East End (Hear No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,23
and didn’t make my head spin. "I just—I don't know. I find you lacking."
This time, he treated me to a full-blown grin. Christ, I was so screwed. Because with that easy smile and that peek of dimple in his naturally tanned skin, I was dumbfounded. Unable to breathe, unable to move. That was his true secret weapon. The smile stunned you. And then he went for the strike.
I forced my chin to tilt up. "Again, let me ask you, Mr. Hale, is there something you need?"
He chuckled softly. "Honestly, when you took off running, I didn't think we were done. I had to come and find you and talk to you at least. Clarify things. And I also wanted to return the shawl you left at the bar and see you to the door."
"There's no need for that. We didn't come together."
"And isn't that a crying shame?"
I should have moved away. I really should have, but there he was. He didn't even need to take a step toward me to crowd me. Just him standing there all tall and taking up space was all it took. He stole my breath right out of my lungs. “You know, Mr. Hale, I've met your friend."
"Which one? I have lots of friends." He cocked his head innocently.
"Oh, you know which one," I said. "Mr. Covington, like yourself, presents a pretty picture. And his girlfriend… Well, I guess, his fiancée now, I actually kind of like her. She's sassy. Direct. Takes no shit. I think they're a good match."
He nodded slowly. "I agree. But that’s their story. Don’t try and evade, Agent Kincade, how about us? Don’t you think we should pick up where we left off? For a start, will you come to their wedding with me?"
I blinked rapidly and jerked back. "What?"
"I’ve asked you on a date. Generally, how it works is one person asks the other one to accompany them. You know, to something like dinner or a movie or in this case a wedding. Which are boring, quite frankly. But I figure, since my friends are getting married, I could use a date. I don't usually take real dates to something so personal, because well, you never know what's going to happen with the bridesmaids. But since I know the bridesmaids pretty well this time, I think a date is in order."
"So, you're inviting me because you can't shag the bridesmaids this time? Is that what I'm getting?"
He shrugged. "It's as good a reason as any. Besides, you're beautiful. But I think you know that already."
I shrugged that off. My father had told me my whole life that beauty was in the eye of the beholder. And one day, someone was going to behold me that didn't find me beautiful, so I had better be smart. I had better be cunning. I had better use all the tools in my toolshed and not just my face or my body.
I hadn't really understood as a child. Mostly, back then, I’d just wanted my father to tell me I was pretty. It wasn't until I became an adult that I really realized why he couldn't say it. It was because I looked like her.
Exactly like my mother. And he must have still been mourning her. It probably hurt him to see me every day. But that was neither here nor there. Hearing East Hale tell me that I was beautiful did something to my insides. And if that something meant making my panties wet, then ding, ding, ding.
I licked my lips. "That's very kind of you to say, but looks don't matter."
"You're right. Looks don't matter. Some of the most beautiful people have the ugliest souls. But that's not the case with you, is it, Nyla Kincade?"
I cocked my head. The way he said my name sounded like something warm and sexy and throaty. Especially when he added that husky rasp to it. He made me want to peel off my panties and give them to him.
Stop it. Focus. Get the hell out of here because right now, Amelia is listening on the goddamn com device, and she's getting all of this.
If my embarrassment over the fact that my best friend listening in wasn’t enough, the fact that I wasn't really wearing any panties probably should have been my next clue.
"Well, Mr. Hale, while this has been quite interesting, I’m afraid I have to leave right about now. I have more important things to get to."