Page 31 of The Tycoon

“Sometimes.I need to let loose every so often, just like anyone else.What do you do to relax?”

“I usually go to the shooting range and hone my skills.I’m a sharpshooter, and I’d like to retain that designation.”

“You don’t go dancing or ice skating or hiking, anything?”His eyes danced with humor.

“Sometimes, I’ll go hiking, when I come to visit Mom and Randy.”She smiled, remembering when she and her brother had been little.“He and I used to hike behind the house all the time when we were growing up.We ran wild over the mountainside.We had a half-dozen other kids that we played with, and we’d all go hiking or camping or horseback riding, whatever, on our own.Our parents didn’t have to worry about predators like parents do nowadays.Usually, we only had to be in shouting distance, which in that valley, was a long way.”

“I thought you said you grew up in the mountains, not a valley.”

“The valley was surrounded by mountains.You can’t get there unless you go into the mountains.”

“Oh.”He took a sip of his drink.“Go on.Tell me more about your childhood.”

“Oh, no, you have to tell me about you now…or,” she lifted a brow and turned toward their driver.“Sean can tell us about his childhood.How much do you know about your driver’s background?”

Cole laughed.“I think we should leave Sean alone, finish our meals, and head back to the apartment.Tomorrow morning will come early, and we still have to make our statements at the police station before we leave for the platform.”

“You’re right.”She dug into her steak.“I’m taking whatever I don’t eat home and having it for breakfast.”

Chuckling, Cole nodded and swallowed.“I agree, although I don’t think there will be much, if any, left.”

Regan looked over at his plate and realized his steak was more than half gone.“Guess I better shut up and get to eating.”She took a bite of her steak and moaned.“I can’t believe you’d eat anywhere else.”

Cole lifted a brow.“What makes you think I do?”

Sean burst out laughing.“I’ve driven you to Oscar’s plenty.”He turned toward Regan.“They have the best seafood in town and the wait list is always long…even for Cole Kincaid.As soon as he knows he’s coming to Houston, he makes reservations.”

“Did you make reservations this time?”She chewed a bite of potato.

Cole shook his head.“I don’t know how long we’ll be on the platform, so I couldn’t make them.It wouldn’t be fair to hold a table for me and then not show up.That would set a bad precedent.”

They finished their dinner.

Regan still had a fourth of her steak and most of the potato left.She had it boxed up.

Sean drove them back to the apartment and dropped them off.

She carried her leftovers into the apartment, where she left it on the kitchen counter.

“Don’t you want to put that in the fridge?”

“Nope.I don’t like the taste of steak that’s been in the fridge.If I leave it on the counter, it still tastes like it did at the restaurant, just cooled.”

“I hadn’t thought about that, but as you can see, I rarely bring home leftovers.”

“I still can’t believe that you and Sean ate all of your meals.You would have had to roll me out of there in a wheelbarrow.”

He laughed.“Somehow I can’t see that ever happening.You wouldn’t give up control enough to allow that situation in the first place.”

She lifted a brow and grinned.“You’re right, I wouldn’t have.What time do you want to leave here tomorrow?”

“Not early.No later than ten.That will give us time to give our statements about tonight and then fly to Houston, arriving around two.From there we have to go to the heliport.We should arrive at the platform around four o’clock this afternoon.”

“Sounds good.”

“Would you like a nightcap before bed?”Cole headed over to the bar in the corner of the living room.

“Sure.Why not?Normally, I would sayno, but since we’ll be flying tomorrow and you should be safe up there, I think one drink won’t hurt me.”She set her purse on the coffee table and sat on the sofa.“What would you normally be doing if I wasn’t here?”