“Good.” I tickle under her chin. “The only problem is, I didn’t have time to get you a present.”
Laila lifts her hand, spinning the delicate ring with her thumb. “I dunno, I think this is a lovely gift. Thank you.” She pauses for a moment, pouting. “I don’t have anything for you, though.”
“Sure you do.” My lips brush against her ear. “If you let me hold you all night long, that’s the sexiest gift I can think of.”
Her eyelashes flutter closed for a moment as she takes a slow breath. Then she opens them again and meets my gaze, smiling widely. “I’ve never snuggled with a man all night while he was totally naked. I think that would be a fabulous Valentine surprise.”
“Will you be naked too?”
Her tongue darts across her bottom lip, then she nods, grinning.
“Well then screw dinner, let’s?—”
Laila jumps to her feet. “Hey now! Dinner first. We can’t be rude.”
“Grumble grumble.”
13
LAILA
Ihad no idea that a charming little mountain ski chalet would be able to pull out all the stops for Valentine's dinner. But apparently a few extra staff members materialized out of thin air to rearrange the main floor so that every couple got a private nook with a table for two.
The dining room is divided up with tall potted plants, china cabinets, and a few strategically placed curtains. Two couples are seated in the sitting room, a beautiful tapestry hung between them. Mrs. H. seated Devin and I on our own in the library. There's a roaring fire, a bottle of champagne, and a little silver bell in case we need anything else.
It truly feels like a first date, maybe because we're dressed up. Devin looks stunning in a beautifully cut black suit with a dark cherry and black tie. Meanwhile I’m wearing a deep red dress with a thigh slit that I didn’t think would be quite as revealing. In the store, I was standing demurely in front of the mirror. Now that I’m seated with Devin beside me, the fabric falls open, inviting him to touch my thigh constantly.
I have no idea where the soft jazz music is coming from. But that, combined with the crackle of the fire and the way Devin'seyes are riveted on me… A shiver runs through me every time I think about later tonight, even though I want to make the most of every second right now.
Devin strokes my thigh, his fingers firmly pressing on my sensitive skin until my legs spread slightly.
"I messed up a couple of times with your bosses," I murmur quietly. "Do you really think it's smart for us to get caught doing anything questionable right now?”
Devin pulls his hand away to take my palm in his. His eyes turn serious.
“Laila, I’ve been an asshole over this whole thing, and for that I'm truly sorry."
"I don't know what you mean."
He twines his fingers through mine, squeezing gently. “I've never socialized with the people I work with. I've always wanted to keep my private life private. Two distinct, separate entities." He grimaces. "Even though my private life has never been very interesting to begin with."
He hesitates, staring down at our hands before meeting my eyes again. "I thought that putting one over on them would be an easy way to get ahead. The whole thing should have blown up in my face. But you're so charming and lovely that they forgave me."
He lifts my hand, kissing the back of it. "Baby, I promise you that I will never put you in this kind of position again. I will never throw you into a situation where you're not prepared. Never encourage you to do anything that might make you get flustered."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me." I take a deep breath, then smile. "To be fair, I've wanted to come out of my shell for quite a while. But since the nearest available comparison is Megan, who is the most outgoing person I've ever met…"
"You felt like it was an all or nothing deal?"
"Exactly."
Devin's eyes light up with a devilish grin. "I think I have a brilliant idea. May I take you on a date Tuesday night?" Before I can answer, he laughs. "Actually, no. I would like you to go to Ray's Diner at seven. I'm going to accidentally run into you, introduce myself, and we can start fresh."
My fingers squeeze his, and I smile, shaking my head. "No."
His face falls. "No?"
"No. I mean, I would love to have dinner with you at Ray’s and have a quiet date where we chat and catch up on this whole getting to know each other thing. But I don't want to start all over from scratch."
