Page 30 of Wanted
He looked at her sternly. “That’s the first thing we need to fix. Come on, we’ll find someplace that serves a big breakfast. We need the time to talk.”
She pulled back and wiped the moisture from her cheeks. She gestured toward the hotel. “The restaurant here is pretty good.”
“No.”
She looked up at him, and her eyes rounded. Special Agent Jeff Reno’s face had gone bright red.
He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. “After what you did to me, I can’t ever show my face in that hotel again.”
Dani couldn’t help it. A smile pulled at her lips, and for the first time in months, she broke out into laughter. “Was your face really the problem?”
He looked sheepish. “One of your maid friends got the surprise of her life.”
She covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. “There’s another restaurant down the street.”
He fisted his hand in her hair. “You know I’m going to make you pay.”
It didn’t sound like much of a threat. “Promise?”
“Promise.” He leaned down and kissed her again. “Let’s go. I’m starving. We burned off a lot of calories last night.”
She gave him back his keys, but they chose to walk. When his hand slipped around hers, she looked down quickly. He gave her fingers a squeeze, and the last bit of tension in her shoulders eased.
He had no idea how hard it had been for her to turn herself in. She’d been so nervous when she slipped out of bed and retrieved the handcuffs. She’d been sure that he was going to wake up and grab her. Her entire body had been shaking with nerves when she found his keys in his pocket. She’d hurried out to the parking lot and used the key fob to locate his car. She could have escaped. It would have been easy—if only she could have pushed the start button.
She just hadn’t been able to do it. She was too tired. Tired of running. Tired of hiding. Tired of being alone.
Last night… What they’d done… All the emotions and desires they’d suppressed for months had come to the surface. Once she’d given herself to him, he’d taken incredible care with her. She’d let herself go with him, and it all came down to one thing.
Trust.
She’d put her body in his hands. Now, she’d put her future.
She hoped he wouldn’t let her down.
* * *
Reno made Dani eat every bite of her of her bacon and eggs before they talked. When she put down her fork, he pointed to the blueberry muffin sitting on a side plate.
“Oh, I can’t,” she said. “I’m about to burst.” She sank back against the back of the booth and wrapped her arms around her stomach.
“Fine, we’ll save it for you to eat later.” With a wave of his hand, he sent a waitress scurrying for a doggy bag.
Danielle rolled her eyes. “What is it with you and my diet?”
He shrugged. “You’ve always brought out the protective side of me.”
“Always?”
“From day one.” He took a sip of his coffee. “You should have seen my reaction when I walked into that strip joint and saw all those men panting over you.”
She looked at him through the veil of her eyelashes, and a trace of a blush graced her cheekbones. “You saw me on stage?”
“You’re kind of hard to miss.”
Her blush reddened, and she looked out the window. “I liked that job.”
“Youlikedit?”
