“I’ve been watching you for years, Ian. I’ve seen you use that look on women and they melt into a puddle. On the job and off, so stop it. I know you wouldn’t be interested in someone like me. I said I wouldn’t run away.”
For now. She left that part off, because she knew he wouldn’t like it.
He leaned forward, his gaze taking hers in. “Someone like you?”
“Listen, I get it. You want to make sure I stick around. I promised to stay. I don’t break my promises. But please don’t use that look on me. I’m not equipped to handle a 007 spy with the ability to seduce anyone.”
Ian blinked. He had the longest, darkest lashes she had ever seen on a man. They were amazing really.
“What do you mean you aren’t equipped? You aren’t making any bloody sense, Lila.”
Her subtle comment wasn’t breaking through his hard head, so she blurted out the truth.
“How often do you think I went on a date? I don’t have the kind of experience to deal with you. You don’t have to honeypot me.”
His face went blank and for once he didn’t have a comeback. She carefully rolled over to the other side of the massive bed and rose from the mattress.
“I need to clean up.”
He was still staring at her as if she had two heads. Great. Since he didn’t seem to be stopping her, she strode to the bathroom and shut the door. Then, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, she had creases in her skin from the pillowcase, and she was washed out. Oh, yeah, Ian was trying to seduce her for sure. What guy wouldn’t want to seduce that?
With a sigh, she pushed those thoughts aside. She didn’t have time for that nonsense anyway.
Ian stared at the bed, then at the bathroom door.
What did she mean by that? And who used the term honeypot these days? Oh, he knew spies used it all the time, but…he frowned. He understood women. Most of the time. Okay, not really. He knew how to satisfy them in bed. He knew how to partner with them. Emotions…he wasn’t good at those. And Lila seemed to have a lot of them.
As if she could hear his thoughts, his phone chimed with the tune he’d assigned his sister. He grabbed his phone.
Autumn: Dad filled me in. You need backup?
Ian: No. El and Jenner are here. We plan a trip tomorrow.
He had to be careful about who might be reading his texts. He had pretty good security, but it never hurt to be careful.
Ian: Got a question.
Autumn: Shoot.
He had to word this in a way that would protect Lila’s pride.
Ian: If a woman says she doesn’t have the experience to deal with me, what does that mean?
Autumn: Context.
Ian: I was just looking at her. She said I was using a look.
Autumn: I take it we’re talking about Lila.
Damn, the woman had transformed him into someone who started conversations like she did.
Ian: Yes.
Autumn: Did she say anything else?
Ian: Something about not dating much and she thought I was using a honeypot on her. Like I ever did that.
Autumn: You did use your stupid good looks to get information.
