White Lies (7 page)

“
Okay
,
” he said
.“
Wear it home, and then
I’
ll send it all back. It was worth a try
.
”

“
My stuff was perfectly fine
.
”

“
It was
,
” he agreed
,“
until I killed the zipper and tore your sweater. I was trying to make that up to you.
I’
m sorry for overreaching
.
”

She studied him, waiting for the catch. She could
n’
t find it yet, but she felt strangely certain that it was there.

“
Breakfast
?
” he said, after a minute
.“
I really am starving
.
”

“
Fine
,
” she said. Even though it made her feel just a little bit like a traitor
.“
Okay, le
t’
s
.
” Because she really was hungry.

CHAPTER SIX

His question about heights had
n’
t been entirely irrelevant. He led her out to a little breakfast nook that overlooked the city. It was dizzying, being so high, knowing that all that separated her from a really long and upsetting fall with an abrupt end was a sheet of glass. Really strong glass, sure, but still. Glass.

The table was bistro style, putting them so close together that their knees knocked against each other. Sophia served them omelets, coffee, and hash browns, and bowls of fresh fruit on the side
.“
Is this all right
?
” he asked
.“
I tend to eat a heavy breakfast and aim lighter later in the day, but
I’
m sure we have oatmeal or yogurt, if tha
t’
s more your style
?
”

Zoey found herself caught entirely unawares yet again. Sophia stood there, waiting patiently, showing absolutely no irritation that she might have made this gorgeous omelet for no reason at all, and Alex staring at he
r—
well, like he had when h
e’
d fussed with the bra. Like he did
n’
t understand why she did
n’
t know how to answer him
.“
This is lovely
,
” she said, finally
.“
Honestly, not having to eat my own cooking is such a luxury that I do
n’
t even know how to thank you
.
”

Sophia smiled like Zoey had just complemented her puppy, or her grandchild
.“
I
t’
s a luxury to have someone to cook for who appreciates the food
,
” she said, with a glance at Alex that seemed mostly teasing
.“
Try the coffee. Not too much sugar
?
”

Zoey took a sip, and had to prevent herself from moaning in culinary ecstasy
.“
This is gorgeous
,
” she said
.“
Wha
t’
s your brew method
?
”

Sophia shook her head then
.“
My own grandmother would roll in her grave if I told
,
” she said
.“
Enjoy. Do
n’
t let Mr. Blankenship be rude. Please, ring if you need anything else
.
”

“
Hear that
?
” Zoey said, turning back to Alex, who was watching her with an utterly amused expression
.“
Yo
u’
re not allowed to be rude to me anymore. Your housekeeper said
.
”

“I’
m not sure when I was rude to you in the first place
,
” he said.

“
You did
n’
t like my outfit
,
” she said
.“
You destroyed it, and then you replaced it with one you liked better. Very rude
.
” She softened the comment with a smile.

“
So I should have sent you out into the day nude
?
”

“
You should have been nicer to my poor jeans
.
” She tried on a pout. It probably went with the sweater beautifully.

“
I do
n’
t seem to recall you being upset last night
.
” His eyes flared with a heat, and she had to laugh.

“
Yo
u’
re insatiable
.
”

“
Yo
u’
ve been right there with me, every time
.
”

“
Am I really this desirable
?
” It was a dumb question, it was a question that begged for pity and pats on the back, it was the question that she had always refused to ask, even when she needed to hear the answer.

He did
n’
t seem upset or off put at all. He put down his fork, finished chewing, and gave her all of his attention as he answered her
.“
You are utterly desirable. I ca
n’
t easily recount a time when
I’
ve wanted someone more. I
t’
s a lot of things, I think. I
t’
s having met you in such an interesting way, i
t’
s that you do
n’
t just roll over when we disagree, i
t’
s that you make the most amazing sounds when I kiss the spot just below your ear
.
”

How did he make her squirm in her chair like this so quickly? And how did he turn it off so fast? He saw the affect he had on her, she knew it from the way he looked her up and down and grinned before plucking a strawberry from his bowl and tossing it in his mouth. And then he was carefully slicing off another bite of omelet, and asking in an utterly unaffected tone
,“
Did you find out anything new last night
?
”

It took her a full minute of solid breaths and one long sip of coffee to recollect herself
.“
Nothing tha
t’
s going to shock us, at this point. I really think somethin
g’
s up in the weapons division, though. I ca
n’
t put my finger on it, not firm enough to tell you for sure. I have a couple of contacts higher up the food chain that
I’
ll get in touch with today. They should be able to tell me something. I hope so, anyway
.
”

“
Do you regret this
?
”

She blinked
.“
Do I regret what
?
”

“
That night at the club. Do you think it would have been better for both of us if that had
n’
t happened
?
”

Funny; he was asking the same question she had, just a few moments before
.“
I do
n’
t think so. Personally, I do
n’
t think
I’
ll ever regret it, no matter what this turns into, between you and I.
I—
god, this sounds so chees
y—
I know things about myself that I did
n’
t know a week ago. My, um, urge towards kink is
n’
t just me being totally hip, i
t’s…
well. I
t’
s a real thing. I
t’
s something that
I
…”

“
Enjoy
?
”

She kicked him in the shin. He whimpered as if it hurt, which was nice, since she was barefoot, and barely touched him. He had a little sister. She was certain h
e’
d faced much more vehement kicks in his life
.“
Yes, thank you
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re the wordsmith.
I’
m just being helpful
.
”

“
The point is
,
” she said, with a firm glance that he apparently decided to respect, this time at least
,“
that I do
n’
t regret learning new things about myself
.
”

“
And professionally
?
”

Yes, he would notice the one place sh
e’
d hedged, would
n’
t he? Well, he probably had
n’
t gotten the position of CEO just by being born and knowing the right people. Though certainly that had helped
.“
Professionally? I do
n’
t know, Alex. Stories like thi
s—
if w
e’
re right, if ther
e’
s something going on at AEGIS? This is a once in a lifetime piece
.
”

“
And you ca
n’
t write it
.
”

“
Nope
.
” She sighed
.“
Honestly, if it helps at all, i
t’
s better this way. If
I’
d written the piece, not realizing it was you who
I’
d met at Chez Vous that night, and then someone found out about that? My career would have been even more over
.
”

“
It just seems so backward. Surely a journalist having more information on their subject is good
.
”

“
Yes, but anything the public can interpret as obvious bias is not. Look what happened to that gaming journalist wh
o’
d slept with a reviewer before he was even a reviewer
.
”

Alex nodded thoughtfully
.“
So, how can I help
?
”

She blinked for a moment, studying him again
.“I—
I do
n’
t know, Alex. Ther
e’
s not much you can do, I do
n’
t think. The most
I’
ll ever be able to pull off is a co-byline, and really, I do
n’
t think tha
t’
s an option
.
”

“
Sure. But the point of getting this story is to open doors and put your name in front of people, right? I can make that happen
.
”

He said those five words so casually, as if it was something that every young journalist should just fall all over themselves for. And honestly, part of her did, hard and fast and immediate. But a lot more of her bristled at the statement
.“I’
m perfectly capable of pulling this off on my own
,
” she snapped.

“
You just told me that I ruined a once in a lifetime opportunity by being sexy and good with my hands
,
” he said, and as mad as she was, the heat in his eyes still ran a shiver up her spine
.“I’
m offering to fix it. Why is that upsetting you
?
”

“
Just like you fixed my jeans? Just like yo
u’
ll fix me, turn me into someone who fits perfectly next to you?
I’
m not some floozy you can buy
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re not a floozy
,
” he agreed. His tone was
n’
t soothing; that was good. She was pretty sure she would have dumped the coffee over his head if h
e’
d tried to soothe her
.“
But everyone can be bought. Only question in the world is their asking price
.
”

She was so utterly shocked that she could
n’
t find a single word to say
.“
So people are just, what, commodities
?
”

“
No, of course not
.
” She felt convinced that Alex should have been upset by this conversation. God knew she was. He should have been cranky and snappy and irritated, just like she was
.“
But people always say they ca
n’
t be bought, as if they are somehow above temptation. And i
t’
s simply not true
.
”