Page 5 of Kidnapped Bride

I wasn't uneasy, per se, but I was intimidated.

A man Niko's age had plenty of experience, and while I wasn't a virgin, I knew I wasn't in his league.

And my gut told me he was eager to get me into bed, judging by the way he looked at me now.

"Let's talk about that cooking class you talked about. Did you end up signing up for it?" He was so charming, finding a way to lure me out of my anxious tension into the moment with him.

I'd told him just last week about a cooking class at the cafe I loved to frequent with a good friend.

He remembered, and that made me feel like I was important to him.

"Yes," I said, grinning, then I dived into the explanation about the class and how it was being taught by semi-famous chef Eric Ripert right here in New York City's Le Bernardin. Not many people knew why he was famous or why the restaurant was so classy, but Niko's response shocked me.

"Ripert… Wasn't he best friends with Anthony Bourdain?" He lifted an eyebrow as I grinned at him and found myself leaning in, splaying my hand on his chest.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you know that. No one I've talked to even knows who Eric Ripert is…" I was in awe over this man. Themore things I unveiled about myself, the more I found we had in common.

"Oh, yeah, I watched Bourdain's show. I'm pretty sure Ripert was on it a time or two. You have good taste, and if he's half as good as Anthony, you're in good hands for learning." I sipped my second drink as Niko kept talking. "But I'm more interested in what amazing foods you'll be able to cook for me when you're done with the class."

"Oh, you want me to cook for you?" I asked him, grinning.

"Well, yeah. You love cooking, right? And you said you like reading. I bet I have a few cookbooks around here you could read and?—"

"Hey," I said as he started to get up, and I pulled him back down onto the couch, snickering. "You said you were cooking for me."

Niko's eyes sparkled as he turned to face me fully and rested his hand on my hip. "I could cook something up if you want, but I'd rather stay right here next to you, Kira. You're intoxicating."

I downed the rest of my drink and felt the delicious swirl of the alcohol in my head. "This whiskey is intoxicating, and if I don't eat something, I need to be done drinking." Setting the glass on the coffee table, I felt my chest brush over his arm, and to my utter shock, he turned his hand upward, grazing the underside of my breast.

"I could think of a few things to do," he mumbled as I sat back, feeling flushed, "while the alcohol burns itself off."

The sparkle had been replaced by a thick haze of desire in his eyes.

A current ran through my chest and down into my belly as my bottom lip worked its way between my teeth. It wasn't that I didn't want Niko.

I Did.

I just didn't think it would move this fast.

I figured we'd have dinner tonight, text a bit more for a few days or weeks, and then maybe on our second date if things went the right way, there would be progress toward this moment.

"Niko," I mewled, feeling his hand slide back down my side to rest on my hip. I sat at an awkward angle, half-facing him with one leg crossed over the other so our knees touched.

"We don't have to… you know…." His eyes narrowed, and I got the sense he was feeling rejected. It was the last thing I wanted. He was incredible. Men my age were immature and had no vision for their lives yet. At twenty-one, the only thing they thought about was getting drunk and partying.

But Niko was twenty years older than me, which had almost put me off from being interested in him until I found out he read the classics like me and that his romantic history involved being cheated on and having his heart broken.

I was the breath of fresh air to a man who felt past his prime, with hope of a family dwindling.

Of course he'd want to move faster, and I was selfish if I couldn't move at his pace.

"No, it's okay," I said cautiously. "I want to."

God, I did want to, but convincing my nerves to line up with the fire in my body was another thing entirely.

My core ached the instant he looked at me tonight, but red flags went up in my brain about how fast this was.

I just had to ignore them, because I wanted a second date with him, and a third.