Defeat the Darkness by Alexis Morgan Page A

insulated ordinary people were from the nightmare Paladins faced every day. Men like him were anything but sweet, but that was how it should be. People like Tate and the Auntie Ms deserved to keep their innocence.
    The door opened—he’d lingered too long. Tate stood staring at him, her expression unreadable.
    â€œI thought you might like blueberries.” He held out the box, hoping she’d take it and disappear.
    Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Why would you care what I like?”
    Sometimes it was easier to just bend over and take the licks. “Because I was a jerk. Happy now?”
    â€œNot completely, but I’m getting there.” She stepped outside. “I wasn’t trying to crowd you this morning. I know better. You’ve made sure of that.”
    Hadn’t he just admitted to being a jerk? What else did she want from him? There was only so much groveling he was willing to do.
    â€œLook, do you want the berries or not? I said I was sorry.”
    â€œNo, you said you were a jerk.” She held out her hands. “But thank you. Apology accepted.”
    â€œOkay, then.” But instead of handing her the box, he picked out a ripe berry and held it up to her mouth. He felt the soft brush of her lips against his fingertips from his head to his toes.
    â€œDelicious.” He wasn’t talking about the blueberry, and they both knew it.
    â€œHunter?”
    She was staring at his mouth, leaning slightly forward as if waiting for him to kiss her. He needed to get away from her—or a whole lot closer. When she looked at him with those clear blue eyes, what did she see? The man he used to be would’ve been flirting, seeing how far she would let him go. But he wasn’t sure who he was anymore, much less how to approach a woman like Tate.
    â€œDo you want to have dinner with me?” he asked.
    He wasn’t sure which of them was more surprised by the question. His first thought was to retract the offer,but he couldn’t find the words. Maybe he’d get lucky and she’d refuse.
    No such luck.
    She took a step back before answering. “Sure, why not? Where do you want to go?”
    Now that was a good question. Most of the restaurants he’d tried in town had drive-thrus. “I’ll let you pick. I like Greek, Italian, and any place that serves rare steaks.”
    She looked shocked. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m a strict vegetarian. I only eat at organic restaurants. You know, yogurt, tofu, and fresh veggies. I know the perfect place!”
    Tofu! He winced. How did he get out of this now? A drive-thru sounded better by the second. Still, he’d offered.
    He tried to look enthusiastic. “Okay. Tofu it is. Can’t wait. I’ll meet you out here in an hour.”
    That’s when he noticed Tate struggling to keep a straight face. When she couldn’t contain it any longer, her laughter rang out bright and clear.
    â€œOh, God, Hunter, if you could’ve seen your face!” She used her free hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry, that was mean, but I just couldn’t resist.”
    He gave in and gave her a reluctant smile. “I probably had that coming.”
    â€œYes, you did. But I’d love a steak dinner. I know a good surf-and-turf place that’s not too far or too expensive.”
    That stung. “I’m not worried about the prices, Tate. I can afford it.”
    She grimaced. “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant the food is great, but the decor isn’t fancy and people can come casual. You couldn’t get me into panty hose this time of year.”
    He’d be a lot more interested in getting her out of them, but he doubted she’d want to hear that. “Sounds good. Meet you here in an hour.”
    â€œOkay, then.” She started back inside. Then she called after him, “And thank you for the berries. They’re my