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When Cole Hunter insisted she accompany him to dinner, Taryn’s entire body flashed hot Ti was a bad idea The way he so in his eyes - hejuicy steak but in a deeper place, whether he ad whether he could afford a side order of her
Sorry, but she wasn’t on the ain Guthrie Hunter’s son was prickly enough The edge she rode where he and her position at Hunters was concerned was already razor thin If she refused this "invitation," Coleto Ro the "Commander" all day, she’d come to the conclusion that she needed Cole on her side
Plus, her brain and body were running on eainst leaving this building alone with Cole, she guessed they could talk business while they ate The golden rule, however, still applied She had no intention of getting too close to trouble
So, with nerves ju her bag on the way They passed late-shift news eood-night to the uniforlass autosliders, and a er-side door of a low-slung Italian sports car Taryn’s throat bobbed on an involuntary s She had the weirdest feeling if she crawled inside that dark warht never co through Sydney’s upper-end streets In the near distance, arcing lights fro silver ribbons over the harbor while beside her Cole changed gears with the intuitive grace of a professional She couldn’t ignore that subtle yet intoxicating ripped the leather of the wheel In such close proxi, those shoulders almost too broad Every available inch of this car seey that was Cole Hunter
Taryn pressed back into the molded bucket seat and clenched her hands in her lap She’d never felt more unsettled Never more female
As they flew over a main arterial and the busy world whirred by, he said, "I’d kill for a good thick steak"
"I thought you’d be a steak man"
"You’re not a steak woetarian"
"I’ular place caters for that"
"You es"
In the rapid-fire shadows, his crooked grin flashed white "No disrespect intended I grew up in a male-dominated household Tofu and soy weren’t in our vocabulary"
Taryn peered out theShe didn’t care about Cole’s eating habits She cared only about getting this proposal through and at lastforith this show
"Guess we’re all products of our childhood," she offered absently
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Lots of brothers and sisters?"
"I’m an only child"
His deep rich chuckle resonated around the car cabin, burrowing into her skin, seeping into her bones
"Youup," he said
Peaceful? "I guess you could call it that"
"What would you call it?"
That was easy
"Lonely"
His hand on the gearshift, he hesitated changing down before he double-clutched then wove into the lit circular drive of an establishment that smacked of class and exorbitant prices A uniformed man strode over to see to her door before a valet parked the car They entered through open, white-paneled doors into an area decorated in swirls of bronze and planes ofwas soft Inviting
Way too intimate
While Taryn tried to concentrate on the weight of her laptop in her carryall over her shoulder rather than Cole’s strong chiseled profile, from behind the front desk, the maitre d’ tipped his head
"I’, Mr Hunter Your regular table isn’t available" The older man’s attention slid to her and his helpful s with a ood" Cole rapped his fingertips on the leather-bound etarian dishes here, right?"
Marco didn’t blink "We have a wide selection Our chef will also be happy to accommodate any particular requests"
As Marco escorted the froined it rested inches froh into a curtained-off area, her breath hitched in her throat Thewith her striking coshe felt as if she’d stepped into a dream She’d been out to dinner with attractive men at fine restaurants before, but this scene - this surreal heady feeling - was soere chair for her, Marco asked, "A wine , Mr Hunter?"
Cole rattled off the na eyes hinted was exceptional A ain co the atmosphere despite herself, Taryn shifted in the chair, which wasthis"
"You’d prefer an all-you-can-eat salad bar?"
With delicious aro the air, her taste buds had already decided She opened the menu "Here will do nicely"
And every one of those dishes listed without prices sounded divine Still, she would keep in the forefront of her et herself In fact, she ood use
Having chosen her meal, she set her menu aside and extracted her laptop frorunt of disapproval, Cole sat back
"We won’t do that now"
"I’d rather get to it before you have a drink or two"
"I can assure you a couple of glasses of on’t affect ment" His lips twitched "You, of course, ler, Mr Hunter"
His frown returned "And ditch the Mr this and manners that My name’s Cole You call my father Guthrie, don’t you?"
"That’s different We’re on friendly terms"
"Really? Did he take you out to dinner?"
She al "Of course not"
"Maybe you took him"
She slanted her head "You won’t put one fro and screa"
"Is that what happened at your last job?"
On the tabletop her fists curled What would she bet he already knew?
At thatTaryn tih to sort out her answer - and her teain, she ado frolasswith your boss?"
"We got along great"
"Ah" He sipped, sed "I see"
She burned to set hiht, and in the bluntest of terive hiement ood to ure"
"Seems you’re partial to them Don’t you have one of your own?"