Page 49 of Reckless Kiss

Chapter 16

Itold Esme to meet me at my favorite French restaurant. I did this for three reasons. One, I wanted to continue dazzling her. Two, I was afraid if we were alone for any amount of time I’d begin grilling her, and if I pushed her for information she’d run. I knew she’d run. And Three, I needed more time to wrap my mind around all of this.

When I arrived she was already seated at my favorite table so I took a moment to look at her. Really look at her. Not see her through the fog of my desire or the filter of who I believed her to be.

Who was Esme Brown?

She bit her lower lip as she read the menu, her shoulders tense and her eyes hidden by her lashes. Her dark hair was expertly styled over her right shoulder. As usual she wore a dress that hugged her curves without revealing all that much. Her lips were a darker shade of red than usual, but still magnificently, erotically red.

And...there was my lust filter getting in the way again.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried all over again.

Tense shoulders.

Esme was always tense, I realized, except when I distracted her. She acted as if she was about to be attacked at any time. What caused a beautiful, brilliant, anthropologist to live with so much fear?

I believed her fear was genuine. I could feel it and I couldn’t imagine a scenario where she’d use me for some twisted game. If anything she tried to warn me away, and stubbornly attracted as I was, I couldn’t be deterred.

No, the woman waiting for me was in trouble.

And that was all I needed to know.

She didn’t see me approach so I was gifted with a soft intake of breath as I bent to drop a kiss on her cheek. She smelled so good, felt so warm. “I missed you.”

She turned her head and locked her gaze with mine. My lips hovered a fraction of an inch from hers. Then she kissed me once. “I missed you too.”

Inside I vibrated with a need to have her, but outside I remained completely calm. “You’ll stay with me tonight?”

“Yes.”

Then I could wait. I took her face in my hand and really kissed her this time. Kissed her until she moaned softly into my mouth and I knew I had her complete attention. “We should eat.”

The moment I took my seat a waiter appeared beside our table to take our order and then we were alone in a dark restaurant at a private table. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you. You changed.”

After I left Bancroft Sports I went home and took a very long shower before donning my favorite Hugo Boss suit. “I enjoy dressing for you.”

“It’s one of the things I like about you.”

It made me wonder what attracted her to Jeffry’s ironic t-shirts and rumpled hair. “What did you do today?”

“Gym, graded papers, read a book.” Her gaze shifted from me to her glass. She was holding something back.

“Do you regret meeting me?”

It took my breath away when her eyes darted back to mine. “Yes. No.” She swallowed hard as her cheeks heated.

“Which is it, Esme?”

“Both.”

“I wish you’d tell me why.”

But instead she picked up her wine and drank...all of it.

Fuck.I knew I was incapable of wading through this slowly. Even simple questions probed too deep.

---