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It seemed her social life was going to be an inconvenience to him, or maybe it was because he still had to take orders from a woman as long as it didn’t contradict what her father expected out of him.
“You keep that attitude up I may just go on a five-mile run in Central Park tomorrow morning.” Layne gave the light warning she could make his job here even more painful than he already found it. She knew damn well that this man couldn’t run fifty yards, let alone five miles. With that parting comment, she left him to go get herself ready for a night out.
It didn’t take long for Layne to get ready for the dinner outing. She straightened out her hair so it wasn’t a wild wavy wreck, opted for a smoky evening look for her makeup, and a tiny dark purple dress that clung to her curves and had a sexy little cut up the right leg. Layne slipped her feet into a pair of silver strappy heels.
Thanks to some rush hour traffic and her bodyguard’s foul mood, she arrived about ten minutes late to Annie & Cain’s. Her security detail followed her inside the high-class restaurant and opted to stand off to the side near the coat room, out of sight.
The entire vibe of the inside of Annie & Cain’s screamed New York’s elite. There wasn’t one thing in there that didn’t look like it cost a small fortune, right down to the light switches.
It didn’t take long before she made eye contact with Cole after she approached the host stand. As stated in his message, he was at the two-top underneath the framed black and white photo of the cross-street signs for Wall Street and Broad Street about mid-way back into the dining room. She was pleasantly surprised that he looked like his profile picture, maybe even better considering how well he could wear a suit.
When she approached the table, he immediately stood up to greet her with excitement in his eyes to see her in the flesh. “Sorry I’m late, there was construction around Central Park.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’m not in a rush to go anywhere. Not to mention,” his eyes soaked in the sight of her, “you’re worth the wait. Just, wow, I knew you were gorgeous, but this...” He took a longer gander at her from head to toe, giving a light whistle of approval and a million-dollar smile.
“Don’t let the lighting fool you, I had to do a lot of magic tricks to make sure I lived up to expectations.” Layne gave him a flirty wink before taking her seat across from him.
Cole was decked out in a crisp white dress shirt, left unbuttoned at the collar, no tie, and a sleek tailored black suit jacket and pants. He had the type of slender physique that said he maintained a minimal fitness routine but it didn’t scream gym rat. His Norse blonde hair expertly coifed over to one side. Everything about him screamed pretty boy, and one with excess cash to spare.
“I hope you don’t mind, I ordered drinks already.” As if on cue, the college-aged waitress brought over two martinis each with a corkscrew of lemon peel in them.
“You’re either feeling very confident or arrogant. So, which is it?” She grinned at him as she picked up her glass and let the warmth of the cocktail coat her mouth during that initial sip.
“Perhaps, a little of both.” He sat back in his chair, martini in hand while grinning like a fool ear-to-ear.
The two of them made some small talk while he ordered a charcuterie board filled with various cured meats, pickled vegetables, crackers and breads, and a variety of fine cheeses for them both to pick at occasionally while indulging in another round of martinis.
Setting her half-drank martini on the table she smiled at him. “I’m surprised you were so persistent over the past few weeks; most guys would have just moved on to the next girl in line.”
Cole didn’t miss a beat, which had been a theme all evening with him. “I know what I like.” He was proving to be Mr. Charming indeed.
“And, let me guess, I’m just ticking off all the boxes for you?” Layne grinned while perking up an eyebrow.
“So far.” His eyes dropped to the neckline of her dress suggestively.
“Well, we’ll see how many more boxes I can tick off when I get back. I just need to take care of a few things.” Layne stood from her chair with a playful smile at him and left to go find the restroom.
Snagging directions from one of the waitresses, she went to the back where there were the two marked doors indicating Gents or Ladies. Before she even got the chance to step inside the ladies’ room on her own accord, a firm hand grabbed onto hers and pulled her inside the New York-standard cramped restroom that was only set up with two stalls.
Layne stumbled inside and immediately found herself pushed back against the bathroom door, a gasp escaping past her lips as she came face-to-face with Joey.
She had never seen him wearing anything but casual clothing, but he must have changed things up to blend in there inside the swanky restaurant. The black dress shirt fit his upper body like a glove and was tucked into an equally flattering pair of black pants. The sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, leaving his marked skin on display. This look on him had her ready to drop to her knees.
His hands were on either side of her against the door, caging her in. Something dark and brooding settled in his eyes. His hand reached down to click the lock on the door to ensure their privacy.
Momentarily she felt relief with a familiar face, but it was quickly followed by shock. “What are you doing here?”
His voice kept low, seeming to have other thoughts on his mind that ranked more than answering her question. “Keeping an eye on you, since your current guard would rather become king of Candy Crush.”
Layne knew that he wasn’t wrong that her current babysitter would rather be doing almost anything else but his job duties. “It’s not your job to keep tabs on me.”
Joey leaned in closer to her, their bodies barely touching and her back still up against the door. His hand ran down her side slowly, over the swell of her hip, and inched down towards the hem of her dress.
His eyes lingered over the visual of all her exposed skin that wasn’t covered by the tight-fitted cocktail dress. “Not officially.”
As his hand slid onto the bare skin of her thigh, it was then she realized she was holding her breath in anticipation.
“I’m here on a date.” It was stated more for herself as a reminder than for him.
