Golden Lies - Barbara Freethy [68]
"This is nice, private," Riley said with a wink. "I like it."
"I should have figured you'd feel comfortable in dark corners." She paused. "I feel a little guilty that I'm having lunch instead of going back to the hospital to see my dad."
"Your father is not alone, and we're working hard to figure out who hurt him. That's worth something."
She sighed. "Fine, you've convinced me. You're very persuasive and good at coming up with excuses. I'll be sure to call you when I want to get out of a root canal or something."
"I can't be of any help to you there. I love going to the dentist."
"No one loves the dentist."
He smiled. "The chairs are cool. When I was a kid I felt like I was in a spaceship."
"What about the drill and the shots of novocaine?"
He shrugged. "A little pain is good for the soul. It builds character."
"Who told you that -- the dentist?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," he said with a laugh. "My first crush was on a female hygienist. I was thirteen. I loved the way she smelled, the way her hair drifted against my face, her breasts -- they were so perfect --"
"I get the picture," Paige said, holding up a hand. "You're a fan of big breasts."
"I'm a fan of any female breasts."
"Of course." She picked up her menu, deliberately placing it in front of her not overly endowed chest.
"Hiding?" Riley asked.
"Just trying to order."
He pushed the menu down so that it lay flat on the table. "I think you have beautiful breasts, Paige."
She cleared her throat, hating the way her breasts responded to his words, her nipples drawing into tight, hard peaks that she prayed weren't evident through her silk blouse. "This isn't exactly lunch conversation."
"We can talk about them over dinner if you prefer."
"We're not talking about them at all, unless you want to talk about a few of your own private parts."
"Whatever you want."
What she wanted was to slap that lazy, knowing grin right off his face. Actually, she didn't want to slap it off; she wanted to kiss it off. "There must be something terribly wrong with me," she muttered.
"Why? Because you're turned on? It's a natural response. It happens all the time."
"I'm so happy to know that you turn on all of your lunch companions. But thanks for reminding me, because you just turned me off."
"No, I didn't."
"Oh, shut up," she said in exasperation. "Can we just order some food and talk about something else?"
"Sure. Have you ever been here before?"
"No. Is the food good? Or are the hats supposed to distract you from what you're eating?"
"The food is excellent, especially the hot roast beef sandwich."
"That sounds perfect. I'll have that."
He raised an eyebrow. "It's a good size and it comes with fries -- do you know how many calories are in that?"
"I don't want to know. But since I've missed most of my meals the last few days, I think I have room for a few extra calories. Do you watch your weight?"
"Do I look like I should?"
He looked like a man in perfect condition, muscled, toned, trim, but she didn't want to make his ego any bigger. "How old are you?" she asked instead.
"Thirty-one. Does that make a difference?"
"Of course it does. Once you pass thirty, it's all downhill."
"I thought that was forty."
"That's what all thirty-one-year-olds think," she said with a smile.
"Well, you don't have to worry since you haven't hit the magic number yet."
"That's right. I can even order dessert."
"You're paying," he reminded her.
She looked down at the menu in front of her. "It could have been a lot worse. Where's the steak and lobster combination? Did you decide to go easy on me?"
"Since you don't have your trust fund yet, I had no choice."
The waiter came over to take their order and for a few minutes they were busy answering questions about drinks and food and whether or not they'd like to purchase one of the hats on display. When the waiter left, a silence fell between them, a tense silence, Paige thought, the teasing laughter of a few minutes ago no longer in evidence. She glanced over at Riley and caught him staring. A little shiver