Page 374 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 5
“Yeah, if you ever try to kiss me again, I’ll punch you in the face.”
He laughed. “In your dreams. Both the kissing and the punching. You couldn’t punch me. I’m much too quick. I’d have you rolling on the floor in pain before you even lifted your hand.”
“Yeah right.”
“Indeed. I am right.”
I reached out, not to punch him, but maybe just to slap him to prove my point.
But he grabbed my hand before it came anywhere close to him. He slammed it onto the table, twisting my arm so I was leaning over. He’d somehow grabbed a steak knife at the same time and was hovering it over my hand too.
“What the fuck?” I said.
He let me go, then twirled the knife in his hand and stabbed it into the bread on the table. “Can’t touch me.”
I rubbed my hand. Now I really did want to slap him. But I’d wait until I got a better opportunity. It would have to be a sneak slap-attack.
“Shall we order?” he asked and lifted up his menu.
“Where did you learn to do that?” I rubbed my hand again.
“Do what?”
“That kung fu shit you just did.”
“Oh, I just picked it up over the years. Oh wow, they do have cheesecake. Should I order you some?”
“I’m good.” I picked up the menu to look at the options.
“I’m just messing with you anyway,” Tanner said and set down the menu. “I hope you’re hungry because I already know what I’m going to order for us.”
Of course he did. He’d want to know how delectable their specialties were.
He waved over the waiter and ordered half the menu. When the waiter finally walked away, looking a little frazzled, Tanner sighed.
“They don’t seem to handle stress here very well,” he said. “That’s telling. They probably wouldn’t like surprises either.” He jotted something down in his notebook. “Could you imagine one of those big cages over there with some models dancing in it?”
I looked over to where he was pointing. “Sure. It would probably fit.”
“Excellent.”
“So…” I let my voice trail off. I needed to word this as nicely as possible. “I really appreciate you letting me stay with you during all this craziness with Mr. Pruitt. But now that I have that deal with Poppy…I should be safe to go back to my house.”
“You’re sure she’s trustworthy?” he asked.
No. Not really.But Nigel was driving me crazy. I couldn’t stay with Tanner any longer unless I wanted Nigel to…get the wrong idea or something. “Yeah, Poppy will stick to her word.”
Tanner nodded. “Well, regardless, you’ll have to speak to Nigel about it. He’ll need to coordinate your move back.”
“I can’t talk to Nigel about it. He’ll never let me leave.”
“Of course he will. I’ll tell him to be accommodating. Surely he has room in his schedule. He moved you out of your house in record time if I remember correctly.”
Yeah, but that was because I was coming to live with him. Not moving out. “Did you know that he writes me letters and puts them in my lunches?” I pulled out the one Nigel gave me today and handed it to Tanner.
“You kept it? That’s cute.”
“I kept it in case I show up murdered and they’re looking for a suspect.”
