The question almost has me spraying wine all over the table and our appetizers.
“Wait, do you actually want to know?”
“I’m trying here, Riley.” He downs the rest of his whiskey.
I narrow my eyes, trying to work out if he actually wants to know or if he’s just wanting me to fill the silence so he can slowly drown his sorrows with alcohol.
I set down my wine glass and pick up my fork. “Business analysis.”
The first bite of the mushroom arancini has me swallowing a moan.
“Specifically, data? Numbers? Solving problems?”
“Systems, mostly. I like figuring out weak spots and then building systems to optimize.”
“You would do well in our world,” he mutters, half to himself.
“Is that a compliment?”
“Merely an observation.”
Kieran’s dark eyes flick to mine and for a moment, we just stare at each other across the table.
The flicking light of the candle reflects in his eyes, making them appear more like the color of caramel than their usual deep, rich chocolate. They’re both mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time.
“All right, tell me something else. So, I know your dad was an ass, but what about your mom? I’ve not heard anything about her.”
I flinch. Mom is the last person I want to be talking about, especially with Kieran Sullivan.
“Next question.”
I wait for Kieran to refuse to drop the subject but to my surprise, he does.
“What are your hobbies?”
“You mean besides hating you?”
He smirks, and I find myself smiling back.
“Yes, besides that.”
“Well, I like to read a lot.”
Kieran nods slowly, like he’s filing that information away.
“And I like to play volleyball.”
“That makes sense.”
“Which part?”
“Volleyball.”
I frown. “Why?”
“You’ve got a very athletic figure. It looks…powerful.”
My cheeks instantly warm at the compliment, and suddenly I’m too aware of my limbs, which are way too exposed given the plunging neckline of my dress.
