what you’ve been doing.” He nodded. “Or…”
She waited.
He didn’t finish. Instead, Dex frowned at her. “Did I upset you?”
A stupid tear had leaked down her cheek. “No, you made me deliriously happy with joy.” She swiped away the tear. “Yes,” she snapped. “You’ve upset me. I had a killer day. A gun was shoved into my face—”
A muscle jerked along his jaw. “Tell me the fucker’s name and he’s dead.”
What? “He’s in custody, so you don’t have to worry about him.” Her chin jutted up. “On top of everything else that happened, now I’m having to deal with you. You’re threatening me. No, check that, I think you’re blackmailing me—”
“Blackmail.” He winced. “That is an ugly word.”
“Yes. It is. And you’re the one doing it.”
“I’m not blackmailing you.” He shook his head. And he closed the distance between them. His hand lifted toward her face. “You have a little bit of the tear drop left here.” His jaw was hard as his fingers lifted and carefully swept over her cheek. “Silk,” he whispered.
“Excuse me?” When he’d touched her, Lacey’s heart had thudded so hard and loud that she hadn’t been able to hear that last part that he’d said.
His hand lingered on her cheek. His gaze seemed to burn into her own. Why was her chest tight? Why did it seem so hard to breathe?
The man was threatening her. Blackmailing her. Yes, it sure sounded like blackmail to Lacey, no matter what denial he might want to spit out. And yet she was standing there, her whole body reacting to him like she was waiting for some kind of first kiss or something.
Ridiculous. Obviously, she was still reacting to the adrenaline. And not to him. Not to some kind of insane, primitive, super-hot attraction to Dex.
She caught his wrist, much like he’d caught hers before. She curled her fingers around his and—
Felt scars.
Her eyes widened as she flipped over his wrist.
“The cuffs left quite a mark. No worries, though. It was a long time ago.”
She stared at the old, white lines that curled around his wrist. Lines that cut across his skin much like tight handcuffs might have done. But to scar him that way…
“Had to get out of them, so what was a little pain? The mission depended on my success. Just so you understand who I am, I didn’t start at the top. I started in the field, where there is blood and betrayal and death all around you.”
Her fingers were sliding over his scars, as if she could take away the pain. But the pain had ended long ago.
“We all carry scars, don’t we, Lacey?”
Her head tilted as she looked at his face once more. Her fingers lingered around his wrist.
“Some are just hidden on the inside,” he continued, “where it’s ever so much harder to see them. But those scars are the ones that can hurt you the most.”
He was right. She swallowed the lump in her throat and let go of his hand. “I think your five minutes are way up.”
“True. They are. But you haven’t heard my full offer yet.”
She backed up a step. Lacey definitely wanted some space between the two of them. “There wasn’t an offer.” Her voice sounded all crisp and cool. She was rather proud of herself for that tone. “There was blackmail.”
“There you go, talking dirty to me again.”
One eyebrow rose. “When I talk dirty, you’ll know.”
His smile flashed. A shark’s eager grin. “Is that a promise?”
Her lips clamped together.
“No?” A long exhale. “Guessing it’s not a promise. Unfortunate. My hopes were up.”
She did not understand him. “I’m going to bed. And, no, that is not some offer. It’s me telling you that your time is up, and I’m exhausted.” So exhausted that she’d actually let a tear slip out in front of him. She didn’t cry in front of anyone. Her pain wasn’t for the world to see. It was hers. Hers alone. “So I’d like to say this has been fun—”
“Hasn’t it? I mean, we’ve had quite the first date.”
First date? No.
“I got your other would-be suitor on the floor with barely any effort. Seriously, you must have been disappointed with how easily the man caved to me. Then, to make the evening even more unforgettable, I proposed. How many first dates have given you so much excitement? And, now, for the final reveal…”
She turned away. Enough.
“For the final reveal, I’ll offer you what you want most.”
Her steps faltered. “You have no idea what I want most.”
“Are