Page 62 of The Daredevil
“That’s all?” She tossed a perplexed look at me as though I were lying.
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I assumed you dated more.”
“Dating requires a lot of time, and I don’t have much of that. However, I’ve been with women who aren’t considered girlfriends, but that was during my younger years. How about you? How many boyfriends have you had?”
“Three as well. My longest relationship lasted two years. The others were one year. But the numbers need to be increased if you count the boys in kindergarten and first grade.” She elbowed me playfully. “You didn’t answer my other questions, and don’t dodge them. I need to talk about something interesting to keep my mind off the explosion.”
“I agree. I’m averyinteresting man who’s fascinated by an interesting woman. I don’t have a favorite color, but I’m drawn to earth tones. If I had to pick one, it would be gray, which reminds me of lava rocks.”
“I can see that.”
“I know what color you like.”
“Really?” She arched a perfect brow. “What is it?”
“Purple, more like a lilac or lavender.”
Michelle straightened up. “How do you know?”
“Because I’m an ‘interesting’ man with a clever mind.”
She shoved my shoulder. “Seriously, how do you know? A wild guess?”
“An educated guess. I’ve noticed you wear a lot of purple when you hang out with Audri and Kiera.”
“You’re very perceptive, Dr. Viktorsson.” She ran a finger along my jaw, and my stomach quivered. “It must be the keen power of observation required for research, right?”
“That and interest. I only pay attention to what fascinates me.”
A wild pink blossomed in her cheeks. “What about food? What’s your favorite?”
“My aunt makes a nice fish stew with mashed potatoes and onions. Her Icelandic crepes are the best. They’re filled with whipped cream and strawberry jam. Now that America is my home, I won’t ever say no to ribs or a juicy burger.”
“I’ve never had the fish stew or the crepes, though I’ve seen them on the menus here.”
“We can try them when we have our dinner date.”
Her eyes widened. “Yes, please.”
My phone rang, and I answered the call. “Is anyone hurt?”
“Fortunately, no,” said Ludvik, the detective I’d known since I opened Excursions for You. “The explosion was from a small bomb placed at the back of her apartment. Heavy damage to the infrastructure. Five residents, including your friend, will need temporary housing until repairs are done. My guys will look at the cameras from the nearby buildings and see what they can find out. I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I ended the call and relayed the message to her. “Stay with me for the rest of your time in Iceland. I’ll alert Tomas. It’s one less resident he has to worry about. It’s not a bother, and I enjoy having you around.”
She bit her bottom lip, considering my request. “I feel bad intruding, though.”
“Don’t,” I said firmly. This wasn’t a negotiation, but I held back, not wanting to distress her even more. “You’re my girlfriend, so it makes sense for you to stay with me.” I rose from the couch. “Let me get your bags from the trunk.”
Nodding, she got up. “Thank you. I’m going to take a quick shower and wash away the negative vibes from today.”
The exhaustion on her face frustrated me. I wanted to wipe away what she’d experienced today. The person who placed the fucking bomb would pay. That was a promise. I’d rearrange my schedule for the next week to get to the bottom of this.
This overwhelming need to protect her surged in me, and I didn’t know what to think of it other than she had somehow snuck into my heart, making me feel all kinds of things.
The current situation needed actionable steps to achieve results. Like a science experiment, there were variables I needed to observe. Only facts would help me resolve this problem for her.