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instantly deprives my lungs of oxygen.  The man is
fucking perfection.
    I
roll my eyes at him and lecture myself again that I am vulnerable and my
emotions heightened, which would explain my uncharacteristic craving to have
this man close to me.  Maybe because I’m so far away from home, maybe I am
unsettled in such an unfamiliar environment, but something draws me to him.
    When the plate arrived, it was
mammoth.  Thinly sliced hot turkey was served on, what Nate informs me was
Texas toast with mashed potatoes, topped with homemade turkey gravy.
    ‘Jesus!’ I gasp, looking up in despair at
Ellie.  ‘I can’t eat all this Ellie!’
    ‘Eat what you can, you’ve eaten half of a
meal since arriving two days ago,’ she comments. 
    ‘How do you know that?’ I scoff.
    ‘I thought we had been over the whole,
Krystal knows everything about everyone,’ she teases as she flicks her hair.
    ‘Your sister’s bossy,’ I announce to
Nate, who is observing the altercation with some amusement.
    ‘Babe, that isn’t something I’m alien to,
believe me, now dig in,’ he points his fork to the pile of food, ‘she tells Ma
you not eating, you’re fucked!’
    I manage half of my food before I sit
back and rub my flat stomach, ‘how do you keep your physique so trim eating
like this?’ I glance at Nate’s empty plate.
    ‘You think I’m trim, London,’ he purrs,
arrogantly. ‘I’m flattered.’
    ‘Why are you always looking for a
compliment from me?’ I joke.
    ‘Because you don’t offer them up
willingly,’ he proclaims.  ‘It’s a bruise to my ego that you look through
me,’ he continues with a tilt of his lips.
    ‘Somehow I don’t think you have a problem
with ego,’ I laugh, sarcastically.
    He grins, ‘that’s a good sound, London,’
I immediately cease laughing and observe the sensation of his mouth curving
against his even teeth. 
    After a heated debate about paying the
bill, Nate wins claiming that he would put it on expenses through the force.
    ‘I can pay,’ I argue, ‘as a thank you for
accompanying me today.’
    ‘I’m paid to do a job, I am doing it,’ he
declares. 
    I feel suddenly stupid for thinking that
Nate was here for any other reason that he wanted to be.  Of course, this
is what he is paid to do.  He is from the Denver Homicide unit; they are
employing him to be here and gather as much information as possible to,
hopefully, solve the mystery of Oliver’s murder.
    I lower my gaze, ‘Oh, of course. 
I’m sorry I took up so much of your time, Detective Austin.  You could
have just dropped me back to the hotel.’ I notify him, tersely.  ‘I am
quite capable of feeding myself.’
    ‘Sophie!’ he calls, I clear my face of
emotion and lift an eyebrow in question.  ‘Remember that talk we had about
people only doing what they wanted to do?’
    I nod.
    ‘That goes double for me, I only ever do
what I want to do, you hear?’ His voice is sharp.
    I nod.
    ‘I’ll drop you off at the hotel,’ he
stands and waits patiently while I gather my handbag.
    ‘Delicious, El’s,’ Nate calls to his sister.
    ‘Later, Sophie!’ She calls from the
kitchen.
    ‘Later!’ I call as we leave the diner.
    ‘Actually, Detective,’ I begin.
    ‘Jesus Fuck!’ he growls.  ‘Nate!’ he
calls, ‘the name is Nate!’
    ‘Okay, bloody hell, you need to calm
down!’ I growl back. He grins.  ‘You are like Jekyll and Hyde!’ I gasp,
‘what are you grinning at now?’
    ‘Say that again,’ he steps forward and
gazes down with a smile set on his lips.
    ‘Say what again?’ I have no idea what on
earth he is talking about, what I do know he is too close for comfort. My body
is purring at his proximity, as his alluring scent surrounds me.
    ‘What you just said,’ he prompts me,
quietly.
    ‘You need to calm down bit?’ I question,
lightly. ‘Nate,’ I sigh, ‘I haven’t the foggiest idea what you are chatting
about?’ I put my hand on my hip and scowl at him.
    ‘At last,’