His sharp intake of breath makes me realize that every penny he spent on that dress worth it.
"Tara."
His voice drops to that rough register that makes me feel delicious pulsations of pleasure.
“You look..." He pauses, blue eyes traveling slowly down my body and back up. "Absolutely gorgeous.”
I blush, and realize it’s the first time he’s seen me dressed up for a night on the town.
It’s practically the first time I’ve seen myself dressed up for a night on the town.
“Good choice,” I say in response to his compliment. “It’s all your doing. Thank you.”
He reaches across the table, fingers tracing circles along my inner wrist. "I knew it would look perfect on you."
"Any news about the trial?" I ask, though the way he's looking at me makes coherent thought difficult.
"Yes," he says, thumb still stroking my pulse point. "But I don't want to talk about that tonight. Let's not let it ruin dinner."
Ruin dinner?My stomach tightens. Bad news, then.
But when he brings my hand to his lips and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles, everything else fades.
The server arrives to describe our tasting menu—one tiny, artful course after another.
I try to focus on the exotic flavors, but I'm distracted by Cameron's eyes never leaving my face. Especially the way his tongue darts out to catch a drop of wine on his lower lip.
By the time dessert arrives, I realize I'm still hungry—but not for food. Cameron's heated gaze has left me starving for something else entirely.
"Nice appetizers," I say with a deadpan expression as the last dishes are cleared. "When's dinner?"
We both break into laughter. The sexual tension that's been building all evening shifts into something warmer, more intimate.
The server pours a familiar green liqueur into our glasses.
"Chartreuse," I recognize immediately. "We had this that first night at Posey's mansion."
"You remember," he says, clinking his glass against mine.
His eyes hold mine over the rim as he drinks. Suddenly, I remember exactly how his mouth tasted that night we kissed in the rain.
"I do have news," he says, sitting straighter. "Two pieces of news, actually. I don't know which to give you first."
My pulse quickens. "Is one good and the other really good?"
"They're both fantastic." His hand covers mine across the table as a wide smile breaks across his face.
"First—I won the suit against Jason. Posey is legally my daughter. Jason has no claim to her or her inheritance."
Relief floods through me. "That's incredible. So she'll come to New York?"
"She will. Since we're here at Columbus Circle, I'd love to show you my apartment at the Mandarin Oriental. Maybe you can help me figure out what room she should occupy."
The way he says it—like he's asking me to help him build a home—makes my chest tight with emotion.
"And the second piece of news?"
His eyes glitter with something that makes my breath catch. "Let me save that for later."
