firm shake, then picked up her fork and began eating again.
Laughing to himself, Hank also went back to his meal. He was starving, though he was trying not to show it. The office had been busy today, hence his wrinkled wardrobe, and he hadn’t managed to eat lunch. Having a dinner date with Bella gave him a good excuse to fill up on a heavy meal.
“So...what all will our time together entail?” She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Stakeouts? Filing reports?” She paused. “Kissing?”
Hank choked on the bite of steak in his mouth and had to grab his water to flush it down. When he could finally breathe, he looked over to see her laughing at his reaction.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she quipped.
Heaven help me...
CHAPTER 4
BELLA FOUND HERSELF restless the next day. Her dinner with Henry had gone quite well, but she was itching to get moving with the mystery. Instead, she was stuck behind the front desk, doodling on her phone’s note app.
When the doorbell rang, she rushed to answer as if it was the most exciting thing to happen to her in ages. She laughed at herself before pulling it open. “You’re so dumb,” she murmured to herself.
Pulling on the door knob, she gave her standard greeting. “Hello! Welcome to the...” She trailed off and put her hand on her hip, cocking it out just a little for a better effect. “Howdy, stranger.”
Henry smirked at her. “It’s going to be difficult to be a good journalist if you can’t remember people you already met only a few hours ago.”
Bella put her fingers on her lips. “We’ve met before? How silly of me.” She backed up. “Come on in and I’ll search my brain for your name.”
Henry tsked his tongue, but wiped his feet and finished coming inside. “I think I’m offended. I even gave you permission to call me by my nickname.”
Bella tapped her lip. “Hmm...that does sound familiar. But I have to admit that I wasn’t impressed with the nickname.” She frowned. “If it’s the one I’m thinking of anyway.”
Henry raised an eyebrow and stepped up close to her, invading Bella’s bubble. Her nerve endings stood on end and she allowed herself to enjoy the shocks running through her body. With her extrovert tendencies, Bella had met quite a few men in her life. Very few had caught her attention, and even fewer had caused a bodily reaction like she was experiencing right now. In fact, she had to give Henry credit. Not one of them had ever affected her quite so strongly as him. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was older now and Henry was much more man than her college boyfriends had ever been, or if it was because Henry was...Henry.
“You don’t like my name?” he asked, his voice low with just a hint of steel in it.
Bella raised her eyebrows and slowly shook her head. “I didn’t say that. I said I didn’t like your nickname.” She winked. “I’d expect a detective like yourself to catch the difference.”
Henry’s lips twitched. “That’s a new one for me. Most people think my name is old-fashioned.”
Bella shrugged daintily and sashayed away from him. “There’s nothing wrong with an old, classic-style name. Sure beats being called the same thing as a cowdog.” She kept her grin to herself as he chuckled. Their banter was changing her whole day. She wasn’t bored anymore. Everything about this situation had her feeling alive and on fire.
“A cowdog, huh?” Henry nodded with his lips pursed. “I’ve been told I’m like a bloodhound, but never a cowdog.”
“Really?” Bella walked around the desk and put her elbow on it, then her chin in her hands, hoping she looked cute and enticing, not like an idiot. “I’ve been told the same thing.”
Henry finished walking her way and leaned across the counter top. “Guess that’s just another thing we have in common.”
Bella swallowed hard, her mouth going dry at his nearness. The musky scent of his cologne swirled through the air, and she found herself suddenly intimidated by his raw power. This man exuded barely leashed power. He was used to being in charge and getting his way. Bella found herself feeling not quite up to the task of weaseling her way into his investigation.
He might have agreed to let her help last night, but it had been all too obvious he wasn’t very keen on the idea. She needed him to want her around, and right now her usually busy