Page 20 of Irresistible

“Drew called me this morning and wanted to talk. When I hung up, he called right back. Whatever happened the other day has him off the rails. He hasn’t tried to make contact since he and Tina filed the suit.”

“Did you record the conversation?” The smirk she gave him told him how ridiculous the question was. “Okay, that was dumb. I sometimes forget that you’re a criminal mastermind.”

“It’s an important talent to have when you’re going to write thrillers. If you looked at the search history on my computer, you’d assume that I was a serial killer.”

The waiter approached with their appetizers, and Lilly slipped her hand away. When she moved it out of reach, he slid his hand to her knee and left it there. If she was within arm’s reach, then he was going to make sure he kept hold. As Lilly popped a crawfish beignet into her mouth, he groaned and tightened his hold on her leg. This was going to be the longest meal of his life.

“You remind me of that lion we saw on Predators the other night. Remember when the male lion roared, marking his territory, and stretched his head out?”

“Sure. I had no idea that a lion’s roar was twice as loud as a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Why are you bringing up the lions?” he asked as he slipped a bacon-wrapped shrimp in his mouth.

“When Drew was yapping away this morning and complaining about you, it made me think of the lion. You marked your territory when you spoke with them, and that has him ten kinds of crazy because he’s always been jealous of you.”

“Seems he isn’t as dumb as I thought.” Running his fingers over her knee, he felt the heat of her smooth skin. Which made him wonder how soon he could run his mouth up her leg. Clearing his throat, he decided to do himself a favor and quit thinking about his fantasies. “How many times did he try to reconcile after you two broke up?”

She tightened her mouth and then looked away. That told him more than any verbal answer. Drew was volatile, and Brock would bet Drew’s attempts had been wrapped up in a lot of shouting. A rich boy with a temper who didn’t get what he wanted was bound to be an asshole.

“When I’m done with something,” she said, “I’m d-o-n-e. No exceptions. I make sure never to let it back into my life.”

“Except he found a way to insert himself back in,” he said with more anger than he was ready to admit. The idea of Drew having had any place in Lilly’s life set a part of him on fire. The part that often didn’t have a lot of control. “Let’s not talk about Drew anymore. Tell me about the movie that’s being made of your book.”

“Netflix bought the film rights and is producing it. I’m going down to Jefferson Island next week to watch the filming. I made sure that I had a say in who was cast, so I’m excited to see how it’s all coming together.”

“Did you ever think you would be in the film business?”

Lilly snorted and took a fried alligator tenderloin. After she ate it, she replied, “I never thought I could make a living writing, so the fact that a movie’s being made of my book is unbelievable.”

“I have some time off. Maybe I can come down with you and see your stories come to life. You’ve been making them up since I’ve known you, and it would be cool to see the fruition of your dreams.”

“I’d like that.”

When he took her hand, he felt her studying him. “What’s on your mind?”

“I just realized how fun it is to spend time with a man and feel relaxed. You already know all my faults, so I don’t have to put on a show for you.”

“I never thought about it like that. You already know the worst of me, so if you’re sitting here holding my hand, it must mean that you’ll take me as I am.” When she laughed and leaned forward, a warm feeling spread across his chest. Desire and lust were a given when he was around her, but this new feeling was completely unfamiliar. It was a low hum of satisfaction running through his veins. The only thing he could compare it to was when he was out on a mission and the objective was being met. Accepting his feelings and doing something about them had taken away the low-level anxiety that he’d been familiar with every time he was around her. The impatience, anger, and frustration had disappeared, all because he wasn’t lying to himself about what he wanted. Acceptance. Why it had taken him so long to get there was a mystery.

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