I leaned in, voice low enough only she could hear. “It’s not over yet.”
I watched her turn in a slow circle, her hair brushing her shoulders as she took in the velvet booths, the golden light, the glint of bottles behind the bar. The joy on her face hit something deep in my chest. I’d seen Elise smile a thousand times. She had her professional smiles, polite smiles, the kind that came with charm and restraint. But this one? This was real.
“You really surprised me today. I didn’t think you’d actually want to explore the city.”
“I don’t usually make a habit of sightseeing,” I admitted, guiding her toward a small corner booth. “But I make exceptions for things worth seeing.”
Her eyes lifted to mine, searching, playful but unsure. “And what exactly was worth seeing today?”
“Your smile,” I said simply.
The word hung between us, soft and steady. No smirk. No teasing. Just the truth.
A flicker of something passed over her face, something I couldn’t name. She looked away first, glancing at the menu even though she clearly wasn’t reading it.
We ordered cocktails. Something sweet for her, something darker for me and when the drinks arrived, the tension between us felt thicker than the honeyed air around us.
Elise took a sip of her drink, her lipstick leaving a faint mark on the rim. “I’ll give it to you,” she said after a moment. “You’ve been different lately.”
“Different?”
“Yeah,” she said, tilting her head as if studying me. “Less deserving of the name me and my best-friend came up with for you.”
I arched my brow. “And what name is that, Cupcake?”
She shook her head, grinning. “I can’t tell you.” Her tone was teasing, but there was warmth there too, a gentleness I was getting used to. It stirred something inside me I hadn’t planned on acknowledging.
I leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. “You know, I didn’t just bring you here for the drinks.”
She gave a skeptical little smile. “No? What then?”
“For this.” I gestured around at the music, the hush of conversation, the glow of candlelight painting her skin in gold. “You’ve been working nonstop. You deserved something better than just business.”
Her lips parted slightly, and for a heartbeat, she didn’t have a comeback. “Thank you.” she said softly, but I could tell she didn’t know what to do with the way I was looking at her.
The band shifted to a slower rhythm, something low, sultry, and heartbreakingly romantic.
I stood, extending my hand. “Dance with me.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Here? Now?”
“Why not?”
She hesitated for a second then slipped her hand into mine.
I led her to the small space near the band where other couples swayed under the amber lights. Her body fit easily against mine, her hand resting on my chest, her perfume a quiet distraction.
“You’re full of surprises today,” she murmured.
“Get used to it.”
Her laugh was soft, her head tipping slightly toward me. The music wrapped around us slow, smooth, and intimate. I could feel her heart beating, steady and strong against my chest.
“You know,” she said after a while, voice barely audible, “if you keep this up, I might actually start thinking you’re not as heartless as I thought.”
“Careful,” I murmured. “I have a reputation to protect.”
She looked up then, and something in her eyes flickered. It was something dangerously close to the same thing burning through me.
