GoingUp Read Free Page B

bottle and setting it back the shelf. “Why, you know him?”
    “No, but we had to obtain his permission to sell on his
property. Filled out forms and whatnot. I doubt he even knows we come here
though. It probably was just a standard thing.”
    “Oh I assure you, nothing Malachi does is standard. If you
received permission, it was from the man himself.” He handed Koko the drink.
When she took the tumbler, he clicked his to hers. “ Salud .”
    “ Salud .” She took a delicate sip before speaking
again. “Sounds like you know Mr. Sarraf well.”
    There were so many ways to reply to her statement, but he
decided to go with the less-is-more approach. “Better than most.”
    She turned her back to the bar and leaned against the wall
next to it. “Been with his company for long?”
    “Longer than I care to think about.” He didn’t want to talk
about his intricate relationship with Malachi. It was a long and complicated
story that was meant for another time. He was more interested in the one he
wanted to start with her. “Are you feeling better now?”
    “My nerves are a bit more calm, but my head is still going a
mile a minute. I have to know…”
    “Anything.”
    “You’re a good-looking guy.” She ran her gaze over him.
“Extremely good-looking. Won’t your girlfriend, wife, lover, friend with
benefits, whatever you call them, have a problem with you trying to pick me
up?”
    “I’m pleased you find me attractive, but not thrilled you
think I’m the cheating type.”
    “You could be any type, for all I know. We just met,
remember?”
    It was a bit hard for him to keep that front and center.
“Funny, I feel like I’ve known you for a long time.”
    “I can’t say the same.”
    “I guess you’ll just have to get to know me then. First lesson.
I don’t do drugs, I always use protection, I don’t lie, I don’t cheat and I
never make a promise I can’t keep.”
    She arched an eyebrow. “Are you promising me something?”
    “Yes. Me.” He moved in front of her and placed his free hand
on the wall a few inches away from her head. The position put them up close and
personal. “Now tell me…why do you do it?”
    “You mean…” she cast her gaze at the TV screen then looked
back at him. “It it.”
    He loved her frank style. “Yes. It it.”
    “I don’t know.”
    He leaned in closer and inhaled her sweet-spicy scent. He
wondered if it was something from the deli or if it was her own natural aroma.
“You smell delicious.”
    She lowered the glass to her side. “Thank you.” Her voice
was soft, giving the conversation a more intimate feel.
    “I like it.” He leaned in even closer, inches from her neck,
and breathed in deep. “Hmm…I like it a lot.”
    “I’m getting that vibe.”
    “Good.” He pulled back and took a drink from his glass,
needing a moment to cool his ardor. “Did it ever occur to you someone might be
watching?” he asked, returning to the subject at hand. “That there was more
than likely a security camera around?”
    “Yes, but…” She paused and looked away, avoiding the
question and him all at the same time.
    He was amused she thought that would really work on him.
“But what?” he insisted. “Tell me.”
    “It added to the appeal,” she said finally. “The thrill of
it. Knowing I could get caught made it more daring, more arousing. Of course,
in hindsight, reality is a lot scarier than fantasy.”
    Her gaze was still averted but she was talking. It was a
start. “I’ve always found,” he said softly, drawing her attention back to him,
“that reality is so much more intriguing than fantasy.”
    Her lips twitched a little as she looked up at him. “I guess
it depends on the fantasy.”
    “True. Tell me yours.”
    She moved around him and went to stand in front of the TV.
“I think it’s a bit obvious.”
    “Hardly.” Reese set his glass down by the bar then followed
her. He stopped only when he was standing directly behind her, leaving