Seized By Seduction. Brenda Jackson

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       CHAPTER FIVE

      “THANK YOU FOR BREAKFAST, Quasar. I enjoyed it.”

      He pushed his plate aside. “So did I.” More than anything, he had enjoyed her company. The sexual attraction hadn’t lessened; if anything, it was stronger than ever. She was beautiful, and as a man, his entire body couldn’t help reacting. There was something about her eyes that seemed to smile at him whenever he talked. Then there were the times her brows creased when she was concentrating on what he was saying.

      He’d dated woman who’d pretended to do both, feign interest just to score brownie points. Women who really hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. That was not the case with Randi.

      Whenever their gazes locked, something akin to a sharp electrical current would zap him. And the thought that she wasn’t involved in a serious relationship, didn’t have a significant other in her life, a lover of any kind, gave him pause. Any man would want her in his bed. Not just sometimes but all the time. Every night, if possible.

      She had to know that he wanted her, just like he could tell she wanted him. He had the hots for her, and every time he looked into her eyes, he could tell the desire was reciprocated. He would have given anything to seduce her.

      It was hard as hell to push those thoughts from his mind. And when she’d asked about his hot fantasies, he’d gotten an erection just thinking about them. It had been difficult sitting across from her and not suggesting they go somewhere and take care of their desires. That might be all it took to get her out of his system.

      They’d eaten their pancakes and had refills on coffee and tea. Now they were just sitting and talking, taking their time. Neither seemed in a hurry to leave, knowing when they did they would be going their separate ways. The breakfast crowd was moving out and the lunch seekers were arriving. Waiters and waitresses were hustling about, clearing off tables, passing menus, serving drinks and food. Randi was glancing around, watching all the activity. And he was watching her.

      “Why aren’t you involved in a relationship, Randi?” he decided to ask. He had speculated long enough.

      “Why aren’t you?”

      He hadn’t expected her counter or the intensity in her gaze when she made it. He had no problem giving his answer first. He could say he just hadn’t met the right woman yet. The woman he’d want to settle down with, have his babies, share his life with, yada yada. Or he could tell her the truth. That at one time he thought he’d met such a woman and had been wrong. And it was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.

      Quasar decided to be honest with her.

      “I was involved in a long-term relationship at one time.” No need to tell her it was a relationship that had started in high school. The kind you’d think would last forever. “Less than a year after graduating from college, I was jailed for a crime. I spent three years in the slammer, and she decided not to wait. Since then, I’ve decided long-term doesn’t work for me.”

      No need to elaborate that he much preferred casual relations, and one-night stands were even better. He didn’t need to get caught up in anything other than the moment. Which just went to show how mixed up his mind was when it came to her, because she definitely didn’t look like a casual dater or a one-night-stand sort of woman. “So what’s your reason?” he asked her.

      Randi met his gaze and tried to ignore the sizzle she always felt whenever she did. “I guess you can say the reason is mostly my work. I’m not sure when I might get a call asking for my assistance, or where that call might take me and for how long. And then...”

      He lifted a brow when she paused. “And then what?”

      She lifted her cup of tea, took a sip and eyed him over the rim. “And then there are the guys who see me as a freak for having such a gift. Those who don’t see me as a freak consider me a threat.”

      “Why?”

      “They assume I can read their minds—would undermine their every male maneuver or be aware of their every planned move. Although I try assuring them that’s not how my gift works, they don’t believe me.”

      His jaw tightened. “Any insecure, weak-minded man would think that way.”

      She placed her cup down. “Should I assume you don’t fall in that category?”

      He smiled warmly. “I don’t consider you a freak or a threat. I admire you and your gift and have seen firsthand how remarkable it is. You assist law enforcement in saving lives and getting hard criminals off the streets. I don’t want to think of the outcome had you not alerted the authorities about that assassin’s next move. Your psychic powers should be commended, not scrutinized.”

      She smiled, please by his words. “Thank you.”

      “You don’t have to thank me,” he said, pushing his cup of coffee aside. “But there is something I would like to ask of you.”

      “What?”

      “Would you spend the rest of the day with me?”

      Randi’s stomach fluttered at the same time she felt her heart rate kick up a beat. “The rest of the day? ”

      “Yes.”