“You always scare people like that?” she asks, shaking me from my thoughts.
“Like what?”
She has no idea how dangerous I am. And that’s when reality crashes down over me. I’ve seen men in Enzo’s organization almost lose the women they love.
I’ve seen how it breaks them. Hell, I saw how my mother's death broke my father.
“In there. Everyone moved when you walked by. Like they were petrified to breathe wrong in front of you. Same as outside Dusty’s the other morning.”
I arch an eyebrow. The cafe? She has seen me around. How the fuck did I miss her?
“Small town,” I shrug, playing it off. “Folks know each other.”
“That’s not what it looked like.”
I lean back against the wall. “And what did it look like?”
Her gaze drifts slowly over me. And I think she likes what she sees.
“Like you’re some kind of leader around here.”
My mouth twitches. “And you still followed me out here? You’re brave.”
Her chin lifts. “Maybe. Or, perhaps I’m intrigued.”
Silence stretches between us.
“You dance like you’re tryin’ to start fights,” I mutter.
“With who? I don’t want to start any trouble. I’m new here, remember?”
“Every guy in that bar.”
Her eyebrows crease when she frowns. “Guys here want to fight me?”
I let out a chuckle. I don’t think she realizes just how breathtaking she is.
“No. I’ll knock every single one out that so much as glances at you the wrong way.”
Her pretty lips open, and she sucks in a breath.
A slow smile curves her mouth. “But you didn’t. You walked away? You could have danced with me.”
My jaw tightens. Because yeah. Watching her move like that makes it damn hard not to imagine her moving under me instead.
My gaze drops to her mouth for too long. “I walked away because you don’t need to be getting mixed up with the likes of me. Trust me on that.”
She tilts her head, as if she’s assessing me. I like it.
“You don’t flirt much, do you?” she asks softly.
“Not my thing.” I shrug.
“Why not?” she says, biting back a smile.
“I’m a busy man.”
“Busy how?”