Page 43 of Revenge & Truth

“The beanpole?” I blurted.

“That beanpole, as you call him, is a black belt in Krav Maga. He is more lethal without a gun than he is with,” Ryker informed me. “I know how much you loved learning Krav Maga, so cut the guy some slack.”

What Ryker meant by love was how much I hated every second of training in that particular martial art. Knowing that, did give me a different perspective on the guy, but I still didn’t like the fact he was picked without my say-so.

“Fine, this will be a good audition to check if I like him since you never gave me the courtesy of picking out who’s going to protect my life.” I huffed and pushed myself up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get ready. I have a date to go on.”

“What?” Ryker demand.

“With who?” Hound asked a second later.

Braxton started laughing and shaking his head. “God, I can’t believe he did it.”

“I hope you have a nice evening, Astin. You deserve to be taken on a date,” Atticus said, giving me an adorable half-smile that earned him a kiss.

“Thank you, Atty. I do deserve a date, don’t I,” I agreed, ignoring everyone else as I left the conference room.

Why did I feel like a teenager getting asked out by the guy she’s had a crush on since the first day of school? I’d been on dates before, but now that I look back on those moments, they weren’t with anyone I really wanted to be on a date with. This time, a man I wanted to spend some quality time with getting to know him dared to ask me, his boss and the leader of the Caprioni Family, out.

Looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, I saw the glowing smile on my face. I’d never seen myself look so damn smitten before—it was weird and nice at the same time. Double-checking the time, I saw I had an hour to get ready before I was supposed to meet Jace. Thankfully, I didn’t need to take a shower, so I got started on my hair. I’d told him I wanted to dress up, but how would he react when he saw I went classy instead of clubbing dressed up? Through Braxton, he could get us VIP treatment at almost any club in the city, but that wasn’t the vibe I was feeling. I really wanted a candle-lit dinner, fancy wine I couldn’t pronounce, and food that was portioned for a doll but tasted like heaven.

I grabbed my phone and opened the chat between us, only to discover he’d messaged me first.

Jace: I got us reservations at Ivory. Is that fancy enough, or do I need to call The Silk Oyster for one of their balcony tables?

My jaw dropped, knowing both restaurants by reputation. They were on my list of places to go for my birthday that rudely got cut short.

Me: Ivory is perfect, but I’ll take you up on the offer for Silk Oyster on another date.

Jace: Oh you think there’s going to be another date? Babe, we haven’t even gone on our first date.

Me: What can I say? I just have a good feeling about tonight.

Jace: Can I make a request?

Me: You can always ask but no promises.

Jace: Will you wear the heels with the spikes?

Confused, I tried to think of what the hell he was talking about. Then I remembered the first time we met, and he thought I was someone’s hooker they’d brought to my birthday party. That night I’d been wearing my favorite black red-bottom shoes, which were covered in little black spikes.

“How the fuck did he manage to make that request sweet as hell and sexy as shit?” I muttered as I typed out my response.

Me: Yes.

Setting down my phone, I finished my makeup, but damn if I couldn’t keep smiling. The bastard had gotten me good, and I had to applaud his efforts because they were going a long way in my book. It might even earn him a hand job under the table while we waited for dessert. Just thinking of getting away with that at a place as exclusive as Ivory made it all the more enticing. Then it had me thinking about my outfit. Did I want him to have easy access? Perhaps I wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t on the table. Fuck that. We both knew I’d be more than happy to be laid out on that table and served up as his dessert.

A knock at my bedroom door had me pausing in my search for a dress. If Boykov let them by, then it wouldn’t be Ryker or Hound. Atticus wouldn’t feel the need to check on me, and Liu had his hands full with what was happening tomorrow. This only left Braxton.

Wearing simple black lace lingerie with a silk robe tied loosely around my waist, I opened the door. Sure enough, there was Braxton, sleeves rolled up, hands in his pockets, taking me in with an appreciative look in his dark brown eyes.

He let out a low-impressed whistle and waggled his eyebrows. “Damn, is that what you decided on wearing to dinner?”

“No, I was in the middle of picking that out when you knocked,” I shared, stepping back and inviting him in. “Everything okay?”

“Better now that I get to see you like that,” he teased.

My hand shot out, stopping him in his tracks, causing him to give me a wide-eyed expression.