“I suppose it might seem a littlepreposterous to someone who doesn’t know me,” he answered smoothlyin his defense.

As usual, her mother was right on top ofthings. “And how exactly does someone go about getting to know youif you don’t answer personal questions?”

Victor simply smiled condescendingly and tooka drink of water and answered without really answering. “That’s agood question, Mrs. Cassidy.”

“That’s Ms. Duchenne. I’m divorced and use mymaiden name,” she politely corrected.

Elsa rolled her eyes. “He probably alreadyknows that.” Her mother stared blankly at her. Elsa finished thelast of her wine and answered her unspoken question sarcastically,“He knows everything about everyone.”

Victor’s fingertips grazed the nape of herneck again and he tugged her hair. Leaning into her ear hewhispered huskily, “You are feeling brave, Ms. Cassidy. Perhapsyou’ve had too much wine.”

“Perhaps,” she responded curtly as she pushedher wine glass away from her, but didn’t dare look into hiseyes.

What the hell was Mr. Black doing hereanyway? No doubt, making her feel uncomfortable in front of hermother was all part of the next phase of his game. Couldn’t shejust get one day of rest without being submitted to a mind fuck?With her temper quickly rising, she squeezed past Victor.

“I need to use the ladies’ room.”

“Don’t be long,” he grumbled.

With each step to the restroom, Elsa wasbecoming more incensed that he had shown up when this time wassupposed to be private time with a loved one. Apparently when hesaid to show her mom ‘the best of what Richmond has to offer,’ hewas including himself. Egomaniac. Doesn’t he have anyboundaries? Of course he didn’t. He had been stalking her forweeks.

As she stared at her reflection, she felt hermother’s familiar touch on her shoulder.

“Who is he, Elsa?”

“No one,” she choked out, shaking herhead.

Her mother sighed loudly and pulled her bythe hand into the handicapped stall and seated her on the toilet asshe stood in front of her.

“Is he the reason you haven’t called?”

Again, she shook her head.

“I know he’s pretty to look at, but…”

“Please, Mom, don’t. It’s not aboutthat.”

“Then what?” her mother smoothed Elsa’s hairbehind an ear.

Elsa began nervously tapping her foot tryingto find the words. “He needs my help.”

“Oh, El, look at me,” she kneeled in front ofElsa. “Some people can’t be helped.”

Elsa shook her head and felt as if her breathwas cut off. “I don’t want to believe that.”

“Well, I don’t trust him. Any man who doesn’tanswer personal questions has something to hide. I know you havethe common sense to figure that out.”

She nodded. Of course she had the commonsense and all along her inner voice had been screaming for her toforget about him.

“Sweetie, men are…”

Elsa couldn’t listen to her mom. “Mom, Iappreciate your concern.”

“Take my advice, El. I’ve been where you’reat in your life. I’ve been hurt to…”

“I know you have, and I love you and youradvice. Just not today.”

Her mother shook her head and hugged hertightly.

She gave her mom a weak smile. “I’ll work itout.”

***

Victor was getting impatient. It had beennearly fifteen minutes since Elsa and her mother disappeared. Whatthe hell were they doing in there anyway? The Secret Lives of Womenin the Restroom: that would be the title of his next book. What hewouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall just to hear the privateconversations of women. He shook his head and chuckled at hisridiculous thought.

Ridiculous. Elise was ballsy, too, andit wasn’t hard to see where Elsa got her cheekiness from.

The waitress brought the scotch that he hadordered right after the women left and he gulped it down quickly.Elsa was still angry with him and the sinking feeling that she maynever forgive him had begun to creep into his thoughts. He meantwhat he said the previous day about hoping they could move forward.He crunched on a piece of ice and unconsciously frowned.

He had really fucked things up. He wasn’tlearning anything from her and he sure as hell wasn’t helping her,but he couldn’t give up yet. He had given less worthy Chapters farmore of his time and Elsa deserved more. He hadn’t planned onattending dinner with Elsa and her mother, but seeing how lovelyshe looked, he couldn’t resist the temptation. He also didn’t wantto miss the opportunity to watch her interact with her mother.

When the women approached, Victor stood,allowing Elsa into the booth. She looked fantastically fuckable inher red silk mini dress. He noted she wasn’t wearing any panties orbra when she scooted in next to him and her compliance spoke to hiscock and heart. The headband he bought her was just the perfecttouch. He reached over and adjusted it on her head and shebristled. Yes, she was definitely still pissed.

“So what took you two so long?” he asked ashe pushed a cranberry-sangria toward Elsa.

“How polite of you,” she glared at him whenshe realized it was nonalcoholic.

He quirked his head at Elsa. “So? What tookyou so long?”

Elise promptly chimed in. “We were having aheart-to-heart discussion.”

“Oh? About what?” his interest was piqued,especially when he saw the nervous glance Elsa threw her mother’sway.

“You,” Elise answered coolly.

Victor narrowed his eyes but held hiscomposure. “And did you come to any conclusions?”

“Indeed, I did. I don’t trust you,” shestared at him contemptuously.

Wow. This woman really did have a setof balls on her. Elsa picked up her drink and sucked on the strawand kept her eyes on the table, obviously mortified with hermother’s brashness.

Victor leaned forward and placed his elbowson the table. “Is that a fact?”

Elise smiled and sat back, unaffected by him.“It is.”

Frustrated where this was going and Elise’spatronizing tone, Victor leaned back in the booth and wrapped apossessive arm around Elsa’s shoulders, pulling her close. Hedidn’t give two fucks what her mother thought about him.

“You don’t even know me,” he puckered hismouth and tipped his head back to stare down at her.

She lifted her eyebrows and shook her head.“No, I don’t, but I have a good sense about people and what I senseis that you’re going to hurt my daughter. If you haven’talready.”

Un-fucking-believable.

Elsa choked on her drink again and cut in,“Mom, please!”

Elise put her hand up and continued. “I don’ttake kindly to people harming the one’s I love, Mr. Laurenzo.”

This woman was seriously getting under hisskin. When Elise sat forward, Victor cringed and prepared himselfto get a drink thrown in his face. It wouldn’t be the firsttime.

“It’s never my intention to hurt anyone.” Helooked away from her knowing he had just bold-faced lied.

“Not your intention?” she mocked.“You’re not a very good liar, Mr. Laurenzo,” she continued to smilesmugly.

What the fuck was this woman’s problem withhim?

Suddenly he had the inexplicable urge toexplain himself to her, but he had no fucking idea why. “Would itmake you feel better to know that I work for the FBI?” He felt Elsaswing her head around and through his peripheral vision he couldsee her eyes were as big as saucers. Elise sat quietly staring athim but remained impassive, prompting him to continue. “I’m acriminal profiler.”

“Well good for you, but I still don’t trustyou,” she added and took a drink. “As a matter of fact, knowing youwork for the government makes me distrust you even more,” shetossed her long, curled, gray mixed with auburn hair over hershoulder.

This was such bullshit. Can you sayimpossible? Like Elsa. Why the hell was he surprised? Victor rolledhis eyes and shook his head. Elise was the ridiculous one and thisconversation was seriously going nowhere.

Elise crossed her arms over her chest andcast her critical stare out the window.