Read Online Justice for Boone: Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes, Book 6 by Susan Stoker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Stoker
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surprise, giving him room.
He put one hand on the back of the booth behind her head and the other on her upper thigh. His thumb rested on the hem of her shorts. Hayden felt the heat from his hand seep into her skin and she resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. She should’ve smacked his hand away, or rebuked him for being too forward, but the truth was, she liked his hand on her.
“Look at me, Hayden.”
Hayden looked up into Boone’s eyes. She felt surrounded by him. He was leaning into her and she had to tilt her head up to be able to see his eyes.
“You’re funny, but that doesn’t take anything away from your femininity. I don’t know why none of those guys see you like I do, but I can’t say I’m sorry about it, because it leaves things in the free and clear for me. I think you’re funny. And compassionate. And you know how that guy responded when he saw you in the lobby of the station today?”
When Hayden nodded reluctantly, he continued, “He made an ass out of himself because of how hot you look.”
At the look of blatant disbelief on her face, he lifted the hand that had been resting on the plastic behind her head and brought it to her face. He ran his knuckles down her cheek, then smoothed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “You’re beautiful, Hayden. Your legs are long and sleek, your curvy little body in this tank top had every man in this restaurant taking a second look as we walked in. And I’ll tell you this right now, I can’t wait to see if the freckles you have right here,” he ran his fingertip over her nose, “are all over your body.”
“Boone—”
He talked over her. “Even sitting close to you in this booth is making me have an embarrassingly masculine reaction to you,” he nodded down to his lap, and the erection that strained against his jeans. He saw her glance down, then quickly bring her eyes back up to his in embarrassment. “So me telling you that you’re funny takes nothing away from how pretty you are. Pretty seems like too tame of a word, but it’ll do for now. Don’t doubt yourself, Hayden. You might work with men, and they might see you in that light because of how competent you are at what you do, but trust me when I say they’re seeing you through a whole different lens than I am.”
Hayden knew her face was aflame. Lord. No man had ever spoken to her like this before. She wasn’t sure she could believe Boone, even though he hadn’t lied about having an erection. He was very healthily endowed if her quick glance was anything to go by. Embarrassed, she tried to deflect. “How can you tell if I’m smiling for real?”
Realizing he needed to give her some space, Boone leaned back and shook his head. “I don’t think I’m going to tell you. I like having one up on you. I have a feeling I’ll need it.”
“Boone!”
“Hayden!”
She shook her head in exasperation.
The waiter came up at that moment and left the bill on the table, telling them he’d be back for it whenever they were ready to pay. Hayden leaned over and picked it up to see what her half of the meal came to.
“What are you doing?” Boone growled.
“Seeing what I owe,” Hayden said, studying the bill and not looking up.
Boone snatched the small piece of paper out of her hand. “You are not paying.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because I asked you to lunch.”
“So?”
“What do you mean, so?”
“Just that. So what if you asked me to lunch? I can pay my way, Boone. It’s not a big deal.”
“Hayden, I asked you to lunch. If I asked you to lunch, that means you aren’t paying.”
“So, if I asked you to lunch, I could pay?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Boone, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Hasn’t anyone taken you out on a date before?”
“A date?”
“Yeah. What do you think this is, Hayden?”
“A thank you lunch?” Her words were soft and confused.
Boone rolled his eyes and sighed. Under his breath, he told the ceiling, “I’m
He put one hand on the back of the booth behind her head and the other on her upper thigh. His thumb rested on the hem of her shorts. Hayden felt the heat from his hand seep into her skin and she resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. She should’ve smacked his hand away, or rebuked him for being too forward, but the truth was, she liked his hand on her.
“Look at me, Hayden.”
Hayden looked up into Boone’s eyes. She felt surrounded by him. He was leaning into her and she had to tilt her head up to be able to see his eyes.
“You’re funny, but that doesn’t take anything away from your femininity. I don’t know why none of those guys see you like I do, but I can’t say I’m sorry about it, because it leaves things in the free and clear for me. I think you’re funny. And compassionate. And you know how that guy responded when he saw you in the lobby of the station today?”
When Hayden nodded reluctantly, he continued, “He made an ass out of himself because of how hot you look.”
At the look of blatant disbelief on her face, he lifted the hand that had been resting on the plastic behind her head and brought it to her face. He ran his knuckles down her cheek, then smoothed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “You’re beautiful, Hayden. Your legs are long and sleek, your curvy little body in this tank top had every man in this restaurant taking a second look as we walked in. And I’ll tell you this right now, I can’t wait to see if the freckles you have right here,” he ran his fingertip over her nose, “are all over your body.”
“Boone—”
He talked over her. “Even sitting close to you in this booth is making me have an embarrassingly masculine reaction to you,” he nodded down to his lap, and the erection that strained against his jeans. He saw her glance down, then quickly bring her eyes back up to his in embarrassment. “So me telling you that you’re funny takes nothing away from how pretty you are. Pretty seems like too tame of a word, but it’ll do for now. Don’t doubt yourself, Hayden. You might work with men, and they might see you in that light because of how competent you are at what you do, but trust me when I say they’re seeing you through a whole different lens than I am.”
Hayden knew her face was aflame. Lord. No man had ever spoken to her like this before. She wasn’t sure she could believe Boone, even though he hadn’t lied about having an erection. He was very healthily endowed if her quick glance was anything to go by. Embarrassed, she tried to deflect. “How can you tell if I’m smiling for real?”
Realizing he needed to give her some space, Boone leaned back and shook his head. “I don’t think I’m going to tell you. I like having one up on you. I have a feeling I’ll need it.”
“Boone!”
“Hayden!”
She shook her head in exasperation.
The waiter came up at that moment and left the bill on the table, telling them he’d be back for it whenever they were ready to pay. Hayden leaned over and picked it up to see what her half of the meal came to.
“What are you doing?” Boone growled.
“Seeing what I owe,” Hayden said, studying the bill and not looking up.
Boone snatched the small piece of paper out of her hand. “You are not paying.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because I asked you to lunch.”
“So?”
“What do you mean, so?”
“Just that. So what if you asked me to lunch? I can pay my way, Boone. It’s not a big deal.”
“Hayden, I asked you to lunch. If I asked you to lunch, that means you aren’t paying.”
“So, if I asked you to lunch, I could pay?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Boone, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Hasn’t anyone taken you out on a date before?”
“A date?”
“Yeah. What do you think this is, Hayden?”
“A thank you lunch?” Her words were soft and confused.
Boone rolled his eyes and sighed. Under his breath, he told the ceiling, “I’m
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