one to sleep and feigned I didn't hear Damian

at the window, eyeing the black sl

Damian didn't give casual dinner invites.

mething I absol

ook me to the

 car door for me. The interior wasley what I ima

I walked inside it

we

ne rumbled softly as we drove away. Damian Blackwood's world

ly recognized them as the city lights faded into the distance. I gri

s too lat

urant I only had seen in magazines. I opened the door, and opening it for me,

as stand

as tailor made. But it was not what was

w he look

already

ce was smooth as

. "Did I ha

k eyes amusement? Challenge

w his eyes burned on me. "Then why do I fe

slightly. "Becau

ran down

trons exuding both wealth and importance. People turned t

le watched him. How they twiste

ey fear

away from prying eyes. Damian sunk into his chai

s a deep-red wine and said nary a word

ordering for us,"

"I can orde

able flashed in h

dn't give

but I didn't fi

figure out what

y arms. "Are you going t

g me with those dark eyes o

"Thanks for t

ou I had

y. "You never sa

tly. "Because you wer

the way he said that

chin. "And

lass, slow, contemplative. "Now you

ow well h

him. "I'm no

ross from a man she can't trust, unable t

a fist under the ta

. "So I've

y. "Just tell me

The teasing note was gone,

ser

an ass

ked. "

will be scheduling my time - in meetings with me

ou mean like

I have plenty of those. "I want someone w

. "What kin

"The sort, in which wo

ill crawled d

as a m

ise up and walk awa

ed toward me, I s

oser, voice low,

e interesting

eath

trying to get t

he wasn't much of

ad just told me

old his gaze. "

ssion did

won

ran down

he terrif

sure he

act location for where he could shove his

I di

, staring at the man opposite me opposite me, the man in the jack

l, treasonous part of me too

nt me to work for you, doing things that don't go on p

quirked a littl

twisted.

low voice. "And what prob

 wine, unblinking

d. "It matters

le. "I'm a businessman

vinced. Not

do they

e a lot of issues trusting people. And you..." He tilted his head. "Y

hed my glass. "I

d. "But you have not

that he

and the wine costly, but barely tasted. It was tu

od wanted me t

d obviously dangerous in ways

why

yed, futureless, with no business sitting there in a r

ess

mach t

thing more than an

rk. "Tell me the

is brow. "I

Could this be just an offer of employment rea

rk disa

s, for once, re

mooth, his voice, but there was an edge to it. "I

ran down

ne that God help me, the

to me"The child i

"Good. 'Since I d

ps twitched

spiked. "

de as he watched me. "You're

choked. "

New York ti byline as "Lyin

fought to breathe. This man was infuriat

orst

t entire

 was more exhausted than I'd been

y on the small of my back. I should have waved it off, but m

ide. Damian flung the door open and

sita

t like a

I could

im. "And if I ac

unreadable. "Then

arn

rom

ded in my chest as I moved forw

r, he leaned closer to me,

to my wor