Page 24 of Secrets & Lies


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“On the contrary, I have nothing but respect for the men and women in law enforcement. I come from a law enforcement family.”

Teasing her further and testing the limits of her patience, I asked, “Do you, now? Tell me, have you ever dated a cop?”

“Excuse me, how is that any ofyourbusiness?” she sputtered, her blush deepening.

I licked my bottom lip, holding back a grin as her eyes were drawn to the movement. “Wondering what my chances are, is all.” It took her a second before she pulled her gaze away and responded.

“Chances…chances of what?”

“You going out with me.”

She was making this so fun, I hardly recognized my own actions with her.

She held out her hand. “This conversation is over. My blade, please.”

I put my hand over it completely, earning myself a death glare.

“Who are you?” I took a shot, knowing full well she wasn’t going to answer, but her reaction would tell me everything.

She moved her hand under the tag, emphasizing her name. “Pardon me? Can you not read? I assumed you could when you called me by my name earlier.”

After calmly taking another sip of coffee, I barked, “I asked you a question, young lady. I expect an answer.”

She was trying to figure out how to get her blade with the least amount of effort. I wondered what Ivan would think of her. Her eyes rolled skyward, and a heightened level of exasperation crossed her face. The exchange of verbal jabs continued.

“Wow, you insist I spend my break with you, and you expect answers to questions that are none of your business. You’re very presumptuous and arrogant. You can use words like insist and expect, and I will tell you I owe you nothing. Fancy yourself my father?”

“Darling, I’m not old enough to be your father. Regardless, you will answer.” I could do this with her all day.

She was quite sassy, and for some inexplicable reason, it was turning me on. Probably because most women I came across did anything they could to get my attention. It almost always came down to the tattoo or the accent. Either way, the girl across from me wasn’t the slightest bit fazed.

She looked at her watch. “You seem to be struggling with my name, so let me sound it out for you: Kins-lee. Not darling. I need to be going,” she stated, shifting tactics.

“I’m aware of how to pronounce your name, Kinsley Anya Marie Taylor, born April 23rd, 2004. I know where you live and where you work. Who is Pavel Lenkov to you?” I asked, watching her eyes flash in surprise.

Her eyes moved up and to the left, letting me know she was accessing the part of her brain that stored memories.

“I believe Pavel Lenkov is a famous dancer I’ve previously seen on TV and YouTube. If you know me, then you know I also dance. He was recently a guest choreographer for Mr. Dulaine’s class. Mr. Dulaine is my dance instructor, but you should already know that, too, right?”

The words flew out of her mouth. She didn’t miss a beat.Impressive. She was quick on her feet, and my intrigue for her grew. A sense of excitement pulsing through my blood. But how much of what she said was true?

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve humored you long enough. I’ve got things to do, orders to take, and I have no interest in speaking to you. So if you’re here on Mr. Lenkov’s behalf, please tell him I’m not who he thinks I am.”

She moved to pick up her blade. I grabbed her, dragged her over to me, and braced her between my legs, my feet planted behind hers.

“What body wash, shampoo, and conditioner do you use?” I demanded as I took another deep breath and drank in her unique scent. I pulled a lock of her hair free, rubbing it between my forefinger and thumb. “So soft,” I murmured, lost in my thoughts.

“What the hell iswrongwith you?” she exclaimed, trying to pull away from me.

“I can’t help it. Your scent calls to me.”

I had no idea why I was even telling her these things.Closing my eyes, I inhaled her once more. Having her this close was putting me in a trance.

She surprised me by leaning her neck closer. “Better get it out of your system, then,” she offered, resting her hands on my abs before trailing them up to my shoulders.

Her light touch, soft voice, and neck near enough I could kiss it, was too tempting to resist. Customers were staring, but I didn’t give a fuck. Her pulse hammered under my lips while I explored her neck. The weight of her hands left my shoulders. Finally, she pulled away, putting distance between us.

Through gritted teeth, she asked, “You done?”