Home > Work > Untied (Mastermind, #2)
1 " Did you eat?” he asked as he backed out of the parking lot.“No.”“Do you want to stop somewhere?”“Like Burger King?”“I was thinking something a little nicer.”“I’m wearing sweaty clothes and sneakers.”Briefly taking his eyes off the road, he glanced at her. “I think you look nice.”“Says the man in a dress shirt and tie.”“Trust me, you could wear a sack and I’d still be the inappropriate factor in the equation. Let’s stop and have dinner. We’ll go someplace small and quiet.”She sighed. “Fine. But you have to take off your tie and un-tuck your shirt.”“What?”“Either that or I’m not going. I look like a slob.”His fingers noticeably tightened on the wheel. “Fine.”When they arrived at the restaurant, a little corner place with outdoor seating and Italian cuisine, Elliot stood at the car door and loosened his tie. After unclasping the top button of his shirt, he frowned at his hips.“My shirttails will be wrinkled. Can’t this be enough?”She laughed at how uncomfortable the idea of wrinkles made him. “Fine.”Untwisting the clip in her hair, she flipped her head over and shook out her waves, hoping to hide the fact that she was in an old tank top with a bleach stain on the side.Flipping back, she paused as she caught him staring. “What?”His eyes were wide behind his glasses. “Nothing.” He shook his head and looked away.He took her hand and escorted her into the restaurant. The smell of delicious pasta cranked up her hunger. The hostess greeted them, and before Nadia could manage a word, Elliot asked for a private table in the back. They were escorted to the rear of the restaurant, far away from all other patrons.“Do they know you here?” He seemed to have some pull.“No, but if you make a direct request people don’t often tell you no.”She raised a brow. “I’ll have to remember that trick.”For as gentle as he was, he had a knack for being equally commanding. His clout was subtle but undeniable. She wondered if he even realized the influence he held over others. He wore authority very well. "
― Lydia Michaels , Untied (Mastermind, #2)
2 " There were heroes and then there were men like him. It was best not to confuse the two. "