Page 68 of Inked Heart
Her eyebrow lifts slightly.“Oh?”
I immediately regret saying that out loud.Smooth, Damien.Very smooth.
She turns slightly toward me.“What did you mean?”
I stare out at the water.“You know exactly what I meant.”
“Maybe I want to hear you say it.”
My heart does a strange little thump in my chest.“You look nice.”
“That’s it?”
“You look really nice.”
“Better.”She smiles.God, that smile should come with a warning label.
“You’re blushing,” she says.
“I am not!”I deny.
“You absolutely are.”
“It’s the sun.”
“The sun is behind us.”
“Technicalities.”
She laughs softly and the sound drifts across the lake like something fragile and bright.
“I like this version of you,” she says.
“What version?”
“The one that’s not hiding behind spreadsheets.”
“I don’t hide.”Do I?I didn’t think so.
“You do a little.”
“I observe.”
“Same thing.”
I glance at her.She’s watching me with that thoughtful expression again.The one that makes me feel like she’s trying to solve a puzzle.
“What?”I ask.
“You’re different than I expected.”
“How so?”I’m dying to know how she sees me.
“You’re quiet.”
“That’s not new information,” I reply with a smirk.
“But you’re also...”She hesitates, gazing out at the lake once more.
