didn’t forget. I just went into tour guide mode, and… There’s a nice tapas restaurant down the road. Why don’t we go there?”
“Your instinct was to bring me here, so we’ll stay. I’d like to try this infamous cuisine you’re so fond of.”
“Are you sure?” As the line moved, she shuffled forward. “It’s not too late to bail.”
“I believe it’s your turn.” He gestured to the counter, where the server stood waiting for her to order.
Thank heaven she realized her mistake before she ordered the plate of beef ribs she was craving. Eating gooey meat off a bone with her hands would have ensured this would be the last dinner she had with Donovan Drake. She’d have had barbeque sauce smeared from ear to ear by the time she was through. Instead, she ordered the brisket with a side of potato salad. Things she could eat with a fork.
Donovan ordered the same, and they carried their trays to a quiet back room. At least she could get the man away from the crowd and the family with five screaming kids under the age of ten. Hopefully she could salvage what was left of the chemistry between them.
They settled at the table, and she dove right into her food, her mind inconveniently blanking when she should have been having a conversation with the smoldering man sitting across from her.
A tangy, smoky crust coated the edges of the meat, and it practically melted on her tongue. She watched Donovan take his first bite, his eyebrows rising as he nodded his approval. “This is very good.” He took another bite. “I’ve had brisket before, but never like this. It’s delicious.”
The tension in her shoulders eased. “I’m glad you like it. Texans would probably call the brisket you’ve had a pot roast.”
“I suppose they would.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes—which felt weird at first because Alice was a notorious chatterbox—but the energy between them, the connection he’d mentioned, made the silence comfortable after a while.
They’d run out of food to fill their mouths soon enough, though, and there was one question he needed to answer before she slipped and revealed she knew too much about him already. “Where are you staying while you’re in town?”
He sipped his iced tea, watching her over the rim of the glass, and her pulse thrummed. Was it the sexy man making her feel this way or the thought that he might already know she was the crow who dropped a bomb on his familiar?
Oh, lord, I didn’t think about that! It would be bad enough if he figured out she’d been on his balcony. But if he discovered what she’d done to Marty, she’d be MoBAR—mortified beyond all recognition.
“Rainecourt Manor,” he finally said. “Are you familiar with the place?”
She swallowed hard. “I’ve, uh…flown over it a few times. Never gotten a close look, though. Is it nice?”
“Very.” He wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “You’ve never gotten close enough to say…perch on the balcony railing?”
Shit on a shingle! He knew. More like shit on a mongoose. Ugh! She had to deny she’d been there. It was the only way to keep her dignity intact. She’d never be able to look him in the eyes again, otherwise. “Heck no. I’ve never been that close. That would be trespassing, which is illegal, and I don’t do illegal things.” Anymore.
He grinned, giving her a curious look. Did he believe her?
“What?” She widened her eyes innocently. Please let him believe me.
“It’s not every day you hear a grown woman use the word heck.” He winked. “Do you ever cuss?”
She let out a breath. He must’ve believed her if he dropped the subject like a hot potato. Thank my lucky stars. “Oh, I do. Just not the word you’d normally use in place of heck.”
“Why not?” His dark eyes were intense as he held her gaze, like he was actually interested in the reason for her word choice. She wasn’t used to a man being this interested in her, especially not a man like Mr. Hottie here.
Her throat thickened. Why the heck was her throat thickening? And was that sweat forming on her palms? Jeez Louise. Chill, woman. She cleared her throat. “About fifteen years ago, my cousin accidentally summoned a demon with a spirit board.”
He blinked twice. “That’s not good.”
“Nope, it wasn’t. It made her do some freaky stuff.” She shuddered at the memory. “Three exorcisms later, she was fine, but she made me swear never to