Page 43 of Alpha Ruined
“Shut down on me. I canfeelit.”
He’s reading her like he’s known her for ages, not hours.
He’s seeing right through her, leaving her vulnerable and exposed, laid bare over a breadbasket.
But before she can retort, the server comes back to check on them, and she realizes with a start she hasn’t even bothered to look at the menu.
Cole orders for them. She can’t even listen to what he says as the blood rushes to her ears and panic consumes her.
She hates how right he is. No one has understood her this quickly or been able to match her attitude or wit.
When she argues, he argues right back, but does so with a charm and nuance that has her blushing and stammering in frustration.
If she wasn’t leaving, would she want his company, then?
The answer is a resoundingyes, which makes this even more difficult.
“What’s Maryland like?” she asks, hoping to change thesubject and prove her point that this could never work between them.
He’s taken aback for a moment, then the smile returns to his face. “Researching me after you blocked me?”
Her face flames. “It takes a quick internet search to locate your area code.”
“I wouldn’t know what Maryland is like, as I haven’t been there in years. It’s an old number.”
“Where are you now, then?” she asks.
“All over the place. I travel for work.”
She relaxes a bit, grateful that they’re back on easier topics. She can get through this dinner without breaking down as long as they don’t talk about her shortcomings again.
She doesn’t need to be reminded of the mess she’s become.
“Okay. So, whatiswork?”
He takes a sip of his ice water, and she watches his pale throat bob as he swallows. “Law.”
“Ah. That makes sense, now.” Bree relaxes in the booth a bit and takes a bite of bread.
“Oh, it does?” he asks, amused. “How so?”
“You run your mouth a lot and you’re good at reading people. Typical lawyer. It also explains the fancy clothes.”
He chuckles. “It’s normal work attire.”
“That suit is fitted to youperfectly,” she argues. “That’s not normal.”
“I didn’t realize you were ogling me so much,” he murmurs. “I’m flattered, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart.
That damn word, that term of endearment that sends a shiver down her spine, is enough to make herwant.
She squirms in the booth, torn between her attraction to him and her own uncertainty.
She laughs weakly as she blushes. “I’m not ogling. It’s just observing.”
But she’s been caught, and he takes another sip of his water as he regards her. “Of course. Just like Iobserveyou.”