Page 56 of Beneath the Light of the Moon

Men weretenacious, if anything.

“I was starting to worry about you,” he replied as soon as she wasin earshot. A soft brush of his lips across her temple as he swept her into a hug made her spine stiffen.

“I…had more emails come in after you stepped out,” she replied, body short circuiting at the unwanted touch. “I should’ve texted you.”

“No need,” he pulled away, hands still gripping her shoulders. “I called and moved our reservation back.”

Great.“Thank you,” she said aloud instead.

“Anything for you.” She winced, but he didn’t notice, too busy offering her his elbow as if she needed to be chauffeured out of work on a Friday evening. If anyone asked her about this slimy man next week, she’d set the building on fire. “Although I’m sad to see you without the flowers in your hair.”

“I’m sorry,” she wasn’t, “but I didn’t think they were formal enough for our dinner.”

He chuckled, holding the door open for her, “Anything you wear, Anika, would be appropriate for our dinner date.”

Ugh, there was that word again. “Of course, I should’ve known.”

“It’s okay, maybe just ask me next time.”

The gun strapped to her ankle currently pulsed with promise. It would be so easy to slip it free and push it into his ribs, anything to get him to shut up.

“While I appreciate your gestures, I’m not really the type of woman to ask for permission first,” she said. It was blunt, but it was better than her former thoughts. Levi didn’t answer her for a moment, guiding her to his telltale white BMW at the curb in front of her office building. Opening the car door for her as well, she didn’t miss the way his eyes roved over her figure as she sat down into his awaiting passenger seat.

Thank goodness she wasn’t wearing a skirt.

She bit back a shiver as his azure eyes twinkled with mischief. “I can see why they gave you your own office.”

“What’s that—”

He closed her door, silencing the rest of her words.

“That was rude,” she muttered while watching him walk around the front of his car. He should count his lucky stars she couldn’t reach over and press the accelerator and run him over.

“Apologies,” Levi said immediately when he got back in. “I don’t want to be late for our reservation.”

She glared at his side profile, unafraid to make him uncomfortable with her gruffness. “For a dinner you never asked me if I wanted, mind you.”

He pulled away from the curb, soft jazz playing from the car speakers. “I did, and you agreed.”

“I’d call that harassment more like.” Anika’s arms were crossed.

“It’s more like persuasion,” he shook his head playfully before his free hand settled on her thigh. “Sometimes women need a little push, then they realize what you mean to them.” He squeezed her leg to punctuate his meaning.

Her mouth popped open. “That’s a telling detail.”

“What? I’m just being honest.” His voice was so at odds with the poison slipping from his mouth. His appearance was honeyed and innocent, his features schooled into the perfect look of placation. Anika was beginning to wonder if she was hallucinating.

“Honesty doesn’t suit you,” she said, “hence why you’re in real estate.”

Now it was his turn to glance over at her, mouth ajar. “Well, aren’t you just a little firecracker?” The nickname had her fingers twitching for her gun again. She longed to flash it at him and show him what a pathetic ass he was. But she refrained. “I like how unapologetic you are.”

“Men never apologize, so why should I?”

“A fair point.” He thankfully turned onto the street the restaurantwas on. She had to keep up this charade for a bit longer, then she could be free. All the while, her plan solidified in her mind; Mikko had found her note and it was stoking an internal flame inside of him if her missing scarf was any indication. It was a shame Alek was long gone, or else Anika might’ve found herself having fun toying with Mikko while trying to derank his father. But alas, life had a different plan for them.

“Also, don’t expect that flowers and a dinner will get me into bed with you,” Anika said, the sign forThe Stuffed Pepperappearing. While appalled by his behavior, she wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t the first man to act this way with her and wouldn’t be the last. She twisted the rings around her fingers in muscle memory. A gesture he’d most likely read as anxiety.

Set the trap…