“Hmm, good point. Let me grab a coat, just in case.” Adalia hurried off, but returned swiftly.
She draped the dark green coat over her arm and headed to the front door. Matthias reached for the handle and opened it for her. As she stepped through, she softly whispered. “Thank you.”
The walk into town was quiet, but comfortable. Matthias seemed to have calmed since the incident in the woods, and it made Adalia feel at ease, hoping that dinner tonight might help him relax even more.
Glancing at him as she walked, she took in his 6 foot frame, black wings catching the light of the street lamps. No other man in the history of her life, here and in The Grey, had ever turned her head the way he did. Not only was he the most handsome creature she’d ever beheld, but there was a gentleness beneath his tough exterior. Like a bear with insides made of soft, squishy goodness. His personality wasn’t overbearing and loud. He was polite and always offered to help around her house. One would think he was just an everyday male and not the prince of a kingdom.
Sandalwood and juniper berries wafted through her senses and she breathed him in. Maybe taking him out to dinner was a bad idea. It was going to be difficult keeping her hands to herself sitting across the table from him, and she didn’t want to. What she really wanted was to throw caution to the wind and take a chance with the utterly delicious male beside her.
Bella Cucina came into view, and Adalia was relieved. The sooner they sat down, the better. Thoughts of his lips on hers and his muscular arms wrapped around her body were making her feel all kinds of things.
The restaurant was humming with nightlife.
Small round tables with two to four chairs at each housed bodies of men, women, and a few children. Each table, topped with a red and white chequered cloth, held flickering candles and silver cutlery, glinting from the streetlamps. Soft music drifted into the night air, and Adalia breathed it all in. This was her favourite place to eat. The chefs here made the most exquisite creamy pasta with bacon pieces, sliced truffles, and a sprinkling of fresh shallots.
Adalia pushed the door open, and a friendly girl greeted them. She had a brown pixie cut and the prettiest green eyes Adalia had ever seen. “Table for two?”
“Yes, please.” Adalia nodded her head towards the female and noticed the way she looked at them strangely, obviously shocked at the male towering over her. Adalia smiled. She rather liked the glances people gave them when she was with the prince, not that she’d admit it.
The server guided them through the restaurant and into the garden area. Beneath their feet, cobblestone floors stretched out, while a ceiling of lights adorned the space, creating the most beautiful atmosphere.
The pair seated themselves as the girl placed a menu down on the table for each of them.
“So how do you do this?” Matthias asked as he read the menu.
Adalia laughed lightly. “You read all the meal options and pick one you like the sound of. Then, when the girl comes back, we place our order. Shortly after, our food will arrive and we can eat to our heart’s content. It’s that simple.” Adalia smiled at the prince.
He nodded and resumed his reading.
A few minutes later, the girl returned with paper and pencil in hand. “Are you ready to order?”
Adalia nodded. “Yes please. Can I have the creamy fettuccine, a basket of garlic bread and a red wine? Thank you.” She voiced as she handed the menu back to the girl.
“And for you, sir?” the green-eyed server asked.
“I’ll have whatever she’s having.”
Adalia grinned at his choice. He must have panicked in the moment.
Glancing around at the Lightners, who were also enjoying a night out, she smiled at those who caught her eye. Smells from the kitchen wafted through the air, garlic and butter, tingling ones senses. A lighthearted, merry tune was playing from the live band in the courtyard’s corner. Adalia was so caught up in the moment that she didn’t notice the prince staring at her with a smile on his face until the server brought two glasses of red wine to the table.
“Thank you” Adalia smiled up at her and returned her gaze to the grey-blue eyes.
Matthias broke contact and took a sip of his. “Wonderful wine.”
“They only serve the best here.” Adalia said as she savoured the smell of the red liquid in her glass. She watched Matthias as he looked around the restaurant courtyard and in that very moment, she wanted him . . . all of him. Mind, body, and soul.
“You’re not like I’d thought you’d be, you know.”
The prince flicked his gaze back to her. “And how did you think I would be?”
“‘Prince of Darkness’ and all, I just thought you’d be . . . harsher, more . . . evil.”
“Would you like me to be more evil?”
Adalia shook her head. “No, I quite like you just the way you are.”
Matthias huffed into his glass as he took a sip. “Don’t think anyone has ever said that to me before.”
