It was impossible not to stare at her as she shook her hair out after removing the helmet. Being the gentleman I’d promised her I could be, I held out a hand to help her off the bike, my eyes completely focused on hers. As she looked behind us both, the small frown of confusion and surprise finally broke free, along with that perfect little smile of hers.
I was turning into a pussy—the kind that noticed every little thing about the woman they were with, and the truth was, I didn’t care one bit. I guess that’s why I was there doing what I was doing. The Drew Tucker that had stayed hidden away in the shadows and the cells now had something to flaunt, and I wasn’t going to put off that show for a second longer.
Catching her carefully, I turned her around to face the one restaurant in Babylon that I knew wouldn’t have a problem serving me while I wore my cut.
Antonio’s.
The place my old man used to bring me when I was just a kid, forcing fucking meatballs down my throat at every given opportunity because he was good friends with the even older guy who ran it and gave us everything for nothing.
It wasn’t the freshest place around. From the outside, it looked a little on the run down side with half the awning leaning too far to the left. But inside was something different, and even though I hadn’t been inside for years, this restaurant meant something to me and I wanted Ayda to be a part of that history, too.
“It’s not exactly five star, but I hear they give good spaghetti.”
Her smile was beaming as she stepped closer to me. One hand was in mine while the other was wrapped around my arm. “I think it looks perfect. Quiet, intimate and charming.”
“You describing me or the restaurant?”
“Since when have you been quiet?”
“I’m quieter than I used to be. Can’t think why.” I smirked, taking a step forward to guide us across the road.
“Are you saying I talk too much? Because if you are, you’re about to lose the charming title, also.”
“Talk, scream, cry out in ecstasy, what’s the difference?” I laughed, not giving her time to hit me before I pulled her close and pressed my lips against her hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever held any of those titles, anyway. I’ve got nothing to lose.”
“You don’t see yourself clearly at all,” she said, releasing my arm to tuck some hair behind her ear. “You have no idea how effectiveI’m hornyreally is. Makes me wild with lust.”
I leaned in even closer, half whispering and half growling in her ear. “I’m horny.”
Ayda’s tongue darted over her bottom lip before her flush forced her to dip her head and giggle. “You owe me food first. Then you can have me any way you want me. Think of it as charging my battery.”
She stopped in front of the door, looked up at me boldly and winked.
There were so many things I could have said, that I wanted to say, but I strapped my gentlemanly balls on and stepped to the side to push the door open for her. Waving her through, I watched her every move as she walked past me. There had been such a shift in the way she carried herself since the first time I met her, and while she was gorgeous to me then, this new Ayda was something else. She managed to do what no other woman had ever done before. She’d held my attention far beyond the morning after the night before, and no matter what I did to fuck things up or what she did to send me off-the-wall crazy, I couldn’t get enough of us. I didn’t think I ever would.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Ayda
There were times I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed, and in a smaller amount of time than I ever could have imagined. Then again, that’s the thing when you love someone. Time ceases to matter because the only indication that it’s passing at all is those moments you find yourself coveting more and more.
My date with Drew was like that. I was oblivious to the ticking of the clock, the darkness stealing the last of the light beyond the dust clogged windows and every eye in the place that seemed to be trained on us. I was blind to it all becausehehad my full attention. My heart, mind and body were attuned to him and him alone.
I was aware of how cliché that sounded. Even as I sat there watching him work on his food, all I could do was steal glances and smile at my plate. I knew how lucky I was to have him, and I didn’t take the love he offered for granted.
Leaning forward with my chin resting on my hand, I gave him my most content smile. “How are the meatballs?”
Drew glanced across the room at the older man he seemed to know, before he looked back at me and pushed more food into his mouth. “S’good.”
I took a sip of my wine, savoring the taste. The old manthat suggested it was right about it being a bold flavor, but I was certain that it had been fermenting for a while before he’d offered it to us. The stuff was potent as hell. Widening my eyes, I sat the glass back on the table and cut into the lasagne I’d ordered. The outside had been an illusion; the slow decaying building had been hiding quite a gem inside the walls.
“So, how did you know about this place if you’ve never done this before?”
He swallowed carefully, his eyes falling to his plate as he cleared his throat. “I used to come here with my old man when I was younger.” Drew shrugged, obviously trying to play it down to me before he looked back up through cautious eyes. “It was kind of our thing. I haven’t been here in years, though. That’s probably why Mr. Ferrara is trying to poison us with the wine.”
Drew didn’t talk about his dad much, if at all. Most of the time, he tended to change the subject when it came to his childhood. I never pushed, especially after my short discussion with Deeks. He’d been as hesitant to talk about Eric Tucker, but Drew actively avoided it if he could. I wasn’t exactly loquacious when it came to talking about my parents, either. As much as I lived in the happier memories of my childhood, living them out loud hurt sometimes. Acknowledging that they were really gone made it more real. If that was the case for Drew, I certainly didn’t want to bring it up on our date.
“I’m not sure about poisoning us, but I would say for sure he’s trying to get me drunk. Maybe he thinks you’ll get lucky,” I said, grinning across the table at him before ripping off a piece of bread and popping it in my mouth. I was actually hoping it would soak up some of the alcohol. “You shouldprobably let him know I’m a sure thing.”
