I shoved a key into his hands and made for the stairs since the single room was on the next level. An arrangement that had serious advantages, as I came to realize over dinner, when Gen kept her foot resting comfortably against mine. And not just her foot, but her hand too. She laid it lightly on my thigh, out of sight of the others, under the table.
“Watch your cheese,” Marius ordered as Bene dug into the fondue we’d ordered. “Keep stirring.”
Bene rolled his eyes. “Rules for everything in this country.”
“That’s one of the few that makes sense,” Marius grumbled.
“What about the rest?” Bene asked.
Marius snorted. “Guess why I prefer France.”
Gen chuckled, and I closed my eyes, cementing the sound into my mind.
“More bread?” Mina offered…me? Gen?
I tuned out of the conversation and in to Gen. Her scent. Her voice. Her long, silky hair, glinting in the low lighting of the hotel restaurant.
“Oops.” She whipped her hand off my leg to catch the bread falling off her fondue fork.
My hand slipped onto her thigh, all by itself. The color of her cheeks deepened slightly, and she glanced at me before stirring the cheese.
“Nice wine,” Mina said, checking the label.
“Very nice,” Gen murmured, putting her hand over mine.
She closed her lips over the rim of her glass and sipped. Her throat bobbed when she swallowed, and heat rushed through me.
“What’s for dessert?” Bene asked, reaching for the menu.
Gen shot me a heated look, and I nearly choked.
She hid a grin with her napkin.
Stop teasing,I growled into her mind.
You love it, she chuckled.Maybe evenneedit.
She was right. It had been much too long since I’d allowed myself to loosen up. But this woman made me want things I’d never even dreamed of.
“Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte…” Bene read from the menu. “Bündner Nusstorte… Zwetchgenschober…” He put the menu down with a grimace. “German makes everything sound like it should come with a hard hat and a warning label. Not exactly appetizing.”
“Black Forest cake. Nut cake. Plum pie,” Marius grumbled. “Not so difficult.”
Bene gave the menu a second glance, then lit up. “Tiramisu!I know what I want.”
So do I,Gen murmured into my mind, pushing her leg outward a little.
I fought off the temptation to let my hand drop farther.
Not interested?she pouted.
Very interested. Just trying to be patient,I shot back.
Not my strong suit.
I chuckled.I noticed.
“Hm?” Mina asked.
