“I suppose I could have a piece of pie or something.” She leaned away, desperate for some air that didn’t have his male scent mixed with it. Triumph flashed in his eyes and a smile ticked at one corner of his mouth.

“Much obliged, ma’am.” With an unconscious flourish, he settled his hat on his head and waited for her to gather her purse and come around the desk. Taking her hand, he pulled it into the crook of his arm and led the way.

She had expected him to take her to someplace quiet, dark, intimate. Someplace where he could seduce her with his masculine will. But he stepped across the street and led her into a brightly lit deli where the air was rich with the mixed scents of spices and coffee. Her mouth watered, reminding her she had skipped lunch today, too.

As she trailed behind him, he placed an order and paid for it. He carried the tray with two sandwiches and two coffees over to a window table and sat down.

“You must be starving,” she said. Carefully, she smoothed her skirt underneath, then sat down.

“I am.” He plopped one plate in front of her. “And so are you.”

“1 said I’d already eaten.”

“And you never could tell a lie worth a hoot. Now, eat so we can talk.”

She bristled at his high-handed assumptions. She was a grown woman now and certainly didn’t need him to take care of her. But her stomach loudly reminded her that it had been neglected for too long and that the food here was excellent. She ate, not because he’d told her to, but because she couldn’t resist.

Not a word passed between them during their meal. Cole stared moodily out the window, watching the fading nightlife in downtown Denver. It was already past nine o’clock. Most of the stores had closed, and people were slowly drifting away from the restaurants.

With a sigh, Cole leaned back and brought his coffee cup to his lips. After a fortifying gulp, he returned to the unsettling prospect of studying Darci. She’d grown up into a beautiful young woman, a woman who should be out enjoying life, enjoying her youth and finding a man to make a future with. Instead, she was buried in a lonely corporate office, struggling to save a floundering company.