Chapter 9

Emilia

He was goading me, but the way he was looking at me made me want to strip off, if only to prove I wasn't a chicken. He had changed into a T-shirt and jeans, but I had to admit it was sexy watching a man in the kitchen. My Dad was all about nutrition, but my mum did most of the cooking. With my grandparents, my Grandfather was the better cook, not that I'd ever tell my Grandmother that.

"How about you do the same then?" I said as I began to unbutton my blouse.

He paused in pouring the wine.

"Sure," he said and stood up to whip his T-shirt off.

I couldn't take my eyes off his bare chest. He was all muscle, and his pecs were firm with tight-ass nipples to boot. This was so much better than the camera footage I had. When his hands moved to his waistband, I gulped hard. He had a light smattering of light brown hair leading to his crotch.

"The food will be cold by the time you're done," he said with an arched eyebrow.

I quickly looked away and began to remove my clothes. My black underwear was see-through, but my laced knickers gave me a little more coverage as they were like shorts. He took our clothes out of the kitchen before he went back to pouring the wine. I couldn't see my Dad intimidating Cyrus there were too many similarities. My grandparents would reserve judgement until they knew him better.

I focused on my food because what the hell was I thinking? We might not be compatible, but it was instinct on my part. I was unable to keep away from Cyrus. I could understand his suspicion but he was extreme with his privacy. He was a loner who had probably never told a soul about what he did in his spare time.

He looked at me and nodded towards my plate. I sat down and took a sip of my wine. It was light and fruity. If I wasn't careful with my quantities, I could easily get tipsy since I hadn't drunk much while I was here. The food smelled so good it reminded me how hungry I was. The curry was spicy with a hint of citrus, but combined with the rice, it was perfect.

"You need to teach me how to cook this while I'm here," I said as I paused to look at him.

"I am sure I can teach you a lot of things while you're here," he said with a smirk on his face.

"Or perhaps I could teach you a few things," I said with a smirk of my own.

He smiled but didn't say anything and continued to devour his food. I focused on my own plate because I didn't want the food to go cold. As I ate, I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of looking back at him. I'd already embarrassed myself earlier while I perved on him.

"How did you get into the FBI at such a young age, and what do you do there?" he asked.

"I jumped ahead in my studies and went to University knowing I would get into some kind of confidential law enforcement but not the police. My great-grandfather started a law firm, which is still in my family. My current role is more of a criminal profiler, and I assist in cold cases or complex cases linked with serial killers," I said as I watched his face for his reaction.

I knew it was a lot to process, and before I divulged to him why I was doing this, I needed to trust him. He took his napkin and dabbed his mouth before he lifted his glass. I watched him drain the remaining wine in it before he looked at me.

God, how could a man's neck and throat be this sexy? I hoped that I didn't leave a wet patch on his chair.

"Yet you're sitting here sharing a meal with me," he said as he pushed his plate away.

I shrugged my shoulders but looked at his Adam's apple bob when he talked.

"You're an extraordinary case, and I don't want you to get caught," I said honestly as I stared at his pouty lips because he could be a model.

He froze, and his eyes drilled into mine as he searched my face, which drew my gaze to his multicoloured eyes.

"Fuck, you're serious, aren't you?" he said in astonishment. "There is something wrong with you," he muttered.

I scowled at him before I continued to eat. I couldn't shovel my food away like he did.

"As if you're any better," I scoffed.

"True, once you've eaten why don't you show me what suggestions you had for me? I believe clothes off is the best policy for now," he said as his eyes trailed down to my chest.

I couldn't help but chuckle. I didn't know how meeting Cyrus would go down, but it sure was entertaining, if nothing else.

**

We'd spent the rest of the time going over his strategies. I could sense the battle within him in wanting to trust me, but his cautious wording in our conversations told me he wasn't ready. Since it was the first day, I thought the evening was a step in the right direction. At dinner, I watched him cook and wondered if he was precise in everything he did. He did give me his robe to wear, but it drowned me. We had dinner on his patio, but I declined the wine this time because I needed to have my wits around him.

I was yawning by the time dinner was over and said goodnight after I'd helped him load the dishwasher. By the time I'd come out of the bathroom, he was lying in my bed.

"Don't you have a different bedroom?" I asked in confusion.

"I thought it was best for me to stay in your room in case you sleepwalk around my house at night."

I rolled my eyes at his obvious dig at my breaking and entering his home. In my defence, it was for a good cause.