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When she didn’t answer, he held out his hand, his lips tilting up into a smile that challenged her to take a risk. “Let’s play hooky, Evolet.”
She stared at the outstretched hand. He heard the sharp inhale of her breath, watched as her breasts rose and fell beneath the silky white material of her shirt.
Unease skittered through him. Had she changed her mind?
Then she reached out, took his hand and gave him a smile that slipped past his desire and stirred something deep inside him. “Okay.”
Fifteen minutes later they were pulling out of the parking garage, Damon behind the wheel of a vintage silver Aston Martin and Evolet’s cello secured in the trunk.
“Did you have dreams of being a spy as a boy?” Evolet asked teasingly as he pulled out into the glorious mess of New York City traffic.
“What do you mean ‘did’?”
He savored the burst of laughter, the uninhibited smile that made Evolet’s eyes crinkle. The light turned green, and a cacophony of car horns blared behind them. As much as he appreciated having his own time, indulging in the seclusion of his office or traveling upstate to his family’s estate in the Catskills, he took great joy in the city that had embraced his grandfather’s company decades ago.
The simple pleasure of the moment, of leaving work early, had him letting down his guard. His fingers curled around the steering wheel as the car surged forward. The sensation of cool, smooth leather beneath his hands stirred a memory—the first time his father had let him drive the Aston Martin, punching up the volume of his favorite spy movie’s iconic theme music.
“The car belonged to my father.”
The words came out before he could stop them. He waited for the stab of pain, the curtain of depression to descend and blight out the brightness of the day.
Yet it didn’t come. The sadness was there, yes. But mostly he just felt the nostalgic warmth of one of the happiest times in his life.
“He had very good taste.”
The simple reply, one that accepted the tiny bit he’d shared and didn’t pry for more, helped him relax once more. Whether Evolet understood the significance of the simple admission or not, it felt surprisingly good to share something about his father. He hoped, too, it made up in some small part for his boorishness earlier.
“Where to?”
He felt her glance, sensed her confusion. Had she imagined he would just whisk her away to a hotel, have his way with her and then disappear?
No. He wanted nothing more than to slip that proper blouse off her shoulders, slide the skirt from her waist and finally make his most erotic fantasies come to life. But Evolet deserved more than just sex. If the woman wasn’t working or practicing in the park, she was playing with the symphony or spending time with her adoptive mother.
She deserved a day without schedules, tasks and rushing to get to the next thing on her to-do list. She deserved a day just about her.
“Um...”
He reached over and grabbed her hand. She started, her body tensing a moment before she relaxed. When she twined her fingers through his, he felt the satisfaction of her acquiescence all the way to his bones.
“Where’s somewhere in New York you’ve always wanted to go but never have?”
At the next stoplight he glanced over to see another smile spreading across her face, this one shy and sweet.
“The Empire State Building.”
He guided the car down FDR Drive, the city gleaming under the morning sunlight to their left and the river shimmering to their right. They rode the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building.
When they walked out onto the observation deck, the sheer joy on Evolet’s face made his chest fill with a happiness he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. They slipped quarters into the coin-operated binoculars and circled the deck at least four times.
“That was incredible,” Evolet gushed as they walked back out onto Thirty-Fourth Street and toward the private parking garage Damon had booked. “I can’t wait to tell Constanza.”
“Where does she live?”
Damon inwardly swore as Evolet’s face dimmed.
“A memory care facility across the river. It’s one of the best in the tristate area.”
He frowned. “That sounds expensive.”
