Page 53 of The Daredevil

“Oh,wow. Your men did a fabulous job. Thank you.” I glanced up at the newly replaced window. “Tomas called me yesterday and apologized for the incident. He’s grateful for your help.”

“He’s been in this neighborhood as long as I have. We look out for each other’s properties. And you’re welcome.”

Silence hummed in the air as Royce drove toward the Volcanic Museum. We had started the day flirting with each other, but ended with irritation. Though we were fake dating, this game between us seemed more serious. This was no longer about Fiona, but a revelation for me.

I was very attracted to Royce.

He looked handsome in casual clothes, but in a suit? Oh. My. God. My heart had never palpitated the way it did when I saw him standing in the kitchen. The power of his presence constricted and relaxed my muscles on command. I’d never met anyone with charisma oozing out of him like Royce. No wonder Fiona and the other women couldn’t keep their eyes off him. Even I had trouble.

Sitting beside him, I sensed the heat of his body caressing mine. I also knew he was thinking about our conversation regarding other women eagle-eyeing him. My honest answer to his question surprised me. The lie I initially wanted to say wouldn’t make its way out. The truth was more powerful.

I didn’t want any woman near him.He’s mine.

But in reality, I had no claim to him. He wanted me as a fake girlfriend to chase away an old flame. That alone made me jealous of Fiona. She got to touch and experience him in a way I never did.

The man was also moody. One minute he flirted with me, and the next he gave me attitude for wanting to go back to my apartment. He liked having his space, but so did I. Not to mention, he only offered for me to stay at his place until the window was repaired. If he wanted me to stay longer, then he should ask. I’d consider, and we’d have a conversation about it. Instead, we kept our thoughts to ourselves.

I wasn’t going to invite myself into a man’s home. Self-respect was priceless, and no man could take that away from me. I’d learned a long time ago that self-worth was difficult for most people to maintain.

This had nothing to do with a woman asking a man out or anything like that. I believed in equal rights and all, but sometimes I would like a man to show me he wanted me enough tomakethat move. That wasn’t so hard to ask.

Everything came down to having standards. I had mine, and his loss if he doesn’t measure up to them.

The sexual tension in the car finally got the better of me, so I broke the silence.

“Are you mad?”

He met my eyes. “No. Why would I be?”

“You seem annoyed.”

“Not annoyed. Just contemplative.”

“Really? Your version of ‘contemplative’ is unique. The furrowed eyebrows, the pout, and the glacial look that could bring Earth back to the Ice Age.”

He offered a half-smile. “I can be an intense man.”

My heart leaped. “You’re right.”

He sighed, placing a hand over mine. “I’m sorry if my bitter mood is affecting you. That wasn’t intentional. Forgive me. I’m just trying to figure out a difficult puzzle.”

“For work?”

He met my gaze. “I think you’ve asked a lot of questions already. My turn. I saw you crying one time at Remi’s house. You looked upset, and Audri consoled you. I asked Audri, but she only said you had a fight with your boyfriend. What happened?”

The question threw me off. That was a long time ago. At least in my book.

I debated on how much I wanted to share with him. If I wanted to know about his past, I had to let him in a little. Relationships were about compromise, and friendship was a different relationship that respected the same rule.

I inhaled a deep breath. “My two-year relationship ended that day. It should have ended sooner. I shouldn’t have endured him for as long as I did.”

His grip on my hand tightened as he pulled over to the side of the road, parked, and shifted to face me.

“What are you doing? We’re going to be late.”

“We have plenty of time. Besides, I’m the keynote speaker. They have no choice but to wait for me.”

My brain spun as I recalled Becca mentioning a scientist being the keynote speaker. I’d assumed Royce was another attendee like me. Shifting to face me, his green eyes bore into mine, sharp and penetrating. I couldn’t think or do anything but look at him.

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