What?
He leads, and I follow, feeling off my game. The intimidating office, the strange circumstances, this game of lion and mouse we’re playing—none of it helps. But the real reason I can’t get my words out is the simmering heat that fills me the second I meet his eyes.
He leans over the table and lifts a silver cloche off a plate. The scent of steak and butter hits me in the solar plexus. I start to salivate.
He nods to the steaming steak. “Shall we eat?”
“No. I’m not hungry,” I say, even as my stomach growls.
Rex frowns. “You don’t eat enough.”
“Who cares?”
“I care. Sit and eat, and I’ll answer a few of your questions. I do owe you answers after our scene together. That was our deal, after all.”
I flush, remembering the exact details of our deal.
He pulls out a chair for me.
“You knew I was coming.” I sit, resign but ignore the quiet happiness that he was expecting me and was prepared for me.
“I had a guess. I hoped you would.”
To hide the warmth that spreads through me, I bend over my plate. I saw off a hunk of steak and study it.
“Afraid it’s poisoned?” He leans over the table toward me, mouth open, and the hit I get of his scent makes my eyelids flutter. My body is primed to melt when I’m in proximity to him. He gave me the pain I craved, the pleasure I didn’t think was possible, and now I’m trained like Pavlov’s dog.
He lets me feed him the bite. His eyes remain fixed on me the whole time. Even his gaze is potent. I can feel my face heat.
“There.” He sits back in satisfaction. “Now you know.”
“You wouldn’t use poison,” I say. It should be easy to remain immune to him. I just have to remind myself of the bodies he’s left in his wake. “You use knives to make the kill up close and personal.”
He leans back. His face is half in shadow, but I can hear the smirk in his voice. “Allegedly.”
I push back from the table. “This is stupid. Coming here was a mistake.”
“Inara.” He covers my hand with his. “Stay. I’ll behave.”
“No, you won’t.” But my resolve is crumbling. His hand swallows mine, his touch too distracting.
“Just eat something. Please.”
It’s the please that does it. Breaks my will. He looks like it pains him to watch me, and when I take a bite, he doesn’t smirk or gloat. He lets out a sigh.
The filet melts on my tongue, and my eyelids flutter. I am hungry.
Rex stays quiet, drinking in the sight of me savoring my food. Once again, he has me right where he wants me. So much for taking control of the conversation.
“We should go out sometime,” he says when my mouth is full. “I own two of the top-rated restaurants in New Rome.”
I swallow quickly. “Only two?”
“Do you want me to buy more?”
I nearly choke on my food. We’re sitting on the top two floors of the Roy high-rise that has a 360-degree view of the entire city. From this vantage, I could point to a random building, and there’s a fifty percent chance he already owns it. He’s not bluffing.
“I’m not going on a date with you. It’s completely inappropriate.” I realize I’m waving the steak knife around to make my point and set it down. “I’m investigating you for murder.”
