Free Smother by Lindy Zart Page A

her then, and the hardness of his expression caused her to fall back a step. “You’ve been working here just under six months.”
    “Yes,” she confirmed in a faint voice.
    He studied her, waiting for her to understand. It took a moment, but she finally did. He nodded when their eyes met and he knew she got it. She looked away, an ache pooling in her stomach. She wasn’t owed an explanation. Reese wasn’t part of his life. She was putting more importance on herself than was warranted.
    “You should have let me go with you. I could have helped,” she grumbled, kicking at a pebble with her boot.
    “What would you have done? Colorfully cursed at them? Petrifying,” he mocked.
    Reese caught a flash of silver in his eyes before they darkened once more. “Glad you find this so amusing.”
    He shrugged.
    She wanted to ask if she’d heard him right as she was leaving yesterday, if he really thought he was protecting her, and if so, why, and from who exactly, but Reese couldn’t. It was too deep, too much.
    Instead Reese searched her brain for something to say and came up with the obvious. “You pass out candy to trick-or-treaters? I never would have guessed it. Now, tattoos at a discounted price—that I could see. Come here, kiddie, kiddie, let me ink you up, ” she said in a growly voice, holding her hands out like claws.
    A girl in a shimmering pink dress carrying a wand ducked her head and hurried past. Reese dropped her hands.
    “You’re scaring kids.”
    Reese scratched at a spot on her forehead where the mask rubbed against her skin. “I’m supposed to be going to a Halloween party at Riddik’s. My friend Amber and some other people will be there.” She didn’t know why she told him that. It wasn’t like he cared or wanted to know.
    “So go.” Leo’s words agreed with her inward assessment, but the tone argued it.
    She frowned at him, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
    Reese moved out of the way as Batman and Robin stopped by the candy bowl and grabbed handfuls of chocolate. “Don’t forget to come back when you’re eighteen!” she called out as they ran away.
    The lady escorting them looked over her shoulder to give her a chastising look. Reese waved back.
    Leo moved for her so quickly she backpedaled into the door. He loomed over her, dangerous and sexy with his black clothing and hard features. Reese’s pulse picked up. Even the wounds on his face amplified his looks in a positive way.
    “Not funny.”
    “A little funny.”
    His mouth tightened. “No.”
    She crossed her arms and pretended his size didn’t suck up the air around her and burn it like he was a ring of fire she stood within. “I’m promoting you. You should thank me.”
    “Except they’re just kids. They don’t need to be thinking about tattoos.”
    She frowned at him as he moved away. “I don’t get you.”
    His shoulders stiffened as she closed the distance between them. Reese looked up at his profile, liking how the gloomy sky and dim lights of the streetlamps distorted certain aspects of his face while enhancing others. Shadows played with his features, slimming his nose and widening his eyes, adding fullness to his lips that wasn’t customarily there and sharpness to his cheekbones she would normally miss.
    Leo looked mysterious, which fit. He was a mystery. He was also purposely closed off to her. She wondered what it would be like to know him, to watch him open up and share some of himself. Reese also knew that would never happen, not with her, and if she really thought logically about it, she knew that was best.
    He didn’t want her to know him.
    And he was better off not knowing her.
    Rubbing her arms against the cold air, she asked, “How long have you lived here?”
    “Long enough.”
    Not surprised by that answer, Reese moved on. “Why do you stand outside? Your light’s on. We could be inside, warm, instead of out here, cold.”
    “Don’t know why you’re still here.” He paused, glancing at her.