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“I’ll be right behind you,” she said and held up her cigarette. “As soon as I’m finished.”

“You know you have to quit that if we’re going to start the fitness and rock climbing routine you have planned.”

“One of these days,” she said and smiled guiltily.

CHAPTER THREE

Beckett

While Mira ducked out the back, I faced the male bartender, Steve, who I could tell didn’t like the moves I was making on Mira.

“You should move on,” he said to me, frowning. “She’s not for you.”

“I think that’s up to her to decide,” I said softly, trying hard not to take too much offense.

He stood eyeing me, polishing a glass with a towel. I sighed and turned away, then I decided to go to the back and see if the manager was in so I could ask about Dan’s parents. They might have a local phone directory if he wouldn’t give me the parent’s address.

I went to the back of the restaurant, through a door that led to the kitchen on one side and the offices on the other. Down a long hallway was what looked like the main office, so I cracked the door open and checked inside. A light was on, but the room appeared empty. I looked on the desk for a phone directory, but saw nothing immediately resembling a phone book and I didn’t want to go inside and check around. That would be going a step too far, even for me, a DEA rat.

I went down the hallway to the door leading back into the restaurant. Before I reached the door, Mira emerged from the other end of the hallway, adjusting her apron. She must have been in the staff washroom.

"What are you doing here?" she said in a disapproving tone.

"Looking for the manager." I needed to placate her, so I went up close to her and stared down into her pretty hazel-green eyes, which were very untrusting at the moment. "I need to speak to him."

"You better leave," she said, her voice wavering a bit with emotion. “Didn’t you see the sign on the door? Staff only.”

"I really need to see the manager."

I hoped she didn’t press me. I didn’t have the wherewithal to think up a story to cover for my being in the back. It wasn’t as if I could just say to her ‘Hey, sweetheart, can you tell me where your ex-parents-in-law live so I can return the letters you wrote to your fallen-hero husband who died because of me? Thanks!’

"He’s not working tonight," she said pointed to the exit.

I wanted to dispel the bad feeling between us, so I laid on some charm. "Ladies first."

She turned to go back but I could tell she was still angry with me, and as a result, any chance I had of convincing her to have a drink with me after work would be dead.

"Look, I'm sorry if I insulted you,” I said, keeping my voice soft. “It's just that you’re very pretty and seem really smart and funny. I'd really like if we could just have one drink, talk a bit."

"I don't think so."

When she tried to leave once more, I put my arm on the wall, stopping her from leaving. It was done playfully. Of course, I would never force a woman. I didn’t have to force them.

To my surprise, she leaned against the wall beside me and looked up in my eyes, the quirk of a smile on her lips. Pretty soft-pink lips, nice and full and which I knew would feel very nice on my lips – or elsewhere for that matter.

"All right, cowboy," she said, her arms crossed, smiling more widely now. "I'll have a drink with you when I'm off shift. You're just about the best thing a girl has seen in a long while, too."

I smiled, trying to hide my surprise. I really didn’t think she’d agree to it after finding me in the back checking out the joint.

"Thank you, sha," I said and leaned down a bit closer. "I'll try to make it worth your while."

"Just try?" She had this playful expression in her eyes that sent a jolt of desire right to my dick, which was starting to perk up.

I laughed. "You give me a chance and I promise to make it worth your while."

She looked me over, like she was assessing whether I could deliver. "You talk big. I hope you live up to it."

Then, to my even bigger surprise, she leaned forward on her toes and… kissed me.