Midnight Special Coming on Strong - By Tawny Weber Page 0,19

His wannabe roommate didn’t even blink. Instead, she waved the menu in the air again.

What the hell? Had he lost his mean-guy mojo in that car accident?

“I haven’t eaten yet today,” the not-at-all-intimidated blonde said with a wide-eyed look and a pat of one slender hand on her tummy. “And I promise you, the hungrier I get, the less reasonable I am.”

When had she been reasonable before?

Hunter all but growled.

He wanted her out. He had a case to build. An explosion to recover from. And a general state of mental health to maintain.

He couldn’t work on high-security material with a civilian in the room. He couldn’t relax with a gorgeous blonde hovering around his libido. And his mental health was already taking a hit, thanks to her lack of respect for his dead-eye stare.

He could pull rank, flash his badge and boot her out of the berth.

Except for two things.

First, she’d been here first. Booking a ticket an hour before the train left didn’t give him the right to steal a bed out from under her.

Second, and as much as he hated to admit it, Murray was right. Another few days without things exploding around him and he’d have been clear to fly. But he hadn’t been able to resist hotdogging, trying to wrap up one more case, to tally one more arrest on his record before the big, career-breaking trial next week.

His innate fairness said he couldn’t pull rank to get the cabin. It said nothing about not using every trick at his disposal to convince her to leave willingly, though.

“Actually, I’m hungry, too.” He rose to his full height and offered a slow smile filled with as much sexual heat as he could muster. Which, given that he was still half-hard from waking to find her sexy little body in his arms, was quite a bit. “Marni, right? Why don’t we visit the dining car.”

Looking a little flushed all of a sudden, she blinked a few times, her lashes sweeping over those big eyes as if she were trying to refocus. She wet those full lips, sparking a sharp, deep regret in his belly that he hadn’t tasted them before he’d been pulled out of the fantasy. Were they as delicious as they looked? As soft? Did they yield, or take control?

“You’re hungry?” she repeated, her words a breathless rush.

“I’m starving.” He let his voice drop just one decibel above a husky growl and let his gaze slide down her body. As though, if they didn’t get out of here now, he wasn’t going to be able to resist taking a big, juicy bite.

Hunter was gratified by her shaky breath, but his own libido took a hit at the amazing things that breath did for her fluffy pink sweater. She was like something sweet and sugary, swirled atop what promised to be a rich, decadent treat. But he was just as good at ignoring his sweet tooth as he was his sexual urges while on the job. All he had to do was remind himself of that. A few dozen times.

Hunter crossed the room, taking the menu from her suddenly lax fingers and tossing it on the table behind her. Marni’s eyes never left him, her focus so intent on his every move. Beneath the suspicion—smart girl—and an intense curiosity—dangerous if she wasn’t careful—there was just enough desire for him to use to his advantage.

With that in mind, Hunter initiated his Evict Blondie plan.

“Babe, here’s the deal. You’re a very beautiful, very sexy woman.” He paused just long enough to enjoy the wash of color over her cheeks and the way her eyes softened. “I’m not a man who’s big on denying himself pleasures. I like delicious food, a good Scotch and losing myself in the delights of a gorgeous woman.”

He let that hang there between them, as heavy and intense as the erection hanging hard between his legs. His body craved the feel of hers, wanting nothing more than for him to press that hard-on against her curves, to feel her warm welcome. But this was Intimidation 101, not Advanced Sexual Harassment. Hell, if he couldn’t scare her into getting off the train, he deserved to share her berth, and he’d have to attend all those stupid dress-up functions the train offered, too.

She wet her lips and looked away. Hunter let himself smile. No worries about tracking down a lame forties-style fedora, here.

Then she shifted her gaze, slowly lifting her lashes as her eyes traveled higher and