Secret Protector. Ann Peterson Voss

squeeze he hoped she’d read as understanding and not hovering. “It probably helps that I didn’t know you when you were six. You don’t seem to need hovering now.”

      A smile curved over her lips and sparkled into her eyes.

      Suddenly hovering was at the bottom of his list. Tasting those lips, watching her eyes sparkle with passion when he kissed her … he took a sip of black coffee and focused on a colorful painting on the wall behind her. “Did the police find anything last night?”

      “A mess.” She shook her head. “My brother Ash is a detective. He, Devin and a couple other officers were out there half the night, but …”

      “Nothing?”

      “I can’t figure it out. Why would someone want to destroy my paintings? I mean, these aren’t great works of art. I don’t show them or sell them or anything. It’s just my pastime, you know?”

      He knew more than she could guess. And one of the things he knew was she was more than a hobby artist. She might head up Kendall’s PR department now, but she’d been a serious artist in college. When it came to looking for someone who would want to shred her paintings, maybe that was a place to start. “You’ve never had offers to show your work? Never had art lovers looking to buy?”

      She tilted her head to the side. “A few. But that’s when I was doing more commercial stuff. These paintings were just for me.”

      “Just for you, huh? So you don’t show them to anyone?”

      “No. No one would be interested anyway.”

      “I have trouble believing you haven’t had interest.”

      “One dealer who liked some of my previous work has asked. But I told him no.”

      Interesting. “Who was that?”

      “It’s not important. I’m not going to show them to him, let alone sell them.”

      He would have to find out who this dealer was, although he wasn’t sure how to go about that at the moment. He sensed if he badgered her about a name, she’d get suspicious. He didn’t want to ruin the easy rapport that had bloomed between them. But there was another thing he was curious about. “So I can talk you into letting me have a peek?”

      She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “What, are you a secret art collector?”

      “No. But I have a certain interest in the artist. I’ve heard looking at an artist’s work is the best way to get to know her.” He knew it sounded like he was playing her, but he wasn’t. Not really. The truth was, he really was interested in seeing Natalie’s paintings. He was interested in learning everything about her. At least everything he hadn’t already seen by following her around for the past month or so.

      Maybe that was his fascination. Nothing had happened in the past weeks. Natalie shopping. Natalie going to and from work. Maybe his thirst for a bit more adventure than this was fueling his need to get closer to her. Or maybe he’d spent so much time watching her, he was developing a bit of a crush. Either way, this was the most alive he’d allowed himself to feel in a long time. “What do you say? Will you show me?”

      “That’s a pretty intimate request for a first date.”

      “Did I cross a line?”

      She gave him a little smile. “No harm in asking.”

      “I could think of a more intimate request.” He didn’t even hope she would grant him what was in his imagination right now, but he didn’t try to hide the interest in his voice.

      “Can you? And what would that be?” She looked at him straight on, a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

      He almost shook his head. “Man, I love a woman who ups the ante.”

      She arched her brows. “Well?”

      He was tempted to tell her exactly where his thoughts were leading, but he sensed that might be pushing things too far. He couldn’t afford to come on too strong and risk scaring her off.

      Or even worse, she might take him up on the offer. He could just imagine what her brother’s reaction to that would be. “No harm in asking.”

      She laughed, the sound drawing him in as it had in the parking garage. If this was a real date, he’d lean over and kiss her. He could imagine how she’d taste. Sweet and light and spiced with Thai curry and a touch of coffee.

      Instead of giving in to the urge, he grabbed the check folder off the table. “I would like you to let me buy.”

      “That’s your intimate request?”

      “Not intimate enough?”

      She canted her head to the side. “I have an expense account here. And no, letting you buy lunch is not all that intimate.”

      “Sorry to disappoint.” He slipped cash into the folder and handed it to a passing server. Then he looked into Natalie’s cool, green eyes. “Okay, if you want something more intimate, may I escort you home after work tonight?”

      “To see my paintings?”

      “To make sure you get there safe and no one is waiting inside.”

      “Really?”

      “After last night? Yeah, really. I’m worried about you.”

      “You hardly know me.”

      “True. But what I know, I really like. I want you to stay safe so I can get to know more.”

      She picked up her coffee cup and gave him a smile over the rim, as if he’d said precisely the right thing.

      THE ENTIRE WALK BACK to Kendall Communications, Natalie mentally pinched herself. Since the moment she’d opened her studio door and found the room in shambles, she’d felt so violated, so vulnerable, she didn’t think she’d ever feel strong and happy again. All night she’d been convinced someone was watching her from the darkness outside, even though the estate had been swarming with police. She could have sworn someone was trailing behind her on this morning’s commute to work. She’d even felt the hair on the back of her neck rise while she was waiting for the parking ramp’s garage door to open. So how was it possible that she felt so carefree and radiant after a simple chat over lunch?

      Love was an incredible thing.

      She turned away from Gray for a moment and smiled to herself. She wasn’t in love, of course. She knew she was getting ahead of herself. Way ahead. But it was nice just to entertain the fantasy for a moment. To have found someone who made her feel giddy and warm and safe and sexy all at once. To have a future before her filled with love and family and happiness like Devin and Ash did. To plan her own wedding and know her husband would be there to share coffee with her in the evening and hold her warm and safe all night.

      An old dream. Maybe an impossible one. But a good one all the same.

      Jolie’s warning flitted through her mind. She’d promised her friend she would call off today’s lunch with Gray. But when it came down to telling him she had to cancel, she’d changed her mind. She was glad she had, despite having now lied to her best friend. Sure, Jolie was probably right. Sure, Natalie didn’t really know Gray. Sure, her fantasies could come crashing down at any moment. But at least the dream would last over the lunch hour. After last night’s trauma, she needed to hold on to this great feeling as long as she could. “So, we’ve talked a lot about me during lunch. Tell me about yourself.”

      Gray chuckled. “Believe me, you’re a lot more interesting.”

      “I can’t help liking that you think so, but beyond the trauma of last night, I’m afraid my life is pretty dull.”

      “There is nothing about you that’s dull.”

      She let out a laugh. “You flatter,” she said dryly.

      He shot her a smile.

      They