pushed his mug aside and folded his hands on the table. “Meaning?”
“Knox, for one. He can’t see the harm in me havin’ one drink here and there.”
“Your friend sounds like an asshole.”
Laughter erupted from my chest, and Lachlan grinned.
“Um … pot meet kettle.”
“So I’m an asshole now?” Lachlan’s brows winged up.
“Since the day I laid eyes on you.”
Lachlan scanned the restaurant, his own smile glowing on his face before returning those sharp green eyes to me. “Do you always make out with assholes in the back hallways of lodges?”
“Just the good looking ones.”
Our eyes stayed locked as Anka appeared with our food and set it down. We couldn’t seem to help being flirty with one another.
“Greg’s Beast for East and soup and a salad for the grease-phobic one. Do you need drink refills?”
Our glasses were still mostly full, so Anka left when Lachlan shook his head. We spent time eating, the conversation dying off. It was strange. I hadn’t expected to have a halfway decent connection with Lachlan, but so far, we’d done all right.
When he inspected each bite of food that went into his mouth and wrinkled his nose more than once, I couldn’t help shaking my head. “Spoiled, critical, untrusting, judgmental—”
“Enough with the list. I get it.”
I smirked and bit into my burger, chewing as I noted Lachlan’s pouty, hurt expression once again. “Dramatic,” I added when I swallowed.
“I could make my own list, you know. Stubborn, pig-headed, cocky—”
“I’m cocky? Whoa, take a look in the mirror, my friend. You have the rights on cocky.”
Lachlan studied his food, cheeks flushing. I backed down. Surprisingly enough, the man looked like I’d truly hurt his feelings when I was only messing around.
We finished eating in relative silence with a random throwaway comment about our meals here and there. Lachlan didn’t finish his food and shoved it aside. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if he was too good for regular people's food, but he’d put up a wall, and I didn’t think it would go over well. Lachlan bruised easily despite his indifferent attitude.
Anka cleared our plates and offered Lachlan another beer, which he declined. When we refused dessert menus, she took the hint and left us alone.
I leaned back in my seat and spun my empty Coke mug on the table, watching Lachlan, who was too busy staring out the window, deep in thought.
“So.” The single word brought Lachlan out of his musing. “I know this date was a ruse. You have an ulterior motive, and I don’t think for a second you’re back in town ’cause you fancied the mountain air and scenery.”
“You’re mumbling again, cowboy.”
I worked my jaw as I leaned forward. “Let’s cut the bullshit, shall we?”
Lachlan met me in the middle of the small table, eyes half-lidded as he stared openly at my mouth. He drew his hand up and cupped my chin, tracing his thumb over my bottom lip. “All right, cowboy. No more games. Will you sit tight while I go get some stuff from my car?”
“No.”
He chuckled. “You think I own the rights on cocky? Well, you own the rights on stubborn. It wasn’t all a ruse. I’m very attracted to you.”
“And I’m very attracted to you. It doesn’t erase the fact that you’re using this connection for your own gain. No papers. Just lay it out for me. I’ll listen. Properly this time.”
Lachlan licked his lips as he dipped the tip of his thumb inside my mouth. My tongue flicked against the pad of his thumb of its own accord, drawing a rumble from deep in Lachlan’s throat.
He pulled back and blew out a cleansing breath as he shook his head and subtly fanned his shirt. “You’ll be the death of me, cowboy.”
I didn’t answer, although I felt a reciprocal pull toward him, enough my jeans had grown tight and uncomfortable. I shifted on my seat, glanced around at the prying eyes, and settled back on Lachlan.
“Talk.”
“I have options for you, and I’m open to negotiations. The original number I gave you? Scrap it. Try this one on for size.” He pulled a napkin from a dispenser and waved down a waiter, stealing his pen before shooing him off again. He scribbled and turned the napkin around to show me, glancing around the restaurant once before meeting my eyes. “This is a ridiculously high offer, and you know it.”
Clenching my jaw, I flicked my gaze to the preposterous number he’d sketched on the napkin and shoved it