“A lot,” he said. “Like?”
“It’s a long story.” In other words, he wasn’t willing to share any insight.
The waitress appeared and set their food in front of them. The tension had become palpable. For several minutes, they ate without speaking. A prickle of guilt began to form. She liked Declan. Maybe she owed him the benefit of the doubt. Most certainly, she owed him the kind of directness he’d just shown her. She eyed him, thinking how different he looked in jeans and the black T-shirt he wore today. Even dressed casually, he claimed an air of authority. And no matter what his attire, he had a sexiness that said “bad boy”. But maybe this “bad boy” had more good in him than she’d given him credit for.
Decision made, she swallowed the last of a fry and wiped her hands on a napkin. “You were going to ask my last name earlier.” She paused watching as he took a bite of his burger. “Marks. My last name is Marks.”
He stopped chewing, recognition flashing across his face. When he finally swallowed, she waited for his response. “As in the Marks being charged with securities fraud?”
She nodded. “That would be my father.”
* * * * *
Knowing who her father was explained so much about her personality. It also put Declan in a hell of a position. His firm was representing her father’s business partner. In other words, they were most likely helping to put her father behind bars. He shouldn’t be with Zoe. It would be looked at as if he was sleeping with the enemy. Yet…he wasn’t
handling this case. Inwardly, he cursed. Just when he thought he’d gotten Zoe to see beyond his job, fate reared its ugly head.
“My own newspaper has been hounding me for a story. I feel like I woke up in the middle of someone else’s bad dream.”
The vulnerability in her voice made him want to hold her. He felt her distress. “I can’t imagine how difficult it’s been.”
“I don’t know which is worse. The fact that my father might be going to jail or that I have to read the paper to know what’s going on.”
Declan told himself to tell her about his firm’s involvement. He knew he had to. Yet…she needed support and his admission about his past seemed to have opened a door of some sort. She’d decided she could tell him about this and he wanted to be there for her.
“I take it your father is being protective?” he prodded gently.
She laughed but without humor. “No. Nothing that noble. I don’t live in his world now or ever. But my two older brothers are. They walk the walk and talk the talk.”
“So they work for Marks?”
The waitress came by with two coffee cups and both Declan and Zoe accepted. After sipping the warm liquid, Zoe set down her cup. “You asked about my brothers. The two older ones work for my father. My younger brother is an architect. We are considered the traitors.”
Curious, he had to ask, “What made you start talking?”
Her hands resting on her cup, she seemed to assess him a moment. “Your honesty. If you had told me you didn’t ever take a case for money or fame, I’d have known you were lying. Not telling you my last name felt like a dirty little secret I didn’t want to carry.”
Crap. He had to tell her. He opened his mouth to speak just as Zoe slid from her seat with her purse in hand. “Bathroom. Be right back.”
He watched her walk away, the sweet sway of her backside bringing back memories of having her naked and in his arms. Damn… How the hell had he gotten himself into such a mess? Zoe was the first woman he remembered ever wanting this much and he was about to lose her over someone else’s crimes unless he could find a way to make this all go away. Maybe…he could. His mind raced. Maybe he could look at the case file and see if he could influence a quick closure for everyone involved. Over and over, he replayed the idea in his head. Yes. That was what he’d do. He’d make this go away so Zoe could stop worrying. Or he’d at least try. And then there would be no conflict of interest.
He drew a breath. But he couldn’t see Zoe again until it was over.
Chapter Eleven
Confused and upset, Zoe had darted away from the lunch table and into the tiny restaurant bathroom barely big enough to hold a toilet and sink. Not the best place to hide out, especially when feeling trapped.
Zoe’s hand shook as she tried to apply lipstick in the mirror. Worse, the deep pink shade seemed to emphasize her too-pale skin. She hadn’t slept well in days and it was showing. Her mind raced with thoughts about Declan, her life, and this situation with her father. The way Declan had reacted to her confession over her family name had taken her off guard.
In the past, the money Marks represented had been a reason people, men, in particular, wanted to get close to her. When she’d told Declan about her father, she’d prepared herself to see dollar signs in his eyes. Sure, he had money, but most people never thought they had enough. Instead of interest, she saw something different in Declan. She’d seen dread. Or perhaps disgust? She wasn’t sure. All her life her last name had impacted how people perceived her. This time the name brought a negative reaction rather than a positive one. The only other person who’d ever done that was her best friend Lucy. But the money Zoe grew up around had intimidated Lucy. She’d thought she wasn’t good enough to hang out with Zoe. Declan had been bothered by who her family was too, but why, she didn’t know. Maybe because her father was being accused of stealing? That word “stealing” sent Zoe’s stomach into a lurch. Her mother must be rolling over in her grave over this.
Straightening, Zoe patted at her hair and exhaled. She didn’t know why this thing with Declan bothered her so much. He wasn’t her type anyway. A damn good bed partner but nothing more. It was time to end this thing. It had gone too far anyway. She’d make up a nice excuse and leave. Then, she’d go home and…feel sorry for herself.
What the hell was wrong with her?
* * * * *
By the time Zoe returned to the table, Declan had begun to wonder if she had left. Her arrival, however, only made her determination to leave clear. She tossed money down, near his hand. “I have to run. I forgot about something I have to do.”
She seemed upset. Now he was too. He grabbed the cash and handed it to her, not believing she’d just given it to him. “I told you I’d buy you lunch.” His brows dipped. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did I do something to upset you?”
“No,” she said, cutting her eyes to the floor. “I just have to go.”
He’d done something. That was for damn sure. Her unwillingness to look him in the eye when she’d replied was a telltale sigh. Sliding along the seat, he gently shackled her wrist and urged her to join him. “Sit with me,” he urged.
She hesitated. “Declan—”
“Please,” he said, a low plea in his voice.
She blinked at him several times and sighed. “Only for a minute. I need to go.” Once she was beside him, he kept her hand in his, feeling a strange need to ensure