Dangerous Love Read Free Page B

long has it been?”
    “One year and, uh,” Faith caught herself before saying “five days” and covered the gaffe with a laugh. “Counting. You’re looking well.”
    “Life’s been good.” He leaned forward to open the passenger door, drawing her attention to the muscles shifting under his T-shirt. Biceps tensed then relaxed as he grasped the handle and released. He glanced at her, a sardonic smile on his lips as though he knew she’d been ogling him. “Shall we?”
    Faith didn’t move. “Where are we going?”
    “To lunch. Don’t worry. You’ll like the food.”
    Funny she’d forgotten this annoying side of his character, the side that got a kick out of keeping her off balance. First the invitation to lunch despite her objection, and now he was refusing to tell her where they were going. “How do you know I’ll like it?”
    “Trust me. Shall we?” He indicated the inside of the SUV again, a gleam in his eyes.
    She trusted him enough. The problem was she didn’t trust herself. Her emotions got the better of her whenever he was around. But fighting him on where they were going to eat when lunch was the last thing on her mind was pointless. She needed his help and must play nice.
    Faith nodded, walked passed him and slid onto the passenger seat. The scent of leather mixed with his familiar musky aftershave enveloped her. She closed her eyes and sighed, soaking it in. She’d been fooling herself about the effect this man had on her. The attraction was still there, stronger. Though she prided herself on being intuitive, she couldn’t read him yet.
    “How have you been?” he asked when he joined her and started the engine.
    Faith opened her eyes and glanced at him. “Good, just keeping busy.”
    “I heard you’ll be heading to New York City in a few months.”
    “Where did you hear that?”
    “Here and there.”
    In other words, Ashley and Ron had discussed her upcoming Fashion Week show in his presence. What else had they divulged? Ken and Ron were tight.
    “Yes. I plan to have a show during Market Week, but it overlaps with Fashion Week here in L.A., so I’m heading to New York.”
    He eased into traffic. “Still planning on conquering the fashion world?”
    The slight mockery in his tone didn’t escape her. Her commitment to her career was the excuse she’d used to refuse a relationship with him.
    “Something like that,” she answered without rancor or apology. “Are you still enjoying the freedom to do as you please?”
    “I try.” He chuckled.
    They headed east then took a left at South Robertson Boulevard as though going toward her place, and kept up the back and forth banter until Faith relaxed. That changed when he pulled into the parking lot of The Haven, a trendy restaurant on Melrose Strip frequented by the young professionals and Hollywood celebrities.
    “Is this where we’re having lunch?” She eyed the sprawling two-story building and the flow of people going in and coming out.
    “I hope it’s not a problem.” Ken jumped down, handed the valet his key, then came around to her side and opened the SUV door.
    “You know that this is my cousin’s place.”
    “Yep.”
    What was Ken up to? Making her pay for what happened a year ago? The Haven was the one place where being seen with him would spread like a wildfire.
    “If you have a problem with it, we can eat elsewhere. I thought you wanted to talk, and no place offers privacy like The Haven.”
    She hadn’t thought of it that way. No one needed to know why they were together. If it became an issue, she could always fib that she’d run into him and they decided to have lunch together.
    “It’s not a problem. I was surprised, that’s all.” Faith stepped down and allowed him to steer her toward the entrance.
    Her cousin, Chase, had done an amazing job with the building. Before he took it over, it was a Chinese restaurant. He not only changed the name, he had remodeled and redecorated. Good advertisement drew