“You afraid she’d kick your arse?” I glanced over my shoulder.
“Fuck yes,” he scoffed. “She’s vicious when she’s pissed.”
“Noted.”
“Why are there so few cars in the lot?” Waverly questioned when I made the left turn into Georginia’s, the Italian place I’d found through an internet search.
I’d barely been able to keep my eyes on the road the entire drive. Despite having worked all day, my beautiful girl looked, well…beautiful. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought she’d spent hours getting ready for our date. Her auburn hair hung in loose waves down her back and she wore an emerald-green dress that perfectly matched the shade of her eyes. It clung to her body like a second skin, showcasing the slight curves of her hips. The kicker though, and the reason for my rapidly growing erection, was the three-inch silver heels which adorned her feet. Mental flashes of them digging into my arse, while I buried myself deep in her sexy body, made for hazardous driving conditions.
“Would you be upset if I said I rented the restaurant out for three hours?”
“Seriously, Finn?” She shook her head, amusement coating her voice. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Besides, I didn’t want to share my favorite people with a crowd of strangers.”
It was a half-truth. Joel took my safety seriously. Since his wife would also be with us, he was doubly precautious. In order to make his job easier, I offered the perfect solution. Hell, in New York, a thousand dollars barely would have paid for a decent meal at a top-of-the-line establishment, it certainly wouldn’t have covered the cost of an entire evening.
“Shall we?” I extended my hand, helping her out of the SUV and didn’t release my grip.
The owner, Rosalie, greeted us at the door. With her hand still tucked in mine, Waverly and I followed the elderly woman through to the dining area, where the entire room had been transformed. Gone were the multitude of tables which normally took up the space. Only a single round table, covered in an elegant black cloth, remained in the center. Joel and Noreen were strategically seated to face the front of the restaurant, but stood as we approached.
“Thank you, Rosalie.” I dipped my chin. “You and your staff went beyond anything I could’ve imagined.”
“Grazie, Signore O'Lachlan." She returned my gesture. “Bon appetit.”
“Oh my. You’re even more beautiful than Finn described.”
“You must be Noreen.” Waverly smiled, extending the hand I wasn’t holding.
Ignoring all social cues, my assistant slash pseudo mom pulled my girl from me, engulfing her in her arms. “Psh. I’m a hugger. Hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s a little late to ask her that, don’t you think, love?” Joel chuckled, earning a side-eye from his wife.
I was about to intervene when I saw Waverly slowlyraise her arms out to her side. Her movements were stiff at first, then smoothed out as she eased both arms around Noreen. “I’m a little out of practice in the hug department,” she stated quietly.
“You’re doing just fine, sweet girl.”
The moment was broken by the swish of a door swinging open, as a younger woman stepped through, allowing the loud clang of pots from the kitchen to infiltrate the quiet.
“Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “Rosalie asked me to bring you a bottle of our finest wine to begin with.”
“I guess that’s our cue to take a seat.”
I dragged a chair out from underneath our table, then waited for Waverly to sit down before easing it back in. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Joel doing the same for his wife. Within a few minutes of the wine being poured, a tray of appetizers was delivered: mushroom risotto, caprese salad, and a basket of freshly baked bread. The meal itself was served family style. It was one of the reasons I’d chosen Georginia’s to begin with. Platters filled with every pasta dish imaginable were set out on the table for us to share. You name it, they had it. We gorged ourselves on tortellini, lasagna Bolognese, and eggplant parmesan. It was a carb lover's dream come true.
“I’m going to be in a food coma for the next week,” Waverly groaned, setting her fork down beside her empty plate.
Leaning in close, I swept a lock of hair behind her ear, keeping my voice low enough so the other two people at the table wouldn’t be able to hear. “I could help you work off the excess calories.”
A rosy blush spread across her cheeks. She turned herhead slowly, meeting my fiery gaze with a heated one of her own. “Don’t tease me.”
“Who said I was teasing?”
We’d been dancing around each other since I came to town. Other than a few stolen kisses, we hadn’t gone any further. It was a game of self-control, one I was currently battling and losing.
“Finn.” She visibly shuddered, letting me know I wasn’t alone in my desires. “You’re killing me here.”
“But what a way to go.” I kissed one corner of her mouth, then the other.
