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He blanches. “Of course not.”
“Do you run drugs? Have a ring of sex slaves?”
He rolls his eyes, exasperated. “You can’t be serious.”
“If you think you’re gonna kidnap me tonight, jokes on you, because I’ve already sent Piper my location, and she promised to track me until I got home.”
His laugh knocks the wind from my lungs. A true-blue, deep from the belly laugh that’s as decadent as a glass of Tennessee’s finest whiskey. “My brothers and I have a business in Seattle, remember?”
That’s right. He did mention something about that when we first met. “Kendrick Enterprises, right?”
“Yes. We hit billionaire status last year.”
I’m grateful when the waiter brings the first course, distracting me from gawking. I can’t even wrap my mind around a billion dollars. I knew from the half-mil he bid for this date that the man had some serious cash flow, but holy hell, I didn’t know he had that much.
“I want to ask you something,” he says after a moment.
“Mm-hmm,” I mumble in between bites of the most delicious soup I’ve ever had.
I try my hardest not to spill a drop, careful to use the correct spoon—thanks to Rowan’s guidance—but what I really want is to pick the bowl up and slurp it clean.
“You mentioned you were trying to keep your mom’s flower shop ‘afloat.’ What did you mean by that?”
“Well, Dad’s running his independent repair business, and I’ve taken on Hart’s Blooms.” The wine, paired with the decadent appetizer, loosen my tongue. “Ever since she passed away two years ago, we’ve been sort of struggling, but…” I stop before I open up a can of too personal. “Never mind.”
Rowan doesn’t need to know the gritty details of how my mother died or the hardships we’ve been facing ever since.
When I glance up from the bottom of my empty bowl, he’s watching me intently. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“Would it please you if I did?” he counters.
And he thinks I talk funny.
Except, I kind of like the way Rowan speaks.
“I hate to break it to you, pretty boy, but that’s sort of the point. They bring the food, and then you eat it.”
“I’d prefer to hear more about you,” he says while reaching for the wine bottle. “Please, continue.”
It’s closest to me, so I grab it, uncork the top, and then snag his glass. A cluster of deep red bubbles form while I pour, and when I hand it to him, his fingertips graze mine.
“Thank you,” he murmurs.
I nod politely, lowering my hands beneath the table and slipping them between my thighs. “There’s not much to tell, believe me. You don’t want to hear my sob story.”
“Molly, I’m not a man who wastes time with empty words. If you ask me something, I’m going to answer you to the best of my ability, and I expect you to do the same,” he says, nodding expectantly.
His honesty relaxes me a touch, and eventually, I give. “Okay, okay.”
My tastebuds are still exploding with flavor when they bring the next course, chicken braised in red wine, served with mushrooms, pearl onions, and crispy bacon.
I have no idea how I’m going to eat all this, but if all else fails… pockets.
“Truthfully, I thought Dad was fine. But regardless of having steady contracts, he’s in greater debt than he’s led on. Just this week, I found a foreclosure letter from the bank.” I peer up for half a second to find him watching me thoughtfully. Still not eating, still making me jittery. “Anyway, I guess we’re going to lose the house soon or whatever. But don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. A super solid plan that’s going to get us a lot of money and doesn’t involve me running away with the circus in exchange for an indecent proposal from a ringmaster with a questionable past.”
Rowan sits back, and I can’t help but admire the raw power rolling off him. His demeanor changes so quickly, it makes my skin prickle with static sparks of awareness. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”
“Exactly,” I say after another bite. Robust, herbaceous flavors glide across my tongue, and I close my eyes, savoring a bite of whipped potatoes. “Holy shit. This may be the best meal I’ve ever had.”
