She held open the door for me, and I followed her inside. Quiet music grew louder as we passed the hostess station. We turned a corner, and there he was: my date for the evening. I slowed without meaning to, my steps stalling as I drank him in. Harley looked… he looked incredible.
One hand was tucked casually into the pocket of a dark navy suit that fit him perfectly, as if it had been molded and tailored to his body. The jacket pulled clean across his shoulders and was trimmed to his lean waist. Under it, he wore a dress shirt in some shade of blue I couldn’t name. The color was gorgeous against his fair skin and brought out his eyes. Like me, he wasn’t wearing a tie, and the top button of his collar was undone in a look that I was instantly a fan of. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his hair was styled, pushed back with a few rogue strays across his forehead.
For a second, I just stood there and stared. Harley always looked good—truly, I didn’t care what he wore. But fuck, he looked downright sinful against the setting sun.Yeah, Idefinitely needed a second to recover because every part of me appreciated the way he looked tonight.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get that second as he strode in my direction.
“Hi,” he greeted with a soft smile.
“You managed to get the place for a private event?” I asked, stupidly saying the first thing that popped into my head. At least it made him chuckle. “This last minute?”
“Yes.”
“Harley, they’re always booked.”The Lakeside Reveriewas damn near impossible to get into. When he told me he had reservations for us, I figured it would be a last-minute table or even a spot by the bar. Renting out for an event required months of planning.
“I may have matched what they made last year to rent out the place tonight,” Harley informed me, his tone so casual it was almost off-putting.
He what?Had I heard him correctly? He paid a year’s worth of the restaurant’s profit just to have dinner with me? There was no way in hell that was a small number.
“You didn’t.”
“I did.”
“Harley!”
“I want to be able to have a conversation with you without worrying about someone’s kid yelling from the next table.” He shrugged as if that made complete sense.
“But you like kids,” I said.
“I likemykid,” he corrected. “There’s a difference.”
He leaned in and kissed me once, and I couldn’t help the smile. Grabbing his lapel, I pulled him right back for another kiss.
“Let me spoil you, handsome,” Harley said, and the pet name helped soften the blow of that kind of gift. I could see how he braced for me to fight back and make it a whole thing. Onceupon a time, I would have. Money was still a thing I struggled with. I budgeted like there was no tomorrow, and I thought about everything I spent, right down to the penny. But I also knew that he didn’t have that problem. He had the money, and I could be okay with it.
“Okay,” I replied. “But I want the best damn seat in the house. No middle of the restaurant shit. I expect a good table. We deserve the best table.”
He laughed, the relief genuine on his face.
“I think I can make that happen.” His smile was breathtaking. I’d never get over this version of his smile—the one that filled every part of his pretty face. It made the sunset over the lake look dull, and I wanted to bask in his glow.
The way I loved this man was unimaginable.
CHAPTER 96
harley
Maverick was handsome in the kind of way that was dangerous. Dangerous for my focus. Dangerous for my resolve to take things slow. Dangerous in a way that I felt deep in my core.
His black blazer hung open over a deep-red dress shirt, the top few buttons undone just enough to show off the silver chain around his neck. The jacket fit him well. It stretched comfortably across his broad shoulders and followed the contour of his waist.It made it impossible not to notice the solid build he’d grown into over the past seven years. There was a subtle strength in how he carried himself, even while lounging in the chair on the other side of the table.
That dark hair of his was unruly, almost like there was no hope of taming it anyway. The urge to reach across and brush it away from his forehead was strong. The last light of the sunset filtered through the restaurant windows and caught in his stormy eyes. They were brighter, reflecting the colors of the water outside, and easy to get lost in.
His laughter rang loud in the empty restaurant. I couldn’t remember what I’d said or why it was funny. I was just stuck on the sound and how it spilled down my spine, warm and comforting.
“Okay.” I blew out a quick breath as the laughter faded between us. “As much as I would love to just sit and laugh all night, I think we need to talk before we can go any further. I have some things I know I need to say—things I need to say.”
“Okay,” Maverick replied. He sat forward, forearms resting on the table as if making sure I knew I had his full attention. “I’m listening.”
