Page 9 of Daigo

He looked so genuinely put out by the statement that she could not help but laugh.

"I am most certainly not."

"I love you anyway." Leaning over, she kissed him on the lips and lingered until the frown that had touched his brow melted away. "Still a snob." She gasped when his hand snaked out to grip the back of her neck as he turned the light kiss into something smoldering and smoking hot.

Satisfied that he had made his point and her uncomfortably warm, he let her go and settled back, his smile smug.

"You did that on purpose." She had to take several breaths to get her rioting breathing under control, and even so, she still felt as if she was standing in front of a blazing inferno. The man had mad skills.

"Of course." He sent her a slow smile that had her insides scrambling. "Now back to the topic at hand. You said I was a stuffed shirt and that I was rigid." He sent her a narrow-eyed stare. "That I was inflexible and did not know the meaning of fun if it came and bit me in the ass."

She laughed. "You remembered." She shook her head. "I was trying to get you to realize that us being together was a major disaster."

"You almost succeeded." He dipped into his soup and sipped, appreciative. "I resented the hell out of you for pointing out my flaws."

She reached out a hand to touch his. "I hated myself for hurting you like that. And I was miserable when you stayed away. For a week," she added, recalling that it was the worst seven days of her life. "I was trying to work up the courage to come and see you--"

"When you came out of the store and saw me sitting in the parking lot."

"My heart skipped several beats. You didn't say a word but shoved the door of the vehicle open and ordered me to get in."

"Stubborn twit that you are, you started walking to your car." He shook his head.

"You got out and lifted me off the ground and shoved me into the passenger side and locked the door. You were so furious, I could almost see steam coming from your ears." She laughed softly. "I was terrified. You looked as if the slightest resistance from me was going to trigger off something lethal inside you, so I kept quiet for the first time in my life."

"I was so mad--" He stopped again as their meal, a large steaming platter of fish and vegetables that made her mouth water, was set in the middle of the table on a big board.

"Enjoy," Riku said with a wink and left them to it.

"We can't possibly eat all of this," she protested.

"Let's see, shall we?" His eyes glinting with challenge, he picked up his three-pronged fork and dived in. "Like I was saying, I was so mad, I wanted to strangle you."

Mirroring him, she picked up her fork and dug in. "Instead, you took me to your place and ripped my clothes to shreds. I never made the mistake of calling you rigid and inflexible again."

"That was the idea. How's it?"

"It's incredibly good." She picked at the delicately flavored white meat and scooped up some vegetables. Eyeing him, she chewed appreciatively. "I know you invested in this place."

"Is that so? How would you know that?"

"Daigo darling, I happen to know my man. And I happen to know that Riku's a longtime friend."

He shrugged elegant shoulders. "He used to work for my dad at the manor, doing yard work. The old man treated his employees like crap, but he paid good money. Riku and I started talking, and he expressed the desire to open his own place. He's a war veteran who got wounded in the line of duty. When I took over, I found him and asked him for his business plan."

"You would." She smiled at him.

He merely cast her a look before resuming the conversation. "He did, of course. Had one since the idea came into his head. We sat down and worked out a plan."

He cast a look around the restaurant. He guessed he could call it that. The place was a shack but had a charm to it that he knew had to do with what his friend had put into it, and the man had made a success of the place. "The location is prime; the pedestrian traffic makes it even more suitable."

"A businessman through and through."

His dark eyes swung back to her as a frown settled on his brow. "Is that a cardinal sin, Shelby-Anne? You make it sound like one."

She shook her head immediately. "You misunderstood me. It was meant to be a compliment." Reaching over, she touched his hand lightly. "And you're way too sensitive."

He shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Your impression of me means a hell of a lot, and you did say some things in the beginning--"