Page 42 of Coerced

But my past had taught me a lot. And if there was one thing that was abundantly clear, it was that if I found even a single person who would be good to me, I’d be a fool not to try to form a deeper connection with them, regardless of how scary it was.

So, hoping the attraction I felt wasn’t misplaced and Paxton was every bit the man he’d led me to believe he was, I smiled at him and teased, “I’m willing to stick around just to see what other unexpected things you can do.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched with amusement, his eyes dancing. “There’s a lot I can do that has nothing to do with where we’re living.”

More flirting.

Maybe I wasn’t nearly as bad at this as I thought. Britney had insisted I knew what to do. Evidently, my thoughts were unfounded, because Paxton was feeding off the playfulness I felt.

Then again, I had a sneaking suspicion he was the one who brought out this side of me to begin with.

“Is that so? What other kinds of things can you do that might impress me?”

He lifted a brow, his expression filled with delight. “Are you looking to be impressed?”

I shrugged, not wanting to appear too eager. “Well, I mean, who wants to be left disappointed?”

Paxton chuckled. “Fair enough.” He took a moment toconsider his response to my original question, his eyes narrowing a touch as answers flashed in his mind. I wondered if he’d give me the full truth. “I’m not sure how much I want to share with you, Aria. I mean, if I tell you everything, you might decide it’s not worth sticking around for. Or, even if it might be the kind of thing that impresses you, the real thrill will be lost if you don’t learn about it in the moment.”

“Are you sure that’s the real reason?”

“Why would I lie?”

“Maybe you don’t have anything that you believe will really do the job, so you think it’s better to create a bit of mysteriousness about yourself instead,” I reasoned.

A sly grin formed on his face, and he rested his forearms on the table as he leaned forward. “Maybe building some excitement is one of the things I do well.”

His voice had dipped dangerously low, and I found myself even more intrigued by this man. Something told me he wasn’t lying about having multiple things he did well. Thinking I could have convinced him to share specifics with me by calling his bluff was a weak attempt to get what I wanted from him. I had a feeling a man like Paxton wouldn’t be so easily worn down.

But if he wasn’t going to give me this, I still wanted something. “Alright, well, is there something I can convince you to share with me?”

“Like what?”

“That’s up to you. I was just thinking that since I shared so much with you this morning, it’s only fair that I get something from you in return. I’d love to hear more about your family or your job. Do you have siblings? What’s the scariest case you’ve ever worked on? Itdoesn’t necessarily matter. I just want to get to know you better.”

I should have stopped speaking after I’d asked him about the scariest case he’d ever worked on. Why did I feel the need to share my feelings about wanting to know him better? This man was affecting me in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

“I don’t have any siblings,” he revealed.

“You’re an only child?”

“I am.”

“Did you… How was that?” I pressed, genuinely curious. I might have only had Jasmine while growing up, and I was the older one, but I couldn’t remember my life before she was in it. I couldn’t imagine how much different life might have been as an only child. Then again, considering where my relationship with my sister was now, I had the chance to see what it was like.

Paxton shot me a look of indifference. “It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There were times I wished I had a brother, but for the most part, I don’t feel like I missed out on anything. I had extended family around, so I had my cousins. Plus, I was the kid in school who was friends with everyone. I was always going to birthday parties or having kids over in the summer.”

Without him even saying it, I believed I could have guessed that to be the truth about Paxton. He seemed like the kind of guy who would have been popular in school, but his popularity wouldn’t have anything to do with him being the captain of the football team.

“I can totally see why that would be the case. And I’m glad you being an only child didn’t have a negative impacton you. I really would have believed you’d find it to be lonely.”

He shook his head, a smile on his face. “Nope. Not for me.”

“What about your job? Do you have a case that was particularly scary for you?” I questioned him.

Paxton considered his answer briefly. “This is probably going to sound strange, but I don’t consider any of it to be scary.”

My brows shot up, silently questioning him. I didn’t understand how that was possible.