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“Do you want to go out with him?”
“I—I don’t know…” I’d never considered it an option. I’d just met him a couple nights ago and the conversation had been brief. “He’s a handsome guy, but I don’t really know him.”
“Go out with him and get to know him.”
“I just…” The last person I’d dated from this world was Axel. It felt weird to consider going out with someone like that again. “I don’t know.”
“Go out with him, sweetheart.” He gave me an encouraging smile. “See where it goes.”
Unlike Axel, Theo knocked on the door instead of letting himself inside like he owned the place. I opened the door to see him standing there with a black jacket over a white tee in dark jeans and boots. He definitely had that tall, dark, and handsome vibe going on.
His eyes dipped down to scan me in my dress. “Very nice.”
“You look hot too—I mean nice.”
The smirk that moved on to his face was victorious. “Come on, I’m starving.”
We left my apartment, and he drove us to the restaurant where I’d met him previously. Except now, it wasn’t closed down but open to a thriving crowd. He seemed to have connections to this place, because everyone else waiting for a table was ignored the second he walked inside. He didn’t even give a name before he was taken to the same table where we’d sat before. Like last time, he pulled out the chair for me and slid it in to catch me as I sat down. Then he sat across from me and took off his jacket, revealing how strong he looked as his bulkiness stretched the fabric.
The waiter brought the wine without Theo ordering, and then menus were handed to us. I stared at the menu without really seeing what was on it. I was very aware that I was on a date with the Skull King.
The fucking Skull King.
My eyes focused on the menu, trying to find something I could eat that wouldn’t splash or make a mess or get stuck in my teeth. I settled on soup and a salad, just because that was the easiest option.
“What are you having?” Theo asked.
“The dinner salad and the soup.”
He stared at me, his dark eyes rigid on my face.
“What?”
“I’m taking you out, and you’re getting soup and a salad?”
“I just…”
His eyes could command an entire army when he stared like that.
“Um, I’ll try the lasagna.”
He finally withdrew his stare. “Good.”
The waiter returned to take the order, and Theo ordered for both of us before returning the menus. Then he swirled his glass, sniffed it, and took a drink. He licked his lips before he returned the glass to the table.
I took a drink, my quick pulse causing a vibration in my neck that I could feel twitch every second.
His eyes glanced out the window for a moment before they returned to me.
It was quiet. Like he wasn’t the best conversationalist.
“Do you own this restaurant?” I asked.
“Yes. So I hope you like it.”
“I’m not a picky eater, so no problems there.”
“You don’t have a refined palate if you’re ordering soup and salad.”
My eyes narrowed, unsure if that was a joke or an insult.
Then he smiled.
“I was just nervous.”
“Nervous about the food?”
“No,” I said with a laugh. “On a first date, you don’t want to eat something…messy.”
“I respect a woman who doesn’t give a fuck and just eats what she wants.”
“You take women out a lot, then?”
He swirled his wine again. “Occasionally.”
“I have to admit, this is weird.”
“Why?”
“Because of who you are.” I knew his men were parked at the curb and maintaining a perimeter. There were probably men placed at nearby tables, looking like customers while their guns were stowed inside their jackets.
“I like fine dining just like everyone else.”
“You just don’t…seem like the kind of guy who has dates.” Axel didn’t have dates. It seemed like he just had fuck buddies…and I was one of them. I imagined he’d ditched Cassandra a long time ago.
He gave a slight shrug. “I don’t usually.”
“Then why did you ask me out?”
He looked into his glass before he took a drink, a long pause to consider how he might respond. “You’re not bad to look at.”
I released a chuckle. “Not bad to look at, huh? Well, thank you. You’re definitely not bad to look at either.”
A handsome smile moved over his lips, playfulness in his eyes.
Silence ensued. I gave him the chance to speak because I felt like I was the one doing all the talking, but nothing was forthcoming. Axel wasn’t the most talkative guy either, but conversation always flowed naturally with him.
I wasn’t sure why I kept comparing Theo to Axel. I never did that on my other dates. Maybe it was because they were both from the underworld? Or maybe it was because Theo was the first man I was deeply attracted to.
