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Chapter 17
‘I hope you like Italian,’ Daniel said, trying not to gawp as Seren walked down her path. He’d just alighted from the truck and was about to knock on her front door, when she opened it and stepped outside, closing it quickly behind her to keep the heat in.
She was radiant, with her hair flowing over her shoulders and gleaming in the light of the streetlamp, and a shy smile on her lips. A black coat encased her from neck to knee, and she had a pair of black ankle boots on her feet with an eye-wateringly high heel.
She looked sophisticated and elegant, and he wondered what a gorgeous woman like her saw in a man like him. He still had dirt under his fingernails that no amount of scrubbing with a bristle brush could remove, and he was far more at home digging around in the soil than he was sitting in a posh restaurant. And the one he was taking her to was very posh indeed.
He wanted to impress her, but not only that, he wanted to treat her like a princess, and he didn’t think a quick impersonal bite in one of the popular pub chains would do it.
Instead, they were going to Liago’s, which was one of the best Italian restaurants around. He was aware it was going to cost him an arm and a leg, but he didn’t care. He wanted to show her that a date with him didn’t have to involve squelching through mud or getting pricked by holly leaves. He wanted to wine and dine her, and kiss her in the candlelight to the sound of violins and cooing doves.
‘IloveItalian,’ she declared, standing so close he could smell the lotion she used on her skin, and he had to make a conscious effort not to sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
‘Good. Let me help you up.’ He opened the passenger door, took her hand and steadied her as she climbed into the cab. Maybe a truck wasn’t the best vehicle in which to take a girl on a date, but it was the only one he had, so he hoped she didn’t hold that against him. Or compare it to the sleek coupé that Tobias drove.
Dashing around to the other side, his breath clouding above his head, Daniel got in and started the engine. He’d cleaned the cab out especially and had hung a Christmas berry air freshener from the rear-view mirror in the vain hope that the truck would smell less like a manure pile and more like a sedan.
Seren didn’t say anything, so he hoped she wasn’t too embarrassed at being driven to such a nice place in such a grotty vehicle. Gina had been forever complaining about it, nagging him to buy a little run-around, and to only use the truck for work, but he’d been reluctant, not wanting to dip into the money he’d made from the sale of his house. That was supposed to be for a rainy day, and not for splashing out on something he didn’t need.
He must have made some kind of noise, because he came out of his wool gathering to find Seren looking at him curiously. ‘I was thinking about Liago’s,’ he fibbed. ‘I’ve not been there before, but I’ve heard good things about it.’
‘I haven’t been there either, although I’m sure it’ll be lovely.’
Daniel was relieved when they arrived at the restaurant to see that it was busy, which was always a good sign when it came to restaurants.
‘This is nice,’ Seren said after a waiter had shown them to their table and handed them both a menu. He took their drinks order – white wine for her, spritzer for Daniel – then left them to peruse the menu.
She hadn’t opened hers, but was gazing around the restaurant curiously. ‘I like the colour scheme,’ she said.
Daniel hadn’t noticed; he was too busy staring at Seren, who looked stunning in a slim-fitting, simple red dress that matched her lipstick. It showed off her figure to perfection, and he itched to slide his arms around her trim waist and run his hands over the curve of her hip.
‘Daniel?’
He abruptly stopped staring at her and checked out the decor, which consisted of mushroom-coloured walls (although it was difficult to tell the exact shade in the dim lighting), with navy and teal accents, and a hint of grey. When he said that very thing to her, Seren was impressed.
‘I use colour a lot in my planting,’ he explained, awkwardly. ‘I’m not a secret interior designer, or anything. I just know a Michaelmas daisy when I see one.’
‘Don’t be so modest,’ she admonished, and added, ‘I bet you can tell a dandelion from a rose, too.’ Then she threw her head back and laughed uproariously, ignoring the amused looks from the diners at nearby tables.
Daniel chuckled and went on to tell her a story about how he’d once cut down an old and tatty rosebush because it was blocking the light to some other plants, only to discover it was dearly loved and the owner was heartbroken. ‘I was only just starting out,’ he said, ‘and I wanted to make an impression. I did that, all right. The bloke refused to pay me. I’ve since learnt to check first before I dig anything up.’
‘Oh, dear.’ Seren giggled and Daniel laughed along with her.
They were still sniggering when their pasta course arrived, and Daniel guessed they might have continued to giggle if it wasn’t for the fact they were both hungry and the food looked and tasted divine.
‘What did you order?’ Seren asked, her eyes on his plate.
‘Penne Genovese – prawns with roasted pistachio, basil and cream. Want to try some?’
She opened her mouth wide like a baby bird, and Daniel scooped up a small forkful and placed it gently in her mouth. Her lips closed around it and when the flavours burst on her tongue she closed her eyes.
‘Mmm,’ she murmured, and desire poked him in the stomach at the sound. ‘Want to have a taste of mine?’ she asked, opening her eyes and catching him practically drooling with longing.
‘Oh, uh, yeah. Remind me, what have you got?’
‘Wild rice with mushrooms and diced sausage in tomato sauce.’
Daniel didn’t dare do what she had done and open his mouth for her to deposit a forkful inside, so he took the laden fork from her and fed himself. ‘Gosh, that’s tasty,’ he said, wishing he’d chosen that instead. Actually, he wanted to have a taste of everything on the menu. ‘I don’t know if I’ll be able to manage the second course if I eat all this,’ he sighed, indicating his half-full plate regretfully. The portions were huge.
