Risk of Exposure (Alpha Ops Book 6) Read Online Free Page B

all mysterious and British?”
    He laughed and took a longer swig of beer. He set the glass down and laced his hands on the table. “So, tell me again why I’m mysterious and sexy?”
    “I didn’t say sexy.”
    “But I know that’s what you meant.” He shouldn’t be doing this; there was no way of getting around it. She was sexy, intelligent, and funny. Why couldn’t he have a little fun? Because of Baston.
    Before she could reply, their dinner arrived. Even though he wasn’t quite as hungry as he’d claimed to be, his mouth watered at the sight of the food being piled on the table. Chunks of white bread, cold meats, and steaming potatoes and a contraption he’d never seen before. “Torture device?” he asked.
    “Ve have vays of making you talk,” she said in a passable circa World War II German accent. “It’s a cheese melter. Watch.”
    Hans came back with a half round of cheese that he impaled on a spike. He moved around a hot grill so it was about an inch from the face of the cheese. “ Smačnoho ,” he said as he left to attend to another table.
    “ Diakuju ,” she replied, thanking him.
    Mal watched as Abby put a potato, a slice of meat, and a cornichon on her plate. Then she scraped melted cheese onto her plate and started eating. She paused as her first forkful approached her mouth. “I thought you were hungry?” She slid the food into her mouth and closed her eyes briefly as she savored the dish.
    “Oh, I am,” he said, eyes on her mouth. Shut up. Shut your bloody mouth.
    She gestured to Hans for more vodka and nodded toward the food as she took another mouthful.
    He started piling food onto his plate, and when he took his first bite, he understood Abby’s initial, eyes-closed appreciation. “How have I not had this before?” he asked between mouthfuls.
    “Hmmm,” she said, dabbing her napkin on her mouth. “You were a poor, deprived child, slightly nervous. Never wanted to rock the boat until you found yourself in an institution. Boy Scouts? Boarding school? Juvenile detention? Military? Who knows? But as soon as you got there, you didn’t like any of the rules, and you became addicted to breaking them. You’ve never done anything conventional, like being in a relationship, taking vacations, going skiing, eating raclette, because that would make you feel constrained, bound by rules. You’re a lone wolf, destined to roam alone.” She paused. “Or, you know, you’ve never been to the Alps.”
    He nearly choked on his mouthful. She was right about nearly all of that. Nearly. “Oh my God, that was amazing. You nailed absolutely nothing there. I mean, I thought you’d have picked up one thing, maybe just by pure luck, but nice try.” He tipped his refilled shot glass at her and clinked her glass.
    “So weird. I keep thinking if I say that to all the men I meet, I’ll be right at least one time. I guess you’re not the right guy.” He could have sworn that her smile was seductive. Like she was thinking something impossibly naughty. Or was that just wishful thinking?
    Okay, he wasn’t going to make a move, but if she made a move on him, he’d totally go with it. He made the deal with himself, not knowing which way he hoped it would go. Definitely knowing which way he wanted it to go. They ate in silence for a bit, but when the immediate need of sustenance was satisfied, he put his fork down and leaned forward, elbows on the table.
    “So tell me about yourself. What gives you the guts to pick up a strange man on the side of the road, close to nighttime, in a foreign country? Or was it not guts but a death wish?” he asked, leaning back and almost groaning with the amount of cheese he’d eaten.
    She took a sip of her drink this time and pushed her plate away. “I prefer to consider it good karma to help people in need. That’s all. Don’t you like to help people?”
    “Not really, no. Not unless I know them. Not unless there’s a good reason,” he said honestly.
    “Wow.