“Don’t you like romance?” I took my own seat and stared at him for a long moment, drinking in the way his dark hair was more natural and curlier, no longer stuck down by huge amounts of product, and that even though he didn’t have makeup on anymore, his mouth was just as bright and his skin as flawless as it was in photos.
“Romance is fine... if it happens to other people.” He flashed me a smile. “I’m not used to it being done to me.” He peeked toward the glass doors that led into the restaurant, which was crowded now that only we were allowed outside.
I frowned in confusion. “And you’re embarrassed?”
“Well... yeah.” He laughed again. “I mean, they’re looking at us.” He waved at the glass doors, and I glanced toward them. Not everyone was staring, but there were a select few who hadn’t looked away since we were guided to our table.
“They’re jealous.” I winked and leaned back in my chair, throwing a leg over my knee and getting comfortable. “They’re jealous that I get to spend the night with such a handsome man, and they don’t.”
“I call bullshit,” he said with a wide, amused grin. “You sure give a lot of compliments. Are you trying to get me into bed?”
“Depends. Would it work?” I teased.
He rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands, humming thoughtfully. His lips pursed, that pretty mouth squished together as a temptation that even angels wouldn’t be able to resist. I didn’t think Asa knew what kind of hell he unleashed on me just by being so close. There were no words for how handsome he was. “You’ll need to try a little harder, I think.”
“Well, consider that as a challenge accepted.”
“Why do I have a feeling I started something I shouldn’t have?” His eyes twinkled and he leaned forward, almost as though he was tempting me to come closer. I didn’t move, even though I really wanted to.
“Because you did.” I smirked. “I like to win.”
He shook his head and chuckled but stopped when a member of the staff approached us. The waiter was a cute kid with bright blue eyes and blond curls. Freckles were splattered across his cheeks, and he rocked on his feet as he came to a stop in front of us. The name Ben was engraved on the shiny badge attached to his shirt.
“Good evening, sirs. I’m your server tonight. Can I start you with some appetizers?” His voice wobbled and his gaze kept sliding back to me, the nervousness in his eyes giving away that he might know what I did for a living. The owner of this restaurant was a friend of mine and I’d funded him to start this place. Rumors began whenever I came with a date. Some of the gossip was spot on, like me being a mob boss.
If Asa noticed the waiter’s anxiety, he ignored it as he accepted the offered menu from the man, then opened it. “What do you recommend?” he asked immediately.
I didn’t need to look at the choices because I was the kind of guy who knew what I wanted, but Asa took the time to carefully peruse the food list. His stare devoured the menu as though he was studying for a college exam. I couldn’t help but be intrigued by his focus. His tongue slid out across his bottom lip and a few times his nose crinkled adorably.
“I would suggest our prosciutto stuffed wild mushrooms,” Ben answered, his gaze stuck on me as though I’d asked.
I narrowed my eyes on him and nodded at Asa, and Ben’s attention jumped to him. Luckily, Asa hadn’t shifted his focus from the menu, so he hadn’t noticed the tension in the waiter’s body language.
“I trust your judgment.” Asa shot him an award-winning smile, and Ben’s shoulders relaxed. It was amusing to see how easily Asa charmed people, and it was no wonder he was a model. That face would sell anything and everything. But the moment Ben’s gaze turned to me, the low-grade panic was back in the way his eyes widened and his hands tensed around the electronic tablet he clutched.
“And you, sir?” Ben’s voice cracked, and this time Asa’s brows dipped in confusion. He stared between me and Ben.
I gritted my teeth, annoyed, but forced a smile. “I’ll have the same. And Asa doesn’t like champagne. Could you bring him a beer or a pop? What kind will you have?” When I switched my focus to Asa, my smile was real as my gut clenched in excitement.
The frown disappeared from his face and he shoved the black frames of his glasses up his nose with a grin. “Anything. Surprise me.”
Ben nodded sharply and disappeared, leaving us in silence again.
Asa narrowed his eyes toward me in thought, cocking his head. “Do they know who you are here?”
“Hmm?” I dropped my foot back onto the floor and dragged my chair closer to the table so I could get even nearer to him. From here, I could smell the sweetness of his cologne, which had a dash of cinnamon—my favorite.
“He looked nervous around you,” Asa said.
“So did you the first time we met.” I flashed him a grin. “I’m a handsome guy.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Who has no problems with his ego.”
“Ego or confidence? I like to think they’re two separate entities. I have confidence. I know who I am, how good-looking I am, and what I’m capable of. Ego is believing you are greater than you really are. An overestimation of the truth.” I swiped my tongue along my bottom lip slowly and his gaze followed the movement. “I am handsome, rich, and a smart businessman, all of which Iknow. Hence, it’s confidence not arrogance.”
“Really?” A sly expression settled on his face and he shifted the bucket of champagne to the side so we could see each other better. “Let’s debate, then. I take your argument and correct you. Ego is a person’ssenseof self-esteem or importance. Ego is not believing you are greater than what you are, that’s egotistical.Henceyour claim is wrong.”
My eyebrows rose and I smirked. “How can I dispute that? You’re beautiful when you know you’re right.”
