“Very,” Natalie replied, looking at him over her shoulder. Perhaps it was foolish of her, but part of her had always envied all those girls she used to see on the back of his motorcycle.
She pulled up short when he reached beneath the fall of her long hair and grasped her upper arm.
“Be careful, Natalie.”
His low, rough voice made her shudder.
“What do you mean?”
“If you can’t decide if you’re innocent or a seductress,” he said, leaning closer, “I might have to help you choose.”
Chapter Six
She stood motionless, highly aware of him. She felt it when his fingers closed around her long hair. His nostrils flared.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. His fist opened, granting her freedom, and she heard his low chuckle.
He shut the passenger door once she was seated.
She made a mental effort to smoothe her choppy breath. Why did it happen so often, that she said something to him in such an off-the-cuff manner, as if she was a practiced flirt? Her occasional responses surprised her, probably more than they did Liam. They just seemed to spill out of her, contrary to her nervousness.
Contrary to her typical desire for control.
Her voice had sounded husky there by the car…downright suggestive if the flame that had leaped into Liam’s eyes and his ensuing reaction were any indication.
A half hour later, Natalie was heartened to realize she was feeling more comfortable, despite Liam’s earlier challenge and her anxious curiosity about his experience at the state police headquarters today.
He’d probably have forgotten the moment by tomorrow, Natalie thought with a mental eye roll.
He’d chosen the Lakeview—a sedate, upscale eatery located in nearby Antioch, Michigan. The Lakeview was one of the few places in the area where Natalie enjoyed dining. The secluded tables and darkened interior afforded her the measure of privacy she preferred. They exchanged little conversation as they examined the menus and then placed their orders.
“You like the place all right?” Liam observed as he watched her gazing out the window onto the brilliant view of the sun setting above the blue waters of Lake Michigan.
She furtively removed her glasses. Although it was Thursday—usually a busy night for the Lakeview—the crowd tonight was thin. She nodded toward the window. “I’ve lived in this area my whole life, and I never get tired of the sunsets.”
“Me, either,” Liam agreed.
“And, yes, you’re right. This is one of my favorite restaurants.” She stared back out at the view, glad that with Liam sitting across from her, she could at least show him the “good” side of her face.
“So I’d heard.”
She turned her head. “From whom?”
Liam’s shrug looked a little sheepish. “I asked Mari if there was any place she knew you liked. After making such a big deal of things in your office last night, I didn’t want to risk taking you to a place like Jake’s and having you hate it.”
Natalie stared at him, her lips parted. She’d assumed he hadn’t noticed her discomfort for what it was the other night.
She’d assumed wrong.
It both pleased and confused her at once that he’d taken the time to ask his sister-in-law about where she might like to dine. Maybe Liam truly did consider their outing as a date of sorts.
“I had dinner with your brother, Marc, and Mari here last fall,” Natalie said, thinking it was best to sidestep the issue of her discomfort with crowds and staring eyes.
“Yeah. Mari told me. She said Eric came, too.”
“That’s right. Marc and Eric even managed not to get into a fight the whole time. All the more reason for me to adore this place.”
He gave her a dry glance, and she chuckled.