Page 37 of Date With Danger
“I know you won’t.” And then, before I can talk myself out of my stupid ideas, I raise up on my toes and press a kiss to his lips. “Thanks, Romeo.”
He goes still, his hand falling away from my arm. “I’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to kiss your bodyguard.”
I beam and open the door. “Good thing that’s not you.”
Then I hop out of the van. Let the mission begin.
Chapter 15
Caleb
She kissed me. Again. I guess technically I kissed her the first time. But still. Did I unintentionally start a game of tag? Am I supposed to kiss her next? That’s a game I could get behind.
I shake my head and focus on the monitors. She’s still distracting me, and she’s been sitting with “Chad” for ten minutes now.
So far she’s doing okay. She’s been chatting nonstop though, barely giving him time to answer before she dives into her next question. Kind of like what she did in here, asking about everything in the van.
I’m pretty sure she only rambled to see how long I’d let her. But I kind of enjoy it. Is that a testament to how lonely my life has become that I will welcome any voice in my head that isn’t my own? Or is it her voice that hypnotizes me?
I watch as they receive their food, my stomach only growling slightly at the delicious close-up image of Amelia’s gnocchi. I swear I can almost smell it. Did she order my favorite dish because she enjoys trying new things or is she doing it because she knows I have a perfect view of her plate?
Cruz stops by the table and refills their waters and Amelia can’t seem to stop herself from striking up a conversation with her.
“How long have you been in the food industry? Peggy?”
Cruz clears her throat and reaches for Liam’s glass. “Since I was sixteen.”
I unscrew my water bottle.
“It’s lovely that you found what you’re good at at such a young age.”
I choke on my water, spewing it over the monitors. Cruz slams the cup onto the table, splashing Liam. He jumps back but doesn’t curse like I would have.
“I’ll grab a towel.” Cruz bolts from the table as Liam reaches for a pile of napkins.
“What a nice girl,” Amelia says.
Liam looks more confused than anything. “I suppose she is.”
“So, what are your interests, Chad Smith?”
I cringe at the way she emphasizes his fake name. There was a reason I didn’t give her Chad’s real name, I didn’t want to risk her slipping up. But at least she’s finally getting to the questions I tried to coach her on to steer the conversation in a beneficial way.
“I like all things.” He cuts a meticulous piece of sausage, then dabs it in sauce before putting it in his mouth. “I enjoy traveling, and immersing myself in different cultures.”
That’s perp talk for “I like stealing things that don’t belong to me.”
“A traveler,” she muses. “What are your favorite places?”
He steeples his fingers together. “Well, Turks and Caicos for one. There’s this waterfall next to my house that’s perfect for diving. I love Scotland, Dubai, and South Africa.”
“Wow.” Amelia breathes. “Seems you’ve done it all. But if you were to die tomorrow, what’s one thing you’d regret not doing?”
He sits back with a breath. “Oh, I mean, starting a family I suppose.”
He’s lying through his annoyingly white teeth.
“I can see you sporting matching plaid vests and dimples with your kids someday,” Amelia says.