His suppressed half smile only added to his charm. Damn him. “Yes, ma’am.”
She poked him in his chest. “And you keep your hands to yourself. You got that?”
His smile turned downright wicked.
She was in trouble.
Joe seemed different. An hour later, sitting in the restaurant where they’d first met when she’d been a waitress and he’d come in with his friends after a night of partying, she had to admit he wasn’t the same man she’d known six years ago.
He’d grown up.
Although he was two years older, in their previous relationship Laura had always been the more mature one. Now Joe seemed more balanced, more focused. She had no doubt of the cause for that.
“So Omega Sector, huh?” She leaned back against the booth across from him, having finished her meal, and took a sip of her wine. “I never would’ve pegged you for law enforcement.”
“I didn’t have much education, but I had a pretty developed skill set. I decided to see if I could put that to use.”
Laura raised her eyebrow. She definitely remembered certain skills Joe had, but was pretty sure that wasn’t what he meant. She tugged at her sweater feeling a little overheated. “Oh yeah?”
“I had a very observant, honest friend who pointed out to me that I had more potential than to just be a trust fund baby. That I had skills in observation, listening, adaptability. That I was calm under pressure and that people genuinely seemed to like me.”
Laura’s eyes snapped to his face. She had said that to him. Had truly believed it. But she hadn’t dreamed he would take her words and change his whole life.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“Yeah, wow.” He took a sip of his wine. “I repaid the favor by saying some of the cruelest, most ridiculous words that have ever left my mouth. Ever left anybody’s mouth.”
“Joe...”
He reached over and grasped her hand. “I want to make sure you know I’m sorry. That a day has not gone by where I haven’t regretted those words. I’ve nearly called you or come to your house dozens of times, but—”
“Joe.” She stopped him, shaking her head. “You were right. About us. About me not being the right type of woman for you. You were right.”
“No.” The hand not holding hers hit the table just loud enough to cause her to jump. “I was not right. Whatever the opposite of right is, that’s what I was.”
Laura couldn’t help but smile. “Wrong?”
Joe laughed and sat back, releasing her hand, the tension easing from his face. “Yeah, wrong. Wrong to let myself be convinced of it, wrong to say it, wrong not to have apologized for it before now.”
Laura was not one to hold a grudge. She’d learned long ago that bitterness against him only hurt herself and had let it go.
“Well, I accept your apology and even appreciate it. What you said, what those gossip sites said, helped me turn a corner. I realized I was never going to be beautiful, but that I could at least make more of an effort. Style my hair, wear more makeup, make more attractive clothing choices.”
Joe’s jaw got tight as he studied her. “You look great now, but you were fine just like you were.”
“I was...comfortable just like I was. But I realized when I started my own law firm how important a professional image was. Like it or not, studies show that attractiveness affects your level of trustworthiness and credibility with people. I needed to change my image.”
His expression grew pained. “Laura—”
She smiled at him. She wasn’t trying to make him feel bad—the opposite in fact. She wanted him to know that what had happened between them had helped her. “I’m just trying to say that I grew from the situation, like you did.”
“But—”
“No more talk about the past. Okay? Or at least that part. We were young. We were stupid. Let’s just agree and move on.”
He looked like he was going to say something more but stopped and nodded.
Joe told her about some of the training he’d had to do to become an Omega Sector agent and some of his exploits since joining them. Laura told him about her law firm and how it had grown over the last year.
The words flowed easily. Lightly. This was how it had always been between the two of them: comfortable, relaxed. Only when other people had entered the equation had it gotten difficult and complicated.
Laura became aware of eyes on them partway through their conversation but tried to ignore it. Someone like Joe always had eyes on him. How could women not stare, even if they didn’t know who he was? But Laura didn’t like it. Didn’t like the thoughts that began to enter her head. Were they wondering what Joe was doing with someone like her?
Amazing how the blackness could creep in unbidden. No one had said anything; maybe no one was even thinking anything, but Laura could already feel her confidence plummet. She picked at the food she’d ordered, no longer able to enjoy the meal.
She couldn’t do this again.
She wasn’t mad at Joe, the opposite, in fact. Spending time with him just made her remember why she had fallen for him six years ago.
Which was also adding to her panic.
She’d been around him a little over an hour and she was already back to the person she’d been. Worried about her looks, about what people thought. How many different ways did she have to be told that she and Joe were from two different realms before she accepted it as the truth?
Somebody clicked their picture. The flash made Laura wince.
Joe turned calmly to the man. “Hi, we’re having dinner if you don’t mind.” His voice was friendly but firm. Laura saw the manager heading toward their table to ward off any problems, but the man with the camera left.
It could’ve just been anyone who recognized Joe and wanted to snap his picture.
It could’ve been someone from a major gossip rag.
Either way Laura knew she couldn’t stay. She put her napkin down beside her plate; she felt like she had a knot in her stomach that wouldn’t ease. Joe studied her with concern.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I can’t be here with you, can’t do this again. Thank you for dinner, thank you for the apology. I wish you the best, Joe.”
She started to stand, but he grasped her hand before she could.
“Laura, you’re panicking. Don’t. Please.” She felt his thumb brush over the back of her palm. “It was just a photograph and doesn’t mean anything.”
“No, what it was was a reminder. You are you and I am me. Our worlds aren’t compatible. You would’ve thought I learned that lesson well six years ago.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. I wasn’t prepared tonight, but I can take measures to protect you from the press. From the gossip.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Who’s going to protect me against you, Joe?”
He gripped her hand more firmly. “I don’t want you to protect yourself from me. You don’t need to, because I’m not going to do anything that will cause you harm. I give you my word.”
Laura shook her head. She believed that he meant it, but that didn’t change anything. “I can’t be the person who opened