Page 42 of Cryptic Curse

“I should get Belinda home.”I clear my throat.“If you’ll excuse me.”

“Oh,” Savannah says.“Raven asked me to tell you, and it slipped my mind.She and Vinnie went ahead and took Belinda home after dessert.She was hitting her limit, I think.”

“Oh,” I say.“Then I should be getting home as well.”

“I’m actually going to go back to the hospital to see your father tonight,” Star says.“Eagle has volunteered to drive me.”

Hawk’s eyebrows nearly fly off his face.

“Yes, Eagle,” Star says.“He’s my son as well, Hawk.”

Hawk shakes his head.Very subtly, but I notice.Turns out I notice almost everything about Hawk Bellamy.

“If you’re concerned about driving home in the dark,” Hawk says to me, “I’m happy to drive you.Raven can bring you back tomorrow to get your car.”

“That’s kind of you,” I say, “but I’ll be fine.”I leave the kitchen and start looking for my purse.

Hawk follows me.“Can I help you find something?”

I continue searching the area.“Just my purse.I’m not sure where it is.”

“Mom usually puts all the coats and purses in one of the guest bedrooms.”He gestures down the hall.“Come on, follow me.”

I follow Hawk down one of the long hallways of the sprawling ranch house until we get to an open door.Sure enough, my purse is lying on the bed, along with Belinda’s hoodie.

“I’ll take that home to Belinda,” I say.

“Yeah, of course.”He hands me the hoodie, but he lingers a moment too long.

“Well… I guess I’ll see you sometime,” I say.

He touches my forearm gently.“You have to leave?”

I swallow.“Well…”

“Would you like to go out on the deck?Maybe have another cup of coffee?”He gently takes the hoodie out of my grasp and lays it back on the bed.“It’s a gorgeous night.We could take a little walk around the ranch.I could show you some of the beauty around here.”

Is he asking me out?

I’m not sure.I’ve never actuallybeenasked out before.I wasn’t allowed to date like a normal teenage girl.

I wastoldwho I would be dating, who I’d be escorting, who I’d be sleeping with…

And because of that, my initial reaction to male attention is to politely decline it.

I’m in no place to start seeing a man, not in that way.To open myself up, make myself vulnerable without the expectation that I’ll be getting hurt in the process.It almost feels like that lifestyle isn’t meant for me.

But… I do want to spend more time with Hawk.

For some weird reason, I feel safe with him.I don’t think he would hurt me.Certainly not like my father’s friends did.

Normally I’m very timid around men.After all, men have done nothing but cause me harm.

But Hawk?His beautiful blue eyes are so kind, gentle even.

Am I seeing things that I just want to see?

“I…”