Page 28 of Tales You Win (Grim & Beast Duet 1)

CHAPTERSEVEN

Secrets and Lies

“Well that was fun,” I remark dryly as Beast and I step out of the shooting range and head towards his car. We’ve spent the last hour shooting the shit out of the bullseye paper target. Pretty sure we’re evenly matched in terms of accuracy and I’m more than positive I can handle a fucking gun.

“Your form is good, Princess. I’m impressed,” Beast replies, reaching for the passenger door before I can open it myself.

His fingers brush against mine and I remove them quickly, shifting slightly out of the way so that I don’t do something crazy like step into him and drag my nose against the open collar of his shirt just so that I can breathe him in. He smells good enough to eat and I find my gaze dropping to his crotch and lingering there. I’ve never given a man a blowjob, but I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy giving him one.

“Princess?” Eyes snapping up, I give him a bland smile that he returns with a broad one of his own. “In you get,” he says, pulling the door open.

Since when does he open car doors for me? I wrinkle my nose, not sure how to take this gentlemanly behaviour. Is this how he treats all his women? No wonder he’s so popular with the ladies. “Thanks?”

“Don’t look so surprised,” he says, chuckling as I climb into my seat and pull the door shut.

“What was that?” I ask him the minute he climbs into the car.

“What was what?”

“The whole opening the door for me thing.”

Beast snorts. “Why does it bother you so much? I was being a gent.”

“You’ve never done that before,” I reply.

“Then I apologise for being a shitty human. I will endeavour to open more doors for you in the future.”

“Have you taken something?” I ask, side-eyeing him as he puts the car in drive and we head out onto the street. “You’re acting weird. First the compliment, then opening the door for me. It’s not like you.”

“Not taken a damn thing,” he shrugs.

I study his side profile, waiting for him to burst out laughing. He doesn’t.

“That’s good then,” I reply lamely as I look out of the window and blink away the image of his straight nose, cut cheekbones and sharp jaw covered in a two day old stubble. His kind of attractiveness should be outlawed. I’m pretty sure he’s a danger to my health.

Turning my attention to the passing scenery, I try to push all thoughts of Beast’s attractiveness out of my head and focus on my rumbling stomach that’s decided to make itself known. I haven’t eaten since breakfast and my stomach feels like my throat has been cut given it’s now dark and pushing eight o’clock in the evening.

“Hungry?” Beast asks.

“Starving,” I admit, glancing over at him.

“I know a place. Want to join me for dinner?” he asks all casually like it’s no big deal, and it didn’t just sound like he’d asked me on a date. Probably because he hadn’t.

It’s not like we haven’t eaten together before. Beast spends an awful lot of time over at my house purely because he’s always needed by Carter for one thing or another. He’s even got a room at the house in case work meetings go late and he needs a place to crash. That and the fact that Carter insists I’m not left alone whilst he does fuck knows what, with fuck knows who. When I said Beast is a glorified babysitter, I meant it.

“Sure, why not?”

“Great.”

Half an hour later we’re parked down a quiet side street in Soho. I jump out of the car before Beast can open the door for me. It feels weird waiting for a man to do something that I can do for myself just as easily. Besides, I’m getting hangry and need to eat something before I set on someone.

“This place serves food?” I ask, looking up at the nondescript building in front of me. It has blacked-out windows and a boarded-up door.

“It’s a speakeasy,” he explains.

“You’re shitting me?!”

“Nope. It’s owned by the Ricci family.”

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