Kade did not disappoint with his meal choice for me. While I ordered theBistecca Alla Fiorentinafor him, he ordered me the best-tasting Risotto I’d ever had in my life. He seemed equally happy with his meal.
“So why did you name your cat Alfredo?” Kade asked. We had already discussed the conference, and were now getting a little more personal.
I swallowed the bite of the food I had in my mouth. “It was my mother's favorite sauce. Plus, it sounds classy.”
The sound of Kade’s responding laugh was like music to my ears. “Fair enough.”
“Do you have any pets?”
He shook his head. “No, well unless you count Machine’s dog, Lucy. I see her every day, she even has two dog beds at my house.”
“Sounds like you and Machine need to draft up some custody paperwork.”
“Probably not a bad idea.”
I loved this playful side of him. I wouldn’t picture himas the Don if I didn't know better. “So, how do you like being CEO?”
“It has its perks. Before my dad died, I worked in the Hive with the team. They all knew that eventually I would be in charge of the company. After he died, I wasn’t able to do what I loved as much. Now I'm just used to it.”
“That makes sense. Were you and your father close?” Hopefully, that wasn’t a stupid question.
He took a sip of wine. “Yes and no. His baby was the family business. He trained me to take over his empire. While most kids were playing sports, I took business courses and coding classes in high school.”
“If you could, would you go back to The Hive?”
“Yes, only to find someone. There has only been one person in this world who has given me a run for my money. It’s not as important to me anymore, but for a long time, all I wanted to do was find the person.” Pausing he rubbed a hand against his jaw. “They call him Phantom.” A humorless laugh left his mouth. “And people call me Ghost. The irony is not lost on me.”
I took a long sip of wine, not sure how to respond. “It does seem quite clever.”
“So why do you hate this Phantom person so much?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Kade wiped his mouth. “Well,” he cleared his throat. “I haven’t met too many people who are able to code quite like he can. His speed in being able to cover their tracks is almost unheard of. There’s been a few times I’ve tried accessing the same information that he is trying to just all for that information to be erased with no way to find where it went.”
I hid the smirk that was wanting to spread on my face.Take that, Ghosty!I still couldn’t believe that I was sittingacross from my arch nemesis. Who knew he would be so hot in a suit? When I pictured Ghost, I always pictured the stereotypical nerd in their mom’s basement. I never thought he’d be the Don of the Mafia in charge of one of the most prestigious security firms in the world.
“I could see how that would be frustrating.”
He nodded and changed subjects to that of the conference.
We continued the remainder of the meal with small talk before he threw me a curveball.
“Do you want to have a nightcap in my suite?”
“Sure.” My heart skipped a beat, having a feeling where this was headed.
Kade’s suite was everything and more. Vaulted ceilings, two bedrooms, a jacuzzi tub, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room area. The suite screamed money. Its black furnishings and gold accents sparkled in the recessed lights overhead.
I sat on the couch and Kade walked over with a crystal glass filled with amber liquid. I wasn’t a whiskey or Jack Daniels kind of gal; however, any alcohol would do to give me the courage to give into my fantasy. Just one night I would allow myself to forget my assignment and the complications that would come in the morning.
I downed the offered beverage in one gulp and gasped as it burned my chest.
“Dear god! How do you drink that?” I gagged, not liking the taste at all.
Kade chuckled at my reaction. “It’s not meant to bechugged, princess. Do you want me to see if there’s any wine?”
I placed a hand on my chest. “No it’s okay, I think that hellfire will do the trick.”
Without prompting he went to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle for me. “You seem like you need this.”
