“Yes. But it was calculated. Something I ascertained when it was too late.” Her father sighed and reached into his jacket pocket, searching for cigarettes she’d made him stop smoking at age fourteen. “There were also times the facade fell away and I saw something unsavory. I chose to make excuses or put my premonitions down to stress.”
Polly thought back to her first encounter with Austin, then let six months of interactions play out like a movie reel. Memories of hot glances that caused a flush beneath her clothes. His voice speaking in her ear, saying just the right thing to keep her on edge, start her pulse skipping like stones across a quiet lake. Long before they’d met at the hotel, he’d been employing an effective brand of seduction. Until now, she’d chosen to ignore the little things, though. Austin slipping an umbrella into her hand on a morning when she’d forgotten hers, but disguising the kind gesture with a warm breath against her neck. Austin using work discussions as an excuse to accompany her home on the train, dropping constant innuendos along the way so she wouldn’t notice he’d just wanted to see her into the building safely.
So many instances where he would negate a kindness…on purpose. As if it made him uncomfortable to be sincere, but he accomplished it in his own way that was almost too subtle to notice what he’d done. But never—never—had her gut told her Austin possessed the same evil as a man like Reitman. Would Reitman—or any irredeemable con for that matter—find his way to Chicago to watch over a daughter for whom he could never be a parent? Would he protect another person without the promise of any personal gain, as he’d done with her?
Lost in her train of thought, Polly reached for the sugar, intending to doctor her coffee—
Tea bags with pink tags. Two of them were haphazardly placed just behind the plastic container. “Did you bring these?”
She snatched them up, excitement drumming in her veins when Drake appeared just as surprised to see them. “The restaurant said they were out.” Her father plucked one out of her fingers. “God, I haven’t seen one of these in ages.”
Austin was there.
Polly only half heard Drake speculating on the tea bags’ mysterious appearance as she stood back from the table, felt the napkin flutter to her feet. Of course he’d come. Relief swept in and blanketed her, its instantaneous calming effect taking her by surprise. As soon as her legs straightened, she wondered how she hadn’t felt Austin’s presence before. It sat on the air, potent and crackling with dynamism. It attacked her stomach, twisting it in delicious knots as she scanned the streets, the other sidewalk diners.
When her gaze was drawn back to the priest, now surrounded by no less than twenty bickering women, Polly’s upper lip curled.
“Dad, is it okay if I meet you at home?”
Chapter Sixteen
Austin really couldn’t help being magnetic.
For the first time, though, he wished like fuck he could.
Extricating himself from the mob of women wasn’t going to be easy, but a prickle along his spine told him time was of the essence—and a glance over his shoulder confirmed it. Obviously having discovered the tea bags, his almost-girlfriend was waiting for traffic to pass so she could cross the street.
Mine. Mine. Mine. Come to me.
Being made so easily should have disturbed him, but instead his heart seemed to be inflating at a rapid rate. Polly knew him. Even beneath a ginger hairpiece, fake teeth, glasses, and a priest disguise. If she hadn’t picked him out among the pedestrian traffic and park-goers, he wouldn’t feel this assurance now. Confidence that this monumental craving went both ways. Their awareness of each other went beyond what normal people felt, and he refused to classify her recognizing him in a crowd as a bad thing.
A woman named Bernadette was standing on his loafer, however, and another was tugging on his right sleeve, so he couldn’t take the time to gauge Polly’s mood. Be it good or bad, though, the last place he wanted to reunite with his erstwhile beauty was in the midst of a senior citizen parade. Not that they weren’t quite sweet when it came right down to it, but Polly in polka dots trumped all, didn’t she now?
“Ladies. I’ve so enjoyed this visit.” He patted Bernadette on the arm, gently tugging his foot from beneath her practical white runner. “Afraid I’ve lost track of God’s time, however. Have you seen it?”
That question provoked a round of laughter. He didn’t have to turn around to know Polly was getting closer. Every hair on his neck lifted; his palms started to itch for contact with smooth skin. God, Austin hoped she was prepared, because he was going to fuck her into a different time zone. And in the middle of it, when he had her hovering right over an orgasm, he would demand she didn’t take any more spontaneous vacations. Damn it all, he was a demanding almost-boyfriend. Felt good.
Austin really needed to ditch the group of women before one of them asked if he had a banana in his pocket.