“You’re not eating your pretzel,” he noted, with that low sonorous articulation that made her want to settle in and stay a while.

He was so stringently contained, rigidly controlled. Even when she sensed turmoil in him, he gave no outward indication of it. His voice was always smooth and even, his posture relaxed and confident. Even when he’d been pacing, he had done so leisurely. The combination of that tight leash and his unrestrained sexuality was a potent turn-on.

It was her nature to make waves and stir things up, and she was going to do that with him. She was going to dig beneath that calm surface, because she was pretty damn certain still waters ran deep in him.

“Do you want it?” she offered. “I don’t want to ruin my appetite.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement and she realized he had yet to smile fully. Her life was dark enough as it was; she usually went for guys who were lighthearted and fun-loving. It was a testament to his appeal that his subdued intensity didn’t dampen her interest.

“What would you like for dinner?” he asked.

“Anything. I’m easy.” The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. “That came out wrong.”

“Don’t ever worry about what you say around me, as long as you’re honest.”

“Honesty is my policy, which gets me in trouble a lot.”

“Some trouble is worth getting into.”

She twisted within her slackened seat belt, canting her torso toward him. “What kind of trouble do you get into?”

“The epic kind,” he said wryly.

The faint touch of humor hit all her hot buttons. “I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”