Her gaze averted to the menu, but there was no hiding her smile. I could tell she was joking, but it didn’t matter. I would’ve paid the extra two hundred dollars for her.
“Okay,” I said in all seriousness. “I’m fine with that.”
She dropped her menu. “I’m kidding, Declan. I would never do that to you. How horrible do you think I am?”
Chuckling, I shrugged. “Hey, I just figured it was your way of paying me back for canceling our date.”
I didn’t think that about her at all. I just wanted to get her riled up. She had so much fire in her the day she came over to confront me about all the noise I was making in the yard. It was sexy as hell.
Ayla’s lips pursed, but her eyes sparkled mischievously, indicating that she knew I wasn’t serious. “Do you really think I’d do that?” she asked, glaring at me with mock anger.
My grin widened. “No. You’re not the shallow or vindictive type.”
She scoffed. “Oh, I can be vindictive. You’ll see if you get on my bad side.”
I held up my hands. “I don’t plan on it.”
Bailey came back and took our drink and food orders. Ayla and I both got the filet mignon with a crab cake on top. However, she chose the parmesan mashed potatoes while I opted for the lobster mac. It was going to be a great dinner.
A few minutes later, Bailey dropped off my gin and tonic and Ayla’s glass of red wine. She took a sip and kept her eyes on me the entire time. It was as if I could see the wheels in her head turning.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked.
She set her wine down and bit her lip. “We have a few minutes before our food comes out. Why don’t we play a game?”
I studied her curiously. “What kind of game?”
“It’s a get-to-know-each-other-better game,” she said, resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands under her chin.
I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement at the prospect of getting to know her better. I leaned in, intrigued. “I’m all in. How do we play?”
She flashed a mischievous grin before explaining the rules. “We take turns giving each other two different scenarios, and the other person must pick which one they think is true. It’s a good way to see if the other person is perceptive.” She took another sipof her wine. “Oh, and the choices have to be personal. No silly stuff.”
I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips. “Deal. Let’s see how well you think you knowme.”
When it came to reading people, I was pretty damn good at it. I had a lot of training in it when I was with the FBI. However, I was a little nervous about revealing personal things about myself since I’d never had to do it before. My relationships were mostly of a physical nature. There were several guys in the Circle of Justice who were married, and their spouses knew they killed people for a living. I had never found someone I could divulge that information to.
Ayla shimmied in her seat with excitement. “Okay, I’ll go first. Which activity would I like the most? Walking on the beach at night or hiking a hidden trail in the mountains?”
She was a woman and I’d seen on TV how they all loved romantic walks on the beach. I could see Ayla liking romantic things, but she also had an adventurous personality. I decided to go with my gut and make the choice I would’ve given for myself.
“Hiking a hidden trail,” I answered.
She clapped her hands, squealing happily. “You’re right. I fell in love with hiking when I livedin North Carolina. Kat and I used to always drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains and hike.”
“I grew up in upstate New York. Hiking was an every weekend occurrence.”
Her smile saddened. “I bet it’s beautiful up there. Do you miss it?”
“It is beautiful,” I replied, “but do I miss it?” I shrugged. “Sometimes. I look forward more to trying new things and being in different places.”
Ayla’s smile brightened. “I like that. Trying new things is fun. I kind of like change.” She waved a hand for me to continue. “Now it’s time for you to give me two scenarios about yourself.”
I could say so many things, but I’d had something on my mind ever since we started seeing each other.
“What do you think I value most in a relationship? Honesty or trust?” I asked, studying Ayla’s expression carefully.
She paused for a moment; her brow furrowed in thought. “I think you value trust the most,” she finally answered, her gaze unwavering. “You’re the kind of person who puts a lot of importance on loyalty and dependability.”
