Page 51 of A Touch of Frost
Frost exhaled and reached for my hand. “What happened after?”
“I struggled.” I replied. “Wound up in Norfolk.” It had been a while since I spoke to anyone about this. “Made some friends in low places, started working at a mixed martial arts gym.”
“Is that where you learned to fight?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I met a friend and her father started training both of us. Then I got into tattoos and it came easy to me—for the first time in my life I was good at something. I trained, interned, all while working two jobs to pay the bills. I never looked back.”
“You’re a tattoo artist now?”
“Yeah.” I lifted the back of her hand to my lips. “I’ve gone a long time without someone to have my back. It feels weird.”
“And dating?” Frost pulled her hand from mine.
I thought I heard a hint of jealousy in her voice, but she looked away before I could confirm it by looking into her eyes.
“For years I focused on building my own business.” I explained to her. “I was determined not to prove my father right. I was going to be bigger than he would ever dream of being—wealthier than he can ever imagine.”
“And did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Blow your father’s expectations out of the water.”
“I did more than that.” I scoffed. “To answer your question before, I dated some. I haven’t been successful in that area though.”
“That means you’re single?”
I tilted my head, confused by her question. She didn’t look at me and a part of me wanted to tease her, to find out what she was getting at. “I am single.”
“Good.”
“Good?” I asked. “Abigail Ryder, you’ve never been the one to beat around the bush. Are you going to ask me what you want to ask me—tell me what you want to tell me?”
“I—well, I’m interested, okay?”
“Okay.” I couldn’t contain the smile to dance across my lips as I turned my attention to our target. “Just so I’m clear—you’re interested meaning you’d like me to be your man.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why?” Frost asked. “I-I, well—that’s a good question. You’re sexy. I enjoy making love with you. You have a brain in your head. But I don’t want you to make that decision yet.”
“You’re afraid if this goes south and Paul—you think I would be angry.”
When she said nothing, I shifted to look at her.
Frost didn’t have to answer.
I could feel the truth in the stiffness of her back. Leaning over, I kissed her ear then picked up the bag again to grab another chocolate bar. This one, I broke in two and handed her the bigger piece.
Though Frost hesitated, she stared into my eyes for an eternity then accepted it.
Chapter 11
Frost
“You were right.” Tex’s voice filled the interior of the car. “Hono is under. I would activate someone else for you, but everyone is too far to make much of a difference right now. I’m sorry.”
