Page 91 of Falling for the Grumpy Bad Boy

Then I looked at Rhett again. He was a tall man, but he wasn’t a meathead. He wasn’t carrying an extra fifty pounds of muscle. He looked almost Hollywood. Dark hair and olive skin, but nothing about him said mobster.

I could feel the tension at the table. I wanted to say something to try and break it up, but it felt like I was on cracked ice. One wrong step and it was all over. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to trigger any of the men or Rhett. Clearly, the subject of family was off the table. We already talked about cooking. The weather? The price of gas?

Thankfully, it looked like the men were done talking. They finished their meals quickly. The easy camaraderie was replaced by something more strained. When they started making noises about leaving, Rhett practically jumped up to escort them out.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Big Sal said, pulling Rhett into a bone-crushing hug that nearly knocked him off his feet. “We’ll catch up with you when you’re back in New York. Maybe come see you at that fancy restaurant of yours.”

“Or don’t,” Rhett said flatly.

All five men just laughed, apparently used to his attitude. Tony ruffled his hair like he was still a kid, and Gabriel clapped him on the back hard enough to make him stumble. They were a very touchy group.

“Take care of yourself, Rhett,” Gabriel said, and for a moment his voice was genuinely warm. “And you too, sweetheart,” he added to me. “You’re good for him.”

I did not escape the touching. They all bear hugged me. Their bodies dwarfed mine. Rhett stood and watched, looking like he might jump in at any second.

I managed a smile and a wave as they piled into a sleek black car that looked expensive and ominous.

As their taillights disappeared down the road, Rhett turned around and looked at me. His jaw was tight, his shoulders rigid with tension.

“They seem nice,” I said, because what else could I say? They’re huge mountains of men that would probably scare the shit out of me if I saw them on the street?

He brushed past me without a word, heading back inside the restaurant. “The night’s over. Grab your shit. We’re going back to the hotel.”