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He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “But I’m—”
“Good evening, sir,” the hostess said. Henri tried to step away while I spoke, but I held his hand tightly.
“Good evening. I have a reservation under Theriot.”
“Oh yes, sir, for four. Would you like to wait for your other guests to arrive or be seated now?”
“We’re ready to be seated.”
“Right this way.” I placed my hand against Henri’s back and encouraged him to walk in front of me. We followed the hostess to the table I’d requested when making the reservation. It was tucked into a quiet corner, the perfect place for the kind of discussion I needed to have with X or for the kind of night I wished I could have with Henri. Maybe I’d bring him back here one night and seduce him course by course until it was all he could do to sit still in his seat.
I pulled out Henri’s chair, and he looked at me with surprise. “I told you I was spoiling you.”
I seated myself, and the hostess handed us menus and wished us an enjoyable evening. “I know exactly what you are,” I said, returning to our earlier conversation. “You’re the man I’ve chosen to bring with me tonight.”
“I don’t know what to order or what all the forks are for.
“It’s not that complicated. You’ll be fine. You have a natural grace.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m always sure of everything I say.” I wished that were actually true. I faked it when I wasn’t, though, and that had served me well enough.
“Are there any foods you don’t like?” I asked.
“Raw tomatoes.” He screwed up his face in such an adorable way that I had to smile.
“Nothing else?”
“Not really.”
“Then I’ll order for us. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Henri didn’t look at all convinced of that, but when the hostess headed toward us followed by X and Emilio, he put on a fake smile and listened intently as I introduced them, though it was obvious he already knew X by his public identity, Thomas Carrington, billionaire philanthropist—and until he’d gotten together with Emilio, the nation’s most eligible bachelor. I did not like how star struck Henri was over X. There was nothing X could give him that I couldn’t.
X was giving me a knowing look that I hated. Lance had raved about how impressive the man was after assisting him in a take down, and our phone conversations had gotten friendlier since I’d threatened him if he dared harm my idiot brother.
I should have insisted we have this conversation alone, and I should have told Henri who X really was, but I had a small hope that Henri wouldn’t recognize him.
The four of us made small talk for a few moments, then a team of servers arrived at our table and took our orders for drinks and appetizers. I ordered Henri a sangria and chose a very fine whiskey for myself. X ordered the same, and Emilio chose a margarita on the rocks.
When our drinks arrived, I ordered for Henri and myself, and X and Emilio placed their orders.
“So how did you two meet?” Emilio asked after the servers left.
Henri tensed and looked at me for help.
“I was doing reconnaissance on some… businessmen we’ll be discussing later, and Henri gave me some invaluable assistance. The moment I saw him, I knew I had to have him.”
I glanced at Henri, and he was watching me with such admiration that, for the first time, I wondered if it would’ve been better to just let him go. I wanted him too much. It would be easy for the lines to get blurred between us. Ours was a professional relationship, nothing else, except I felt like there was more, and I liked how Henri made me feel.
“Awww,” Emilio said. “That’s, like, sweet if you like possessive men.” X looked at him with arched eyebrows, and he added, “Which I do.”
The fond smile X gave him made something in my chest tighten. He was a man who did what he wanted. He ruled an underground organization so well he struck fear in most people he met. When he wasn’t playing vigilante, the power and money behind his family had people in awe of him. Yet he’d found a man he so obviously loved, and they were making it work.
Emilio had already been part of his world, though, working for him as a hacker. Henri might be putting himself in danger by taking clients off the street, but I was sure he wasn’t used to being around people who killed easily. Even where he’d been, he was obviously in way over his head. No matter what happened between us, I was going to make sure he didn’t go back to the streets. No one was going to pay for what he should bestow as a gift.
