Page 51 of Reckless Kiss

“He’s watching us, yeah?”

“Mmmm.” I took another, longer sip of wine.

“His name is Special Agent Walker Dixon. His partner is Special Agent John Capp. They are interested in the same information you’re interested in.”

I should have realized we weren’t the only ones noticing the money...or that Esme was a natural backdoor way of gaining information. “I recognize him...”

“You met him at my father’s reception at the stadium.”

The fucker who was harassing Esme. “That’s why you lied about drinking bourbon...he was following you and you didn’t want him to know about me?”

She grimaced and took a bite of her food. “They figured it out anyway.”

I couldn’t be sure but I was fairly certain Esme swore profusely under her breath. Something along the lines ofThose fucking nosy bastards are a bunch of assholes.

Honestly, it turned me on.

“And our other voyeurs?” I toyed with her fingers, sent her absolutely sinful thoughts with my eyes.

She cleared her throat and blushed crimson. Her cheeks nearly matched her lips.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

“They would be the private team hired by my father. They’re like my shadow. They go wherever I go.”

“Why? To make sure you don’t speak to the agents?”

She laughed and rolled her eyes to the sky, clearly exhausted by it all. “Some sins can’t be forgiven.”

What the hell did that mean? I pulled her hand up between us. “Look at me Esme.” I waited for her to give me her beautiful brown eyes. “Why does your father have you followed?”

She tried to pull her hand free but I held her tight. She let out a growl of frustration. “You said you wanted six months. I’ll tell you then.”

“I want to know now. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Stubborn,” she muttered, “stubborn, stubborn man.”

“I’m not stubborn. I’m persistent.”

“How is that different?”

“Well for one, stubborn has a negative connotation. If I were stubborn I’d be immovable regardless of circumstances. It would be my desire above all others.” And while my desire was very strong, it was hers that mattered most.

She seemed to catch my meaning because her eyelids dropped lazily over her eyes. “Oh?”

“Persistent, on the other hand, has a more positive connotation. Persistence is for the tenacious, those with a clear goal and the stamina to pursue it.”

“Regardless of circumstances?” she whispered.

“No,” I said simply. “The circumstances matter and my only desire, Esme, is to connect with you. I’m not stubborn. I’m not forcing you to tell me anything or demanding you make me part of your life. I’m asking you to consider it. I want you to understand that I’m coming from a place of...of,” I wanted to saylove.It was the best word for the way I felt about her, the depth of my caring. Was Iin lovewith her? I didn’t know that. So instead I searched for another word. “Fuck it. I want to be your friend. I want to be your lover. I want to see where all of that takes us, and in order to do that I feel compelled to help you, to be there for you. Even when you push me away. I don’t think that’s stubborn.”

She could take her fondness for linguistics and dissect all the hidden meanings in each of my words, try to ferret out the unconscious secrets I let slip with each choice of vocabulary. The differences were subtle but there and I hoped she could see that everything I said and did came from a place of sincerity.

She shuddered and melted a little into my grasp. “I went to college very young.”

I recalled her confession from the office. “And rebelled.”

“Correct. The woman in blue was my personal security until I reached the age of eighteen. At that point I refused the protection and she was converted to the private investigator in charge of my account. I didn’t like being followed and thought it would be fun to piss my father off. Pissing him off turned into my favorite thing to do. One thing led to another and before I knew what I was doing I’d dug myself into a hole so deep.” She shoved her plate back and dropped her forehead into her free hand. “My father made it all disappear, Leo. As repayment he wanted me to come work for him.”

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