Page 12 of 7 Dirty Lies

Colt cocked an eyebrow.“And what makes you think we’re flirting?Maybe we’re conspiring against ourenemies.”

In a way that’s exactly what I was doing.Having fun and feeling free were two things that would make my parents itch since it wasn’t by theirdesign.

“Considering you haven’t smiled this much all week, I’m going with flirting.Because if you were smiling over destroying your enemies that would mean you were evil and I wouldn’t believethatfor a second.”Then he spun aroundandleft.

“I guess we should go back to flirting then.”I picked up my fork and pulled open my fish.It smelledheavenly.

“I guess weshould.”

I let him eat for a few minutes.The food was too good not to give our full attention, hoping that after he had some food and wine in his system he’d be a little less freaked out by the idea of there being something more afterdinner.

So I was surprised when he beat metoit.

“Maybe it’s the island, or maybe it’s just you Annie, but I’m actually having fun.”He glanced up at me betweenbites.

“SoamI.”

“And I’m wondering what happens next.How you’refeeling.”

I carefully chewed and swallowed, studying the nervous way he cut into his vegetables.“I’m feelingoptimistic.”

He set down his knife and fork, and folded his hands in front of him on the table.“As I said before, I’ve never been a ...an...impulsive man.I’ve found I need to know and trust the women I bring intomylife.”

“And you don’tknowme.”

He nodded slowly.“But I feel like I do, which is quite possibly the strangest thing I’veeversaid.”

He felt this too, whateverthiswas.“Logic is telling you that it takes time to get to knowsomeone.”

“And a backgroundcheck.”

Dear god, what kind of people did he have in his life?“Think about it this way.In two days I get on a plane and fly away.You don’t know my name, where I live, or what I do for a living.All I know about you is that your name is Colt, you’re from California, and you wear a cowboy hat.I couldn’t track you down unless the hotel gave me your information—and we both know we paid a ridiculous amount of money for the security this resortprovides.”

“True.”

“And,” I hurried on before he said anything that might shut me down.“The worst that could happen is that one day, years from now, we cross paths again.Colt, I can’t hurt you and you can’t hurt me.This is two days of nothing but what we want to make of it.That’sit.”

I felt the urgency of this moment.If I didn’t make my case he was going to back out, be the gentleman.Beresponsible.But the last thing either of us needed was that.We needed wild, crazy, and out ofcontrol.

We needed to bedifferent.

“You’re telling me to throw logic out thewindow.”

“Damn straight,” I murmured, pushing back my plate.“Where has logic gotten us?Stressed out and working ourselves to death.Maybe it’s time to do theopposite.”

He pushed back his plate and leaned towards me.“You make a verycompellingcase.”

“Enough to convince you to walk me home?Whether you kiss me goodnight is totally up to you, but I’d at least like a few more minutes ofyourtime.”

Silence hung between us for several beats before his lips started to curve upward as he fought back a laugh, his eyes glittering with mischief.“Can’t we at least have dessert before you try to get ridofme?”

“Get rid of you?I was trying to keep you around!”He had me giggling now, too.Damn his laugh wasinfectious.

“Good.You’ll need the time to prepare yourself.”He sat back, his eyes smoldering now.“Because when I kiss you good night, you’ll need all the energy you canmuster.”

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