Read Online Retribution Boxed Set (Books One and Two) by Cindy Stark - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cindy Stark
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part.”
Another smile lit on her lips as a pleasant
warmth spread through her body. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just sit there and
let me pamper you a while. You need it.”
Chapter Seven
Xander closed his front door after generously
tipping the delivery driver from Mama Maria’s. The tantalizing scent of garlic
filled the air as he moved from his foyer to the kitchen. He gathered plates
and utensils, before glancing out his back door to the woman who occupied a
seat on his patio.
Now that Nicole had agreed to see him, it seemed
as though she’d dropped her shield. He’d been prepared to do whatever it took
to win her over, but flirting with her, making small talk had come far easier
than he’d expected. He only hoped he wasn’t overdoing it. His whole line about
not cooking so he could look into her eyes was a little over the top, but she
hadn’t seemed to mind. In truth, as he’d been changing his clothes, he’d
realized if he were to cook a decent meal, he’d have to be focused on what he
was doing as opposed to trying to read her expressions and learning when she might
be telling the truth and might be lying.
Then again, she did have beautiful eyes. Spending
hours trying to figure her out wouldn’t be a hardship.
In all actuality, he’d really scored when he’d
picked up this assignment. Christian’s last job led him to pal around with a
drug dealer who’d lost most of his teeth and had numerous scars on his face
from abusing drugs.
Xander set the food containers on a tray with the
plates and napkins and headed outside. Nicole glanced up as he joined her, the
corners of her eyes turning up as she smiled. To describe her as beautiful had
been an understatement.
She stood and helped distribute plates and
utensils as he opened the containers. “That smells wonderful,” she said, as she
moved closer and peeked over his shoulder to see what each container held.
The smallest brush of her breast caressed his
arm, and suddenly every nerve inside him stood at attention. He shifted, moving
out of her way, and handed a container to her. “Here, you can put the noodles
on our plates if you’d like.” He needed to keep his focus on her crime and what
her father had done to his.
She took the plastic bowl and busied herself
doing as he asked with no clue as to the kind of affect she had on him. Maybe
working with a drug dealer had been the easier job after all.
When they both had their plates and were settled
again, he began his subtle interrogation. “Have you always lived in the
Portland area?”
She shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “I moved a
lot when I was younger, but I’ve been in the area since my high school days.” She
looked up at him and smiled. “How about you?”
“I’ve been in Portland since college. Graduated
from Portland State.”
“I went to Pacific Northwest.”
“The art school?”
She twisted linguini on her fork and nodded. “I
always wanted to be a graphic designer.”
“How did you end up working for First Freedom
then, especially in their finance area?”
She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “They called me.
Or a headhunter-type person did. Someone called, saying they’d gotten my
information from the college alumni department, and they wanted someone who
could be an administrative assistant slash graphic designer. It paid more than
I was making at the time, so I said yes. In the end, they really didn’t have me
do any graphic designing, just answering phones and mostly being a gopher for
everyone in the department.” A sad expression crossed her face. “And now I
don’t even have that.”
If Xander didn’t know better, he’d feel sorry for
the green-eyed witch. She certainly had the poor waif routine down well. “This
must be impossibly tough for you.” Especially getting busted.
She steeled her expression and sighed. “The tough
part is going to be when I try to make a rent payment with no
Another smile lit on her lips as a pleasant
warmth spread through her body. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just sit there and
let me pamper you a while. You need it.”
Chapter Seven
Xander closed his front door after generously
tipping the delivery driver from Mama Maria’s. The tantalizing scent of garlic
filled the air as he moved from his foyer to the kitchen. He gathered plates
and utensils, before glancing out his back door to the woman who occupied a
seat on his patio.
Now that Nicole had agreed to see him, it seemed
as though she’d dropped her shield. He’d been prepared to do whatever it took
to win her over, but flirting with her, making small talk had come far easier
than he’d expected. He only hoped he wasn’t overdoing it. His whole line about
not cooking so he could look into her eyes was a little over the top, but she
hadn’t seemed to mind. In truth, as he’d been changing his clothes, he’d
realized if he were to cook a decent meal, he’d have to be focused on what he
was doing as opposed to trying to read her expressions and learning when she might
be telling the truth and might be lying.
Then again, she did have beautiful eyes. Spending
hours trying to figure her out wouldn’t be a hardship.
In all actuality, he’d really scored when he’d
picked up this assignment. Christian’s last job led him to pal around with a
drug dealer who’d lost most of his teeth and had numerous scars on his face
from abusing drugs.
Xander set the food containers on a tray with the
plates and napkins and headed outside. Nicole glanced up as he joined her, the
corners of her eyes turning up as she smiled. To describe her as beautiful had
been an understatement.
She stood and helped distribute plates and
utensils as he opened the containers. “That smells wonderful,” she said, as she
moved closer and peeked over his shoulder to see what each container held.
The smallest brush of her breast caressed his
arm, and suddenly every nerve inside him stood at attention. He shifted, moving
out of her way, and handed a container to her. “Here, you can put the noodles
on our plates if you’d like.” He needed to keep his focus on her crime and what
her father had done to his.
She took the plastic bowl and busied herself
doing as he asked with no clue as to the kind of affect she had on him. Maybe
working with a drug dealer had been the easier job after all.
When they both had their plates and were settled
again, he began his subtle interrogation. “Have you always lived in the
Portland area?”
She shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “I moved a
lot when I was younger, but I’ve been in the area since my high school days.” She
looked up at him and smiled. “How about you?”
“I’ve been in Portland since college. Graduated
from Portland State.”
“I went to Pacific Northwest.”
“The art school?”
She twisted linguini on her fork and nodded. “I
always wanted to be a graphic designer.”
“How did you end up working for First Freedom
then, especially in their finance area?”
She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “They called me.
Or a headhunter-type person did. Someone called, saying they’d gotten my
information from the college alumni department, and they wanted someone who
could be an administrative assistant slash graphic designer. It paid more than
I was making at the time, so I said yes. In the end, they really didn’t have me
do any graphic designing, just answering phones and mostly being a gopher for
everyone in the department.” A sad expression crossed her face. “And now I
don’t even have that.”
If Xander didn’t know better, he’d feel sorry for
the green-eyed witch. She certainly had the poor waif routine down well. “This
must be impossibly tough for you.” Especially getting busted.
She steeled her expression and sighed. “The tough
part is going to be when I try to make a rent payment with no
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