Secrets of Summer - THE SPECTER SERIES [book four]

Chapter FIVE

Hunter Paxton

I'm honestly surprised that worked.. I asked and Kirby agreed..

Just like that..

She tosses a twenty dollar bill down on the counter before stepping back into her shoes and waving goodbye to the cafe owner, who is still watching us from the kitchen..

"Twenty bucks for a cup of tea?" I tease as she follows me out into the cool evening, the sun has almost set, and there is a dusty dark tone to the sky now as the streetlights begin to switch on..

"Mmmm, It's bloody good tea.." She muses.. Her voice is soft and she walks a beat slower than me, almost at my heel..

I don't mind it.. But I feel like something is off..

Or like there's something I'm not quite getting about her..

She is smart, and strong and I know for a fact, she's a complete badass.. But there is something else about her, she is demure, soft and even a little meek at times..

One minute she is confidence and sass and the next she is deferential, agreeable.. The puzzle intrigues me, much more than it should..
"You smoke cigarettes and drink green tea.. I'm a little confused.."

I try to keep the subject light and teasing.. I don't want to freak her out.. But I do want her to open up.. I need her to.. She has information that I need.. All those devices around the city.. I need to know how she is involved..
"I don't smoke cigarettes.." She frowns, I turn to look at her with a grin..

"Me neither.."

She laughs.. "Okay.. Maybe sometimes.. When there's a lot of.. Ah, stress, in my life.." She hesitates at the word 'stress'..

I hum in agreement.. Asking her about that stress would be too obvious.. I can't risk her suspicions.. So I take a different approach..
"Well, let's see if we can do something about all that stress, Duchess.. Here we are.."

I stop out the front of an expensive looking hotel, I wink at her and make my way to hold open the door so she can enter..

"Whoa.." She steps into the lavish foyer of the hotel, her eyes cast up to the ridiculous oversized chandler..

Not really my kind of place, a little much if you ask me.. When I look to Kirby, I can see her thinking the exact same thing.. "This is where you drink? I thought you meant like.. A bar.." She narrows her eyes on me..

"I've never been here before, but I'm betting there'll be a bar.." Maybe I'm pushing my luck here.. "We can go somewhere else if you--"

She shakes her head, her dark caramel curls bouncing around her shoulders..
The shapely curves of her body on full display through her tight black skirt, with a high spit up the side, and her white fitted button down, through which I can see a lacy black bra.. "No, this is fine.."

She eyes the expensive furniture as we cross through the lobby towards the lounge and bar area.. "But you're paying.." She looks up at me with a teasing grin..

I hold my hands up in surrender.. "That seems fair.."

When we enter the low lit lounge the atmosphere is noticeably more moody than the entrance we just passed through..

Although no less opulent..

I honestly hadn't realised this place was so swanky..

Nevermind.. No harm..

She slides into one of the sofa settings and I slip in beside her.. My knee presses against the warm bare skin of hers, I can feel her heat through my jeans.. To my surprise, she doesn't pull away, she allows it, turning to the waiter to order instead.. "Vodka soda, please.." She smiles sweetly at the waiter who's eyes linger on her a little too long for my liking, before he turns to me..

"Bourbon, neat.."

The waiter nods and hurries off toward the bar..

Kirby turns back to me, watching me cautiously and for a moment she looks as though she is about to say something but she is interrupted by the waiter, returning quickly with our order.. He sets them on the small table in front of us..

She doesn't touch it.. So I leave my drink sitting there, beside hers..

"This place is--" I let out a low whistle, turning to look at the black and red interior..

She giggles.. My gaze goes back to hers.. "What?"

She shrugs her shoulders.. "I don't know.. This is just.. So ridiculous.. Isn't it? I don't even know your name.."

I chuckle.. "Are you asking what my name is, Duchess?"

Now, she leans over and picks up her drink, taking a long sip before she puts it back down.. "Umm.. No."

I arch an eyebrow at her.. Interesting.. "No?" I take my drink now, matching her long sip myself, almost draining the glass..

"I don't think I want to know.."

She doesn't want to know?

What the fuck does that mean?

I don't know how I feel about it.. On the one hand, it's perfect for the investigation.. But on the other hand, her lack of interest in me is thoroughly disappointing.. I rest the glass on my leg and lean in closer to her.. I can smell the sweet vanilla sugar-cookie fragrance of her swathy silken hair..

My eyes are drawn to her full pouty lips when her tongue darts out to wet them..

"So, what do you want then, Duchess?"

She peers up at me from beneath long dark lashes, her hand slowly sliding over my thigh.. Travelling up my leg, extremely close to my now awakening cock..

This is not the turn I had expected this evening to take.. My highest expectation had been, maybe a kiss, if I played my cards right.. But this.. Her coming on so strong.. I wish I could say I was a better man, that I possessed the self control required to resist the advances of a woman like Kirby Carter..

But I think we all know I don't..

"Just for tonight, Viking.. I want to give you everything.."