“You’re creepy,” Gideon proclaimed. “Ask Rose. She’ll tell you.”
“Only because she suspects I stole the spinach chips. I’ll tell you what’s creepy. There were so many bags of those things, and she knew a few were missing. That’s creepy. Eating them in the first place is creepy. Something is wrong with you if you want to put those green leaves in your mouth and eat them, but I’m willing to look past that because you’re my brother. It goes all kinds of wrong when you know how many Ziploc bags you have strewn all over your counters. There had to be close to fifty or more. That’s not right, Gideon.”
Gideon couldn’t help but laugh at Javier’s pained expression. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to make spinach chips? Rose made them from scratch. It takes a lot of time, and she’s on her feet. She does it because her man loves them, not because she enjoys making them. Naturally, she’s going to know how many bags she has of them.”
“That woman holds a grudge.”
“Her spinach chips are good.”
“You didn’t confess you had the contraband,” Javier pointed out.
“I wasn’t taking a knife to the ribs. I had enough wounds to recover from, and I wanted to meet Rory.”
“You aren’t exactly charming,” Javier said. “She’s shot down every single man who asked her out so far. I don’t just mean tonight. That includes the other thousand I’m sure made their try over the last month. What makes you think you’re going to do any better? You don’t have the best track record.”
“I do all right.”
“Youdidall right back in the day when you wanted to spend a couple of hours with a woman. You could pick one up in record time, but you’re out of practice. I doubt you know how to do more than stammer.”
“At least I don’t scare them off by glowering until they think I’m an assassin.”
“Iaman assassin.”
Gideon tried to swallow a drink of beer, but it had gotten warm. He put the bottle down, making a face. “You’re not supposed to let anyone know, in case that part escaped your notice. Try not to look like a killer.”
“I don’t intimidate Rose.”
“That’s because you stole her spinach chips,” Gideon explained patiently.
The waitress approached the table and set a beer in front of Gideon. “Ice-cold. Compliments of our bartender.” She picked up his warm bottle. “She doesn’t like anyone drinking warm beer.”
Gideon’s gaze jumped to Rory’s. Those emerald eyes met his. He felt a jolt through his entire body like a white-hot bolt of lightning. His vision focused completely, using the piercing gaze of the eagle, and it was easy enough to see the sweep of her long dark lashes and the smattering of freckles spread across the bridge of her nose. He gave her a smile and lifted the bottle, mouthing, “Thank you.”
She inclined her head, which caused the overhead light to shine on the mass of curly dark cherry–colored hair pulled up into that messy knot. Instantly his body reacted with an unfamiliar tightening that was far more than an ache. Then another customer claimed her attention. She’d noticed him in a roomful of people. That gave him some satisfaction. It also had his warning system going off big-time.
“She doesn’t go home with anyone, and she doesn’t allow anyone to go home with her,” Gideon mused aloud. “I have to do something different, something to intrigue her enough that she might take a chance on me.”
“She’ll take a chance on you,” Javier said. “You’re the only person in the bar she sent an ice-cold beer to. Notice mine is still warm. I don’t think she knows I’m alive.”
Gideon appreciated the cold beer even more because Rory had sent it to him. “Women fall all over you, Javier. It’s just as well she didn’t notice you, and I don’t have to shoot you when we leave.”
Javier laughed. “You’ve got it bad.”
“Look at her.” It wasn’t just about her looks. If that was all it was, Gideon could have passed on her, even with the incredible chemistry. The draw was the woman. Her laughter. The way she treated others. Everything Javier had reported about her. What his little sparrow spy had shared.
“I’m looking at you, Gideon. I don’t need to look at her.”
“Help me figure out how to hook her. She’s leery.”
“Half the battle is getting her attention. You’ve managed to do that,” Javier pointed out. “She won’t let you go to her apartment. She won’t want to go to your place. Not at first. That will freak her out if you ask her. She’s going to want to feel like she’s safe.” Javier looked Gideon over. “You don’t look safe, bro. In fact, if I was a woman, I wouldn’t ever be alone in the dark with you.”
Gideon gave him the finger, making sure to keep it along the neck of the beer bottle away from the bartender. Javier was having way too much fun at his expense.
“Maybe we should have the women befriend her. They could come to the bar and talk about what a great guy you are.”
“Fuck you, Javier. You know they’d be worse and more invasive than your investigations.” Which was true. Jaimie, Rose and Rhianna were fiercely protective of the men in GhostWalker TeamThree. Jaimie and Rhianna had grown up on the streets with them, and Rose had married into the team. Gideon wasn’t about to unleash those women on Rory.
“I’ll figure it out.” If he was going to win his lady, he was going to have to do it on his own.
