Page 62 of Shadow Break

He was leaning against the doorframe, still with that same look. She found herself slipping into a casual flirtation despite her reservations. It was a feeling she hadn’t had in a very long time, and after the stress of the last few days, she couldn’t resist. “Sounds ominous.” She grinned.

“It is. Dinner.”

“With you?”

“Is that so terrible?”

“Isn’t that unprofessional?”

“It’s not a date. It’s just dinner.” His seductive charm slid into something more friendly and she didn’t know what to think. “You look like you could use a break. You’ve been at the lab all day?”

“What do you think?”

“I think it was a stupid question.”

“It was. I have been here all day and you know it.”

“Does that mean you’re ready for a break?”

“Let me just finish up.”

“Sure.” He wandered to the other side of the room. “Looks like you are now fully unpacked.”

“It took a while, but we finally got there.” She put a USB into her computer to download what she was working on, then slipped the device into her pocket.

“What’s that?” he asked, startling her.

“Nothing. Just work. So I can do some at home.”

“You need to learn some boundaries.”

“Do I? And who’s going to teach me those boundaries? I don’t imagine you’re the right man for the job. You seem the type to have the same problem I do.”

“You’re right. Imagine if we were married. We’d be terrible for each other.”

She was thankful he wasn’t looking at her. She didn’t know what look was on her face when he mentioned marriage so casually, but it unsettled her in good and bad ways.

She headed toward the door with her head down. “Will we need security at the restaurant?”

“You’ve got me. What else do you need?”

“Uh.”

He laughed at the befuddled look on her face. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we aren’t followed, but going to a random restaurant doesn’t carry a lot of risk.”

“That’s good. It’s been ages since I’ve been out anywhere.”

“I know just where to take you.”

“I thought it was random?”

“It will be to anyone watching.”

“I knew it. I knew someone was watching.”

He laughed. “Someone is always watching. Ready?”

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