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“It was all a part of my plan,” he replied, lips twitching. “Here. Try this. It's for the gin, lychee, and cranberry.” He scooted the foie gras and fig appetizer toward her with a grin.
Caroline used the edge of her fork to cut a small piece off, then slid the fork between her lips. Her eyes closed as she savored the taste, then she made this noise that was halfway between a moan and a sigh. Watching her eat was the nearest to a fully clothed erotic experience as he'd ever been.
After she finished chewing, she took a small sip of the drink and then reflected. A moment later she said, “That's spot on. What do you think?”
He tried to refocus his attention on the food. Taking the glass from her, Magnus sipped. Then he cut off a small piece of the foie and figs and popped them into his mouth. As the flavors blended on his tongue he nodded his approval. “I do damn fine work.”
“There's that humbleness I mentioned again,” she commented, her lips twitching at him.
In response he merely grinned and moved the stuffed olive dish toward her. “This one is for the lemongrass and pink peppercorn martini,” he explained. “I'll probably increase the portion size a bit, but I figured it was going to be just us. Plus I need to do up another batch of the cured olives.”
“Oh wow,” Caroline exclaimed. “You did these yourself?”
“I did. I also made the fresh farmer's cheese for the next drink.”
She tilted her head thoughtfully and then said, “Please don't get a big head about this, but you're kind of impressive.”
“Finally you're displaying an appropriate level of appreciation for my talents,” he remarked smugly.
“You know what's particularly impressive?” she asked, spearing another olive from the dish. “The fact you can fit your ego through the doorway. Do you have to leave through the front or can you squeeze it through the service entrance?”
“There's that adorably smart mouth of yours again,” he sighed. “At least I've got your biting sarcasm to keep me humble, love.”
She took a sip of the drink and admitted, “Spot on again.”
They continued through the rest of the dishes, the banter continuing back and forth between them. Magnus couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed himself so thoroughly. Caroline was becoming more appealing every moment he spent with her.
By the time they had loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, it was a little bit after three in the morning. He asked her, “Do you have an early morning?”
“Not especially,” she said. “Why do you ask?”
“I want to show you something. Would you like to see my favorite part of the casino?”
“Is this just a clever ploy to get me up to your place? Are you going to show me your etchings?”
Even through her humor, he could tell that she was a little bit concerned. He leaned toward her, propping his elbow on the counter. Giving her an over the top grin to signal that he was still kidding, he asked, “Why? Would you like to see them, love?”
“Probably at some point, if I'm being altogether honest. Not tonight, though,” she admitted.
He tilted her chin up so their eyes met and explained, “It wasn't a ploy to get you into bed. It's my hope that you'll come willingly when the time is right.”
After studying him for a moment, she gave a small nod and then asked, “So, where are we headed?”
“Be patient. You'll see,” he admonished.
Ten minutes later they stepped off of the elevator and walked out to the rooftop patio. He noticed that her entire demeanor was more relaxed now.
As soon as they stepped away from the relatively blocked off exit, a brisk wind immediately blew across them. “Jesus. Are you trying to give me pneumonia?”
“In about thirty seconds you'll be perfectly warm. Just trust me,” he said, both shielding her from the wind and leading her to the small partially enclosed area off to the side.
As soon as they stepped down into the pit area, the wind dissipated and she remarked, “Wow. This is nice.”
He moved to the switches and turned on the gas fireplace. When he turned around, she was already sprawled on one of the large papasan chairs. When he chuckled and said, “Gee. Get comfortable,” she scooted to the side and offered him the space next to her.
He kicked off his work shoes and then sat down. He smiled when she snuggled up to his side and said, “This is really nice. I can see why you like it up here. It's the opposite of every other part of the casino.”
He wrapped an arm around her and agreed, “Yeah. I like to come up here after long shifts. It's closed off to the regular casino guests. This is for the corporate housing and short term lease people so it's mostly deserted.”
