Page 109 of The Light Within

“What?” Malik blinked, then snorted. “Oh, them? Hell no. Julien Montaigne acts like he’s got a stick up his ass, and his boyfriend dresses like a hobo. Not my type. I’m more into uniforms.” Malik raked his eyes up and down Elliot’s gendarmerie’s attire. Then winked.

It took an embarrassingly long time for Elliot to realise the guy was attempting to flirt with him.

Likely, he was trying to flirt his way out of Elliot deciding to punch him in the face, but hey, he’d take it. It had been a while.

“But speaking of which—I gotta know—does Cinnamon Saunders own five identical grey hoodies, or does he just never do laundry? These are the real questions that came out of my investigation. Though, Madame Sinclair didn’t exactly share my enthusiasm. She actually kicked me off the job.”

Elliot schooled his expression. Just what was this guy playing at, revealing so casually that it was Eleanor who was having them tailed? If he was attempting to earn Elliot’s trust, he was failing.

“Really?” Elliot eyed Malik carefully. “Probably a good thing, since you were too busy checking us out to bother hiding yourself properly.”

“Well, after months of it, I just couldn’t be bothered any more, honestly.”

“Months?”

The word left Elliot’s mouth hanging loose.No way.It was impossible that this idiot had gone undetected for months.

Nodding, Malik smirked, one corner of his lip twitching up. “My favorite part of your adventures? Watching you three haul those unconscious bodies out of that sketchy warehouse in London.”

Time stilled as Elliot tensed. So long had passed since he’d helped take down the maggot of a crime boss who had made Cinn’s life hell, he’d long since stopped worrying that it might come back to bite him.

“Eleanor… knows about that?”

“Of course she does. It was all in my report. Great stuff, really. Though Eleanor seemed pretty uninterested in my section about your order at the fish and chip shop…”

Malik babbled on, but Elliot tuned him out, mind spinning. How did Elliot still have his job? Why hadn’t Eleanor informed Salvatore Gallo that one of his gendarmes had been gallivanting around London unchecked, taking down gangsters and reducing their minds to mush?

“I… don’t understand,” was all Elliot could say. He dropped his grip on Malik, who shifted away from him, straightening his coat.

Malik ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair. “Ah, got it. So we’re finally getting to the part where I let you catch me this evening.”

“Allowed? Come on. You were running pretty fast from where I was standing.”

“The chase is a part of the fun, don’t you think?” Malik gave a low laugh.

Elliot moved away from him, folding his arms. He assessed the man again. “I feel like I’ve met you, but I can’t put my finger on it,” he admitted.

“Yeah?” Malik openly grinned at him now, winding Elliot up further. “That’s probably because I called it quits on this little game a while back—at that New Year’s party.” Malik nodded in the vague direction of the Curio Café.

Oh.

Oh, no.

Fuck, no.

Elliot waspowerless to repress the look of horror undoubtedly blooming across his face.

“I tried to talk to you, remember?” Malik didn’t hide the mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “But you were at least ten shots deep, so I can’t blame you if you don’t recall.”

A horrible, distorted memory tormented Elliot as deep-rooted mortification rolled over him in waves.

“I… Didn’t I… Were you the one…” Elliot couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“Yes, that’s right. You came up to me at closing time and rather crudely propositioned me.” Malik pressed a hand against his heart, feigning shock. “I was blushing like a fair maiden. Then you ruined the moment by hurling all over my best shoes.”

That’s why his smile looked so familiar. He’s hot-guy-in-the-tuxedo.

A blurry image of himself pawing at the guy’s waist assaulted him. Oh, what Elliot would do for the ground to swallow him whole right about now. “You’d been staring at me all evening!” was his only defence.

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