My stomach rumbles at the sight of a wicker picnic basket. I had dinner, but that was long before the bar. I could definitely eat. I can always eat. Apparently, my dignity is also hungry, because it leaves my body in that moment.
When he returns, he’s wearing dry clothes, sweats and a hoody, and offers me the same. I scramble to get dressed, offer him my damp towel, and tip my chin to the display on the floor. “As kidnappings go, this one isn’t so bad.”
Shadows cast by the fire dance on his face as his lips pull into a smile. “I can order something in if you’d prefer.” The note of uncertainty in his voice almost kills me right there. He waves his phone. “There are some good places nearby.”
I grab his phone and throw it onto the couch. “Don’t you dare. This is perfect.”
He purses his lips. “I didn’t know what you like enough to know what to bring, so I guessed. The basket might be full of food you hate or are allergic to.” There’s an undercurrent of alarm in his voice and the way he stares at me. “Fuck. I’m so bad at this.”
He rakes his hand through his long, wet hair, and grips the back of his neck. “Ares helped me.” The self-conscious crack in his voice hits harder than the orgasms he’s wrung out of me.
I can’t help laughing, he looks so… off balance. And for the poised and composed Artemis de la Peña it might actually be a first. I take his hand and lead him to the floor. “It’s perfect, Arte. I love it. Whatever’s in the basket, I love it.” Before we sit, I brush my lips against his cheek. “Thank you.”
A muscle jumps in his jaw—it’s tiny, like I short-circuited something delicate. He nods, his surprisingly passionate eyes meeting mine. He opens the basket and the small cooler next to it. He hands me two beers to open while he assembles the rest of our sna—no, it’s not a snack, it’s an entire meal. Meats, cheese, crackers, fruit, chocolate covered strawberries, I mean, it’s nothing if not decadent.
“You made me an uppity charcuterie board, Heartbreaker.” I grin at him as I lean over to steal a grape.
“I told you: Kidnapping. But make it fancy.” He tips his beer at me, and I clink mine against it.
After a few minutes of eating and drinking, his shoulders loosen, the tension eases from his jaw, his face relaxes, and he leans back, extending his legs toward the fireplace. He’s looking less like a corporate automaton, and more like a man I want to get to know.
“Can I ask you something?”
He nods, popping a date into his mouth. “Anything.”
I hum, curling some Parma ham around a slice of brie.
His low chuckle makes my skin vibrate. “Didn’t have one ready?”
“Wasn’t sure how open you’d be to a conversation.”
His face falls. “Just because I’m quiet doesn’t mean I don’t have things to say. Or that I don’t enjoy listening.”
I nod. “Just wasn’t sure you’d want to share them with me.” I hook my thumb at my chest.
Guess the rain washed away our defenses, because now it’smyvulnerability that’s on display. He throws a grape at my head. “I don’t kidnap people I don’t want to spend time with, Xavier.”
The way he says my name makes me warm inside, every single time. I nudge his bare foot with my own. Fuck, is there anything sexier than gray sweatpants and bare feet?
Yes. Artemis de la Peña in gray sweats with bare feet.
I want to turn the heat up in the house even more so he takes his shirt off. Because I think that might be the hottest thing in the world. A half-naked Artemis de la Peña in gray sweats with bare feet is worth melting for. Right?
He puts his knuckle under my chin and closes my mouth. “You’re drooling.”
I capture his hand and kiss the inside of his palm, not missing how he stares at me like I’m some magical wonder in the low light of the flickering fire.
“Can you blame me? You’re a droolworthy date, Beautiful. I mean, kidnapper.” I kiss the inside of his wrist, not missing how his breathing changes. The man looks like a prayer I haven’t said out loud yet. “You bought a new TV.”
“That’s not a question.” His lips wrap around a piece of brie. Does he know how sensual he is? How he makes eating cheese kind of sinful?
“Tell me something about yourself.”
He shakes his head. “That’s pretty vague.” His voice is all business, but his eyes betray a sliver of playfulness I’ve never seen in him before.
“Okay, Stud Muffin.” I throw back a mouthful of beer to buy some time. “Do you have any kinks? Anything I should be concerned about in the bedroom?”
Is it hot in here? A flash of heat snakes up my neck. That’s not where I wanted to start, but it’s out there now, I should probably just roll with it.
