ving room, staring at
cing heart. She could not let this first attempt at breaking the ice
ket and tossed it casually over
p on him. She stopped just two feet behind him-close enough to smell the sharp, cle
ssive glass window, Cassie
glass. His knuckles turned white. His bod
leared h
asked, keeping her tone light and breezy. "D
nto the silent room
ead housekeeper, dropped a silver spoon. It cl
red at Cassie with w
ther was strictly forbidden. They ate at separa
lowly turn
ide with genuine shock. He scanned her face, his gaze pierc
ch. She met his in
nocent smile. She looked completely relaxed, as if asking her es
full seconds. The silence was so
ve a single, microsc
agr
a little flip of vi
mposed. She turned away from hi
t smoothly. "Please set t
then nodded her head so fast it looked painful. She immediate
and Garrison sat at the mas
he picked up her plate and cutlery, walked the length of the table, and placed her setting directly to t
y sound was the faint, metallic scrape o
t thick and oppressive.
ments were precise, elegant, and completely mechani
of lettuce from her salad
ing a funeral. She couldn't stand
cked up her crystal wine glass a
id, her voice cutting through the quiet. "
stopped
f the table at her. His eyes were dark and full of war
she didn't unde
nued, taking a small sip of her wine. "Though the traffic on Lexin
ripping her white apron so tightly her knuckles were pale. She
knife and fork
kin and wiped the corner of his mouth.
on the table and star
e back of her neck under his intense gaz
ankfurt?" Cassie asked, of
He didn't pull out the digital writing tablet
ike she was an alien species that h
too hard. He wasn't going to use
ickly
, her tone dropping into something much more gentle. "I know
's eyes
tion of an inch. He looked surprised that she was backin
ss and took a slow sip. He
axation in his jaw. The boili
r, Cassie didn't ask him
chatter. She talked about a funny dog she saw in Central P
mfortable blanke
shock, Garriso
is last bite of food, he would st
eak. He finished his water.
watching her as she slo
n stood up. He buttoned his suit jacket with on
r chair and watc
er face. Phase one of desensitizat
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