Free A Glimpse of Fire by Debbi Rawlins Page A

chest. “You tell Jimmy and I cook for you. You like some orange chicken? Garlic shrimp?”
    Eric put a hand on the shorter man’s shoulder. “I’ll give you an order, but no rush. I’ll pick it up later. You need to go help Ruth. You have a lot of customers out there.”
    Jimmy waved a dismissive hand. “I have so many customers because of you. They can wait.” With his hands motioning wildly, he barked instructions in Chinese to the young man.
    “Jimmy, honestly we’re not ready to eat. We have someplace to go.” Eric briefly met her eyes and purposefully looked at his watch. “We’d like to pick up dinner in about an hour and a half, if that’s okay.”
    “Anything for you, my friend.” Jimmy looked at Dallas. “Something special for the lady? Our shrimp is very, very fresh today. Or how about some—”
    “I love all kinds of food. Surprise us.” She winked at Eric. “I hate to be rude, but we’re going to be late.”
    “Right. I’ll be back to pick up dinner in an hour and a half.”
    “You want us deliver?” Jimmy asked. “We deliver to you. One hour and a half.”
    “I’ll call and let you know.”
    Grinning, Jimmy nodded. “Anything for my friend. You call.”
    “Thanks.” Eric shook his hand. “Okay if we go out the back way?”
    “Yes, yes. Please.” He gestured toward the door.
    Ruth called out something in Chinese, to which Jimmy responded in kind.
    “See you later, Jimmy.” Eric opened the door and motioned for Dallas to precede him.
    “See you, my friend.” Jimmy grinned with a raised hand and watched them go, seeming in no hurry to go back out and help his wife.
    They ended up in a short alley with a foul odor thanks to the Dumpster stationed not more than four feet from the door and hurried to the street.
    Eric made a face and muttered, “Sorry, who knew the place would be so jammed on a Monday.”
    “No problem.” She shrugged. “We can eat anywhere. At the park if you like.”
    He gave her an odd look. “You’re really something.”
    The appreciation warming in his eyes made her blush. “What?”
    He kept staring at her, paying no attention to where they were walking, and then he said half under his breath, “You’re going to be trouble, Dallas. Big trouble.”

7
    S HE WAS TRULY REMARKABLE . Eric thought about how Tom’s wife, Serena, would have reacted to the whole Chun’s experience. Or Ryan’s wife or Grant’s wife. All nice, attractive ladies, but they would have been totally freaked out to have been herded back into the kitchen and then led out to that putrid-smelling alley.
    Hell, he couldn’t even imagine Judy shaking Jimmy’s not-so-sanitary hand. It wasn’t that the women were snobs or anything, just more refined. Different tastes, different backgrounds. They weren’t the type to eat in dives, no matter how good the food.
    He glanced over at Dallas just as they approached his building. She put them all to shame. Not just the way she looked… God, as if that wasn’t enough. His chest and groin tightened just looking at her in those tight white pants that looked like a second skin molding that perfect butt. Nice and round and firm. Made his palms itch to cup her to him. Feel her pearled breasts against his chest.
    He forced himself to look away before his jeans got so damn tight his doorman would have to help him to the elevator. Anyway, it wasn’t just about the way shelooked that turned him on or that set her apart from the other women he knew. It was the way she carried herself with confidence and grace. And more. Much more. Something indefinable that only years of stellar breeding could have produced.
    Maybe tonight she’d tell him about herself, about her family. His desire to know about her went beyond curiosity. She fascinated him, occupied his thoughts more than was healthy for him or his career.
    He stopped when they got to his apartment building and greeted the new doorman who’d started last week, after Hector had retired and moved