Jesus.
His nostrils flared a second, but before she could freak out over whether he could smell her arousal—who could do that?No one, she desperately reassured herself—he turned to Diana and wrapped an arm around her.
Wow, this guy was tactile.
“You getting up to mischief, short stuff?”he asked, and El blinked at the server who immediately giggled.
“No, Uncle Ryan.I’m being very well behaved.”
“I guess I should ask my date to confirm that,” Ryan said brightly, those delicious baby blues scanning over her with a precision that made her cheeks pinken.
From that one look alone, she knew she hadn’t been found wanting.
This man, this sex god, actually found her attractive.
Was he blind?she asked herself, then shrugged off the stupid thought.
Jeez, she wished she’d cancelled yesterday’s dinner with her parents.They always made her question herself.
Weeks of being around her friends, having them shore up her self-esteem, all sank into the dust after two hours with Joseph and Annabel Forsythe-Drew.
With all eyes on her, El managed to whisper, “She’s been wonderful.Very kind and very professional.”Well, that was stretching the truth, but it wasn’t Diana’s fault El had broken the bounds of propriety to ask whether she looked flushed or not.
Diana beamed at her, then wrinkled her nose.“Do you want another server, Uncle Ryan?”
“No, short stuff.Just, do me a favor, okay?”
Diana blinked at him, nodding eagerly.It was easy to see that she worshipped her uncle.“Don’t tell anyone if you overhear anything.Promise?”
She nodded.“I promise.I wouldn’t anyway.The family’s way too up in your business as it is, and my dads are just crazy when it comes down to you.”
Dads?
El gulped because that hadn’t been a mistake.
Then, she figured Diana’s parents must be two gay men and her unease fled.It had sounded like she had two… She shook her head at the silly thought.
Ryan shot her a glance, smiled at her, then murmured to his niece, “I appreciate that, short stuff.I’ll have my usual.”
Diana grinned and scampered off, looking every one of her barely nineteen years.
When she’d gone, Ryan turned to her and let her have every ounce of his attention.
Her heart started to pound when their eyes connected and everything inside her seemed to expand and contract in great dizzying waves as they stared at one another, long and hard.
He broke the spell to reach for her hand.Lifting it to his mouth, he kissed her knuckles and whispered, “Good evening, El.”
Her voice was ridiculously breathy as she returned, “Good evening, Ryan.”
He released her hand after gently squeezing her fingers, then he took a seat.“I hope you don’t mind eating here.As you can see, it’s my restaurant and I have a lot of family working here.”
“The maître d’ too?”El asked, the question burning on the tip of her tongue.
He didn’t seem to realize there was an ulterior motive behind her question, and answered, “Cousin.”His grin was sheepish.“I have two more working behind the bar, a brother heading the kitchen, three nephews working their way up to become sous chefs, two sisters who work in admin, and a whole lot of other family from uncles to aunts who work in some part of the business.”
“Wow!That’s great to have such a family-oriented business.”
“You don’t think it’s nepotism?”he asked, crinkling his nose at her.His grin was rueful, and she had to smile back at him.
