“I am.” She smiled sheepishly. Setting her fork down on the table, she reached for her wine glass and took another sip. “Now getting back to what I was trying to ask. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you avoiding my questions.”
His lips curled up into a crooked grin. He snagged his glass and toyed with it. Roxxy’s attention dropped down to his long fingers, and she gulped.
Her gaze flew back up to his. She dared not go down the pathway of thoughts.
“I’m sure you’ve read plenty of procedure manuals while at the precinct. My team and I are very by-the-book.” He lifted his glass and downed the rest of the contents.
“Is that so?” She took the time to openly study him. Her fingers begged to trail over his bald head. She wanted to feel his beard against her skin. She leaned forward and rested her elbow on the table. “So you’re telling me that no matter what, you and your men don’t ever take matters into your own hands and do things your way?”
He paused, the smile disappearing from his lips.
A dark veil appeared in his eyes.
“We do what must be done.” The playfulness was gone from him.
He was a large man who knew how to handle a gun, and she was sure he would know how to handle her.
A shiver slid down Roxxy’s spine.
There was a dark, haunting side of Myles that she wouldn’t ever want to be on the receiving end of. There was a reason his team was one of the best in the state. Each man was a decorated member of the Columbia Police Department.
But there was something about Myles.
The music changed into an upbeat tempo. Roxxy broke Myles’s gaze and spun away. A few couples were laughing while dancing.
Roxxy swiveled her gaze back to Myles with raised eyebrows and tipped her head toward the dance floor.
She hadn’t meant for their conversation to sour.
It was time to turn it around.
“What?” He took in the people swaying to the beat and shook his head. “Oh, no. I don’t dance.”
“Really?” She pushed her chair back. She grabbed the napkin from her lap and tossed it on the table.
Roxxy didn’t know where this bravery was coming from.
Maybe it was the wine.
Or it had just been so long since she’d had the attention of a man, and her body was telling her it was time.
She stood and sashayed a few steps from the table with a little extra sway in her hips. She glanced over her shoulder at Myles. He didn’t try to hide the fact he had got caught staring at her ass.
“Well, Officer Burton. You can sit here if you want to. But there is something that must get done tonight.” She tossed him a wink and spun around.
The sound of another chair scraping the floor gave her pause.
She had him.
A figure pressed close behind her.
Myles.
“I have a better idea,” he murmured, his lips ghosting over her ear.
Her body trembled at the feel of him pressing against her. Everyone else faded away.
At the moment, it was just the two of them.
“What?” she breathed.
His steady hand circled her wrist. He gently twirled her around to face him. She stared up at him, waiting. His hand came up to touch her bottom lip. His eyes darkened as they focused on her mouth.
“Come with me,” he whispered.
She didn’t know where, but she found herself nodding.
He took her hand and led her around the dance floor. His hand on her was comforting. They walked through the restaurant and stepped out of a set of French doors. The smell of the nighttime air filled her nostrils.
“Oh my,” she gasped, taking in her surroundings.
There was a long pier off the building that overlooked the river. Soft white lights twinkled on the railing, providing a little light.
At the moment, it was just the two of them. The music floated through the open windows. It was faint, and the new song was one that had a slow tempo and was romantic.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He pulled her closer to him, tucking her into his side.
“It is,” she agreed. It was a magnificent sight to behold. The river flowed before them, and Roxxy breathed in the scent around them.
