Dead by Midnight - Beverly Barton [126]
Mike spooned half the scrambled eggs into her plate and the other half into his. Then he put the platter filled with buttered toast between the jars of strawberry and peach jelly.
“I couldn’t find any bacon or sausage,” he said as he picked up his mug and sat in the seat opposite her.
“I usually don’t eat a big breakfast, just cereal and juice. I seldom buy bacon or sausage.”
Mike nodded, then picked up his fork and dove into the fluffy scrambled eggs. After eating half the eggs and two half slices of toast, he washed it all down with the remainder of his coffee. He wiped his mouth, shoved back his chair, and got up.
“Want a refill while I’m getting mine?” he asked, holding up his mug.
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
He glanced at her plate. “You aren’t eating.”
“I’m not used to someone making breakfast for me.”
“Really?” He stared at her, a skeptical expression on his face. “I find it hard to believe that not one of the men you’ve dated cooked breakfast for you.”
“Maybe that’s because none of the men I’ve dated have spent the night and stayed over for breakfast.”
“You don’t expect me to believe that you’ve been celibate for the past nine years.” Mike refilled his mug.
“I don’t care what you believe. Maybe I have been celibate all these years. Maybe I haven’t. It’s possible that I’ve always spent the night at my date’s house. Or maybe he came here and once we finished screwing each other senseless, I sent him away.”
Mike sat back down at the table and looked right at her. “Do you get some perverse pleasure out of taunting me?”
Lorie laughed in his face. “Last night you told me that your personal life was none of my business. That works both ways, you know. Who I’ve had sex with during the past nine years or if I’ve had sex is none of your business.”
“You’re absolutely right,” he told her.
She stared at him, surprised by his instant agreement. “That was too easy. What’s going on?”
“I’m tired of every conversation we have turning into an argument. And since most of the time that’s been my fault, I’m the one putting a stop to it.”
“I’m amazed.”
“You’re amazed that I can be reasonable?” He grinned. “We’re going to be together a lot from here on out. I don’t want to spend most of that time fighting with you.”
“You shouldn’t be here, you know. You should let Jack look after me until I can hire a new bodyguard. I’m sure the Powell Agency can—”
“Damn it, Lorie, I don’t want to argue about this. I’m here and I’m not going away. You’re stuck with me.”
“Until?”
“Until you’re no longer in danger.”
All right. If he could do this, then she could. If he could live in her house, see her day in and day out, sleep just down the hall from her and resist the undeniable attraction between them, so could she. But by God, she wasn’t going to make it easy for him.
Lorie, Lorie, Lorie, what are you thinking? Mike is doing what he believes is the right thing to do. His reasoning might be a little skewed, but his heart was in the right place. Mike Birkett was a good man. Instead of making things difficult for him, she needed to help him. No matter what happened between them while they were together, when it was all over, she would have to let him go back to his normal life, a life that could never include her.
“I don’t like that look in your eyes,” Mike said. “You’re plotting something.”
“No, you’re wrong,” she told him and surprised both of them when she reached across the table and clasped his hand. “Thank you, Mike.”
“For what?” He did not jerk his hand away as she halfway expected.
“For being you. For being the kind of man who would risk his life for an old friend.”
He maneuvered their hands until hers was nestled inside his. They stared at each other for an endless moment, and then she pulled her hand away and got up to dump her cold coffee and pour herself a fresh cupful.
Oh dear God, this was going to be hard, damn hard. But she had to keep things on a platonic basis with Mike, for his sake as well as for hers.
Lila Newton