to rent a car when I got here.”She shrugged.“Just made sense.”
Doubt flitted through him.He hadn’t spotted a ring on her finger, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t taken.There was no way in hell he’d take this conversation a minute further without some clarity.
