Page 48 of Sacrifice
"We'll see." He leans on the counter, too close. Always too close. "Have dinner with me."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like you."
"Liar." His voice drops. "You like me fine. You just don't like that you like me."
"That doesn't even make sense."
"Sure it does. You've been fighting this thing between us so long, you don't know how to stop. But I'm tired of the war, Saga. Aren't you?"
I meet his eyes, seeing the challenge there.
The certainty. The patience that's somehow more unnerving than his usual pushiness.
A week of him checking on me, of catching glimpses of him outside my apartment at night, of feeling safe despite myself—it's wearing down my defenses.
"Just dinner," I hear myself say. "Nothing else."
"Just dinner," he agrees, but his smile says he knows he's won something bigger.
"I get off at seven."
"I'll be here."
He pays for the jacket—cash, of course—and leaves wearing it.
I watch him go, hating how good he looks, hating how my body responds to the sight, hating that I just agreed to dinner.
"Holy shit," Maya, my coworker, appears from the back room. "Was that your boyfriend?"
"He'snotmy boyfriend."
"Does he know that? Because the way he was looking at you..." She fans herself dramatically. "That man wants to eat you alive."
"Maya—"
"In a good way. A very, very good way." She sighs. "If you're not interested, can I have his number?"
"He's all yours," I say, but the words taste bitter.
"Liar. You'd claw my eyes out if I even tried." She grins. "So where's he taking you for dinner?"
"I don't—we didn't—" I realize we never discussed where. "Shit."
"Wear something hot," she advises. "That man looks like he appreciates a woman who can match his energy."
The rest of my shift drags by.
Every time the bell chimes, my heart jumps, thinking he's back early.
Maya keeps shooting me knowing looks, making kissy faces when she thinks I'm not watching.
I reorganize the same rack three times, unable to focus.
By six-thirty, Maya practically shoves me into the back room. "Go freshen up. I'll handle closing."
