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I'm glad you came,like there had been a choice. Ryder hadn't made the call like there had been one. When Xander Amory Vittorio called, you went.
"Are you?"
I look around the restaurant and give him a wry smile. It's just us minus the bustling staff who have made a show of the meal.
The restaurant aptly named Éclat de Saveurs, literally meaning "burst of flavors" according to the staff, seems to have lived up to its name.
I had ordered the Truffle-infused Wagyu Steak with Gold Leaf Garnish while Xander had gone with Lobster and Cavier.
It's a rich meal, but the man can afford to pay—said man is leaning across the table into me like he has something to say that isn't for anyone but me.
His musky smell of lethal energy and leather is so seductive it has me curbing the urge to strain forward for more of it.
The strict cut of his suit has him so mouth-wateringly good he looks like he came straight off from a model shoot. One for men of the mafia who look like they will devour you with one straight gaze.
"Very glad. Do you have doubts?" He inclines his head right, a strand of his hair flopping carelessly against his face. His eyes are the intense gaze of a hawk circling above.
I laugh, more to relieve the ache in my chest than because any of it is funny. I slant my head towards him, my favorite Stuller necklace moving with the motion; I had been shocked he'd still remembered. "None at all. You've never lied Xander. Not once."
He jerks away like he hasn't been expecting such blunt truth. My heart is thundering in my chest, and I'm holding on barely.
He looks handsome, almost delicious, with that heat in his gaze tracking my every move, sparking a blaze in my chest. One that just isn't letting go.
"I wasn't expecting that." He murmurs after a long moment of silence.
"I know. We can't all be predictable, can we?"
"Am I?"
I shrug. "We still haven't signed the contract." I nod to indicate the empty restaurant.
"You didn't call me to set up dinner. And you had Rosa bring the dresses. It's what you've always done."
His eyes glint with challenge down at me, and my nipples tighten beneath the cup of my dress.
Mark had insisted a bra would ruin the cut of the corset gown. Despite Rosa’s protests, I had agreed with him, and that had been the end of it. Given the high slit, I’m actually wearing no underwear under this.
I hope Xander figures it out.
And I hope it drives him nuts..
"You never used to hate any of it." He lowers his voice and makes a tent out of our bent heads, his forehead almost grazing mine. "I remember quite distinctly you used to love being alone with me."
Damn him. He had no right to say that. It had been years ago. That had been another lifetime ago. We had changed.
"You're sprouting history, Xander."
His eyes darken when I roll my tongue over his name. His eyes linger on my lips for a second before he pulls away and straightens his suit. I miss his warmth immediately and almost regret my words.
Almost.
"My mistake. And if you keep staring at me that way, I won't be responsible for my actions. Or yours."
I know exactly what he means. But it's not like me to give an inch. Not when he's involved.
I wet my lip, hoping I don't ruin Mark's careful job on my face. "What actions?"
The meal on the table is almost done with. I'm tasting him. It would be just like Xander to lean across the table and take my lips with his. He hadn't cared before. I was his woman, and that's all that mattered to him. Then.
