never wanted to be the one to point it out. “Can I get you something to drink?”
She held up a martini glass, striking blue liquid sloshing against the edges. “I’m set, thanks.” She nodded at the empty bottle in front of him. “Besides, it looks like you’ve got both of us covered.”
An unfamiliar embarrassment flooded him, and he brushed it aside with irritation. “It was almost empty already. Bartender thought it was easier to hand over the last couple of shots and leave me be.”
She raised her eyebrows and raked her gaze over his face, down his chest, and back up again. “Right. Makes sense.”
Was she being sarcastic? It was hard to tell. Did he care? It wasn’t like he wanted to take her home. But he was compelled to study those eyes, and maybe try and unravel one or two of the secrets they hid. Which in itself might prove to be a challenge.
Computers he could read; they spilled their truths without much coaxing at all. People were a different story. From the way she held herself, she’d known before she sat down what she wanted to do and say, and probably wouldn’t give him anything else.
Time to find out what she was looking for. “What are you up to tonight?”
The corners of her eyes tugged up. “That’s it? No cheesy line? No ‘do you come here often?’”
He hated that kind of game. He reached for his bottle, and then dropped his hand back in his lap. Empty. Right . “I can do that, if you want. Will it make the conversation better?”
She laughed—a light, easy sound that cleared some of the cobwebs from his veins—and shook her head. “No. It definitely won’t. You just took me by surprise. I’m talking to you; that’s what I’m up to.”
A fairly straightforward answer, at least on the surface. Not what he’d been hoping for, but it was a starting point. “How’s that working out for you?”
She tugged on her collar. The storm had all but vanished from her eyes. “Not sure yet, but I don’t have any complaints, so I’d say it’s going well.”
“Hey, get back here!” A loud shout cut through the chatter and clink of glasses in the bar. Scrambling feet and surprised exclamations joined the noise. Seconds later, a large orange tabby cat jumped in the middle of their table, paws and claws scrambling for purchase on the polished wood.
“Shit.” Ana’s drink spilled down the front of her shirt, and she was on her feet in a second.
Camden didn’t think. His artificial arm shot out, and he grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck. The cat hissed, and he glared back, staring the feline down. He was careful not to hurt the terrified creature, as he carried her to the door and deposited her outside.
“Go hide somewhere else, princess.”
The animal bolted the moment her feet touched the ground.
He exhaled and made his way back into the bar, a thread of adrenaline making his blood flow faster through his veins. At least the implants didn’t take that from him. Most everyone had already returned to their own drinks and conversations. He wove through the tables back to his empty bottle, he raised his eyebrows when he saw Ana was still there.
She dabbed furiously at her shirt with a handful of napkins, muttering the entire time. “Dammit. This isn’t going to come out of silk. Fuck.”
He smiled at her loss of composure, but he squashed his amusement again. “Anything I can do to help?”
She looked up, eyes wide. Her top was suctioned to her chest, obliterating any hint of ‘left to the imagination’ that had been there earlier. Her smile slid back into place, but her stiff jaw and the lines in her forehead marred the expression. “Loan me your shirt?”
Again, he wasn’t sure if she was joking. It didn’t matter. Something about her was compelling, and he didn’t think his racing pulse was entirely due to the miniature whirlwind of a stray cat. He had no idea what about Ana made her so compelling. Her temperament, sliding from coy to flustered in a
She held up a martini glass, striking blue liquid sloshing against the edges. “I’m set, thanks.” She nodded at the empty bottle in front of him. “Besides, it looks like you’ve got both of us covered.”
An unfamiliar embarrassment flooded him, and he brushed it aside with irritation. “It was almost empty already. Bartender thought it was easier to hand over the last couple of shots and leave me be.”
She raised her eyebrows and raked her gaze over his face, down his chest, and back up again. “Right. Makes sense.”
Was she being sarcastic? It was hard to tell. Did he care? It wasn’t like he wanted to take her home. But he was compelled to study those eyes, and maybe try and unravel one or two of the secrets they hid. Which in itself might prove to be a challenge.
Computers he could read; they spilled their truths without much coaxing at all. People were a different story. From the way she held herself, she’d known before she sat down what she wanted to do and say, and probably wouldn’t give him anything else.
Time to find out what she was looking for. “What are you up to tonight?”
The corners of her eyes tugged up. “That’s it? No cheesy line? No ‘do you come here often?’”
He hated that kind of game. He reached for his bottle, and then dropped his hand back in his lap. Empty. Right . “I can do that, if you want. Will it make the conversation better?”
She laughed—a light, easy sound that cleared some of the cobwebs from his veins—and shook her head. “No. It definitely won’t. You just took me by surprise. I’m talking to you; that’s what I’m up to.”
A fairly straightforward answer, at least on the surface. Not what he’d been hoping for, but it was a starting point. “How’s that working out for you?”
She tugged on her collar. The storm had all but vanished from her eyes. “Not sure yet, but I don’t have any complaints, so I’d say it’s going well.”
“Hey, get back here!” A loud shout cut through the chatter and clink of glasses in the bar. Scrambling feet and surprised exclamations joined the noise. Seconds later, a large orange tabby cat jumped in the middle of their table, paws and claws scrambling for purchase on the polished wood.
“Shit.” Ana’s drink spilled down the front of her shirt, and she was on her feet in a second.
Camden didn’t think. His artificial arm shot out, and he grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck. The cat hissed, and he glared back, staring the feline down. He was careful not to hurt the terrified creature, as he carried her to the door and deposited her outside.
“Go hide somewhere else, princess.”
The animal bolted the moment her feet touched the ground.
He exhaled and made his way back into the bar, a thread of adrenaline making his blood flow faster through his veins. At least the implants didn’t take that from him. Most everyone had already returned to their own drinks and conversations. He wove through the tables back to his empty bottle, he raised his eyebrows when he saw Ana was still there.
She dabbed furiously at her shirt with a handful of napkins, muttering the entire time. “Dammit. This isn’t going to come out of silk. Fuck.”
He smiled at her loss of composure, but he squashed his amusement again. “Anything I can do to help?”
She looked up, eyes wide. Her top was suctioned to her chest, obliterating any hint of ‘left to the imagination’ that had been there earlier. Her smile slid back into place, but her stiff jaw and the lines in her forehead marred the expression. “Loan me your shirt?”
Again, he wasn’t sure if she was joking. It didn’t matter. Something about her was compelling, and he didn’t think his racing pulse was entirely due to the miniature whirlwind of a stray cat. He had no idea what about Ana made her so compelling. Her temperament, sliding from coy to flustered in a
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