Read A Fighting Man for Free Online Page B

shiver raced up my spine.
    Well, that was new.
    “Do you plan on talking at all tonight?” Casper chuckled.
    “You actually want me to?”
    “Although you do say some of the most outrageous stuff, I’m not bored in your company.”
    “Points for me.”
    We exited the building and I walked close to Casper on the sidewalk. He wasn’t in a rough neighborhood, but he wasn’t in the best either. We finally got to the car and Casper chuckled. I eyed him as I opened the door for him.
    “What?”
    “Well, I won’t need to go to the gym tomorrow.”
    “Ha, ha.”
    I shut the door and ran around to the driver’s side. Pulling out onto the street, Casper reclined in his seat snapping the seatbelt into place.
    “So, where are you taking me?” he asked.
    “Hendrik’s. Have you ever been?”
    “Nope.”
    “Well, neither have I. My mother recommended it.”
    I turned the radio on just in case I wanted to say something inappropriate. It blasted hip-hop and I stared at the radio in disbelief.
    “I didn’t figure you for a hip-hop guy,” Casper laughed.
    “I’m not; this is Dad’s car.” I glanced over at Casper with my most horrified look. Casper broke into a fit of laughter and I couldn’t help it, I laughed with him.
    “Yo dad be bangin’ hoes?” Casper laughed his ass off.
    “Word!” I howled in laughter.
    We were still laughing as we got to the restaurant. They seated us in a booth in a cozy corner. We both asked for water and looked over the menu. God, I craved a big slab of steak.
    “What are you going to have?” I asked.
    “Um, God, the New York strip sounds good.”
    “That’s just what I was thinking.”
    “Speaking of stripping,” Casper set his menu down and glared at me.
    “So, you liked Officer Hung?” I smiled.
    “Ugh,” Casper looked back down at his menu. “You know, the calamari sounds good.”
    “I know. So do the lamb meatballs. Maybe we should get both?”
    Casper nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
    “What? You’re not going to ask if I can afford it?” I raised my brows.
    “After the deal you just signed, I should make you buy me a car!”
    “Do you need one?”
    “No. This is New York City.” Casper eyed me. “How long are you on leave?”
    “Thirty days.”
    Casper’s eyes widened. “Thirty?”
    “Yeah. I didn’t use a lot of it when I was here last time. I did back to back tours pretty much, so I fall in the special circumstances column.” I sat forward. “You were the best part of that vacation.”
    “You were annoying.”
    “Am I still?”
    “Yes, but on a lesser level.”
    “Hmm.” I sipped my water eyeing Casper. “Very interesting.”
    “What?”
    “I think you may be coming around to appreciating my charms after all.”
    “You’re holding one of the biggest accounts we have in the palm of your hand, Slater.”
    “Is that why you agreed to go out with me?” I frowned and my stomach dropped.
    Casper straightened. “No. Don’t ever think that. I was kidding. Yes, this account means a lot, but I wouldn’t prostitute myself for it.”
    “Wow, thanks,” I drawled.
    “You know what I mean, Slater. If I didn’t want to go out with you, I wouldn’t.”
    “Why did you agree?”
    “You seem slightly different.”
    “Yes, well, war will do that to you.”
    “I could have done without the stripper and the singing telegrams.”
    I smiled and leaned forward. “I wanted you to think of me.”
    Casper opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the waiter. I wanted to kick him—the waiter, not Casper. We placed our orders and I watched Casper fidget with his silverware.
    “Do I make you nervous?” I asked.
    Casper’s forest-green eyes met with mine and I swear my breath stopped. Pain was etched in his beautiful features. I wanted to hold him, soothe him and kill whoever had hurt this man, because that was the only thing that could make a man look the way Casper did just then.
    “Not nervous. I don’t know what it is,” Casper