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He didn’t care. He was determined to show her that the connection between them was worth exploring, even if he had to be patient for her to be ready.
“You look ravishing,” he said, and a pretty blush covered her cheeks. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Starving, actually.”
He’d pulled some strings to get them a table as a rooftop restaurant downtown. It was a trendy seafood spot and was owned by the sister of one of the Bratva’s Brigadiers. When they were led to their table and Alice’s eyes grew wide at the view of the city, he knew that it was worth the effort.
“Wow. I’ve never seen a city like this,” she said. “It’s gorgeous.”
She was right, it was. But he couldn’t look away from her face, the soft glow of light from the sun setting highlighting her delicate features.
The waitress came to take their drink orders. He got his usual top shelf whiskey, neat, but Alice decided to stick with water. That was fine with him, but he had to wonder if she was trying to keep her wits about her, to avoid giving in to the desire they both felt.
It was just another part of the mystery that was Alice.
“How about we order an appetizer to share?” he suggested, scanning the menu. “Maybe crab-stuffed mushrooms?”
“I happen to love mushrooms,” she said, smiling.
“Really? That’s good luck then.” He sipped his whiskey, enjoying the way that the alcohol burned just right on the way to his stomach. “Tell me more about yourself.”
Her smile immediately became strained. “There’s not much to tell, really. Born in a small town. Moved to a big city.”
She gestured to the city around them, which was starting to light up now that the sun was almost fully set. Someone had turned on twinkle lights that hung above their heads. Nickolay had never considered himself to be much of a romantic, but even had to admit that the effect set a certain tone that had him fantasizing about taking Alice right here on their table.
“What made you choose to come here?”
She hesitated to answer, and he realized that talking about herself was making her uncomfortable. He could understand that. He wasn’t a big fan of probing questions about his own life while on a date, mostly because it always involved lying, which killed the mood for him.
“You know, Davinapolis is a good choice of place to live,” he said, giving her a chance to avoid answering his question. She could keep her secrets for now.
“Is it? Seems like any other city to me.”
He grinned. “Are you kidding? Did you know that Davinapolis was the home of the tallest skyscraper in the country for three decades?”
Alice laughed. “Oh, my mistake. I should’ve known.”
“Yes, you should have,” he agreed, unable to keep the wide grin off of his face, even as he took another sip of his whiskey. “But I’ll let it go. Not everyone can be a history buff, like me.”
“History buff, huh? Anything ever happen here that’s more interesting than the tallest skyscraper?”
That was all the encouragement he needed to launch into stories about illegal speakeasies during prohibition and the great fire in the twenties that wiped out half of downtown. He meant it when he called himself a history buff. He’d always found that sort of thing fascinating.
She listened to him talk about the city as they ate their appetizer, and then they started chatting about favorite movies, TV shows, and music. They kept it light, but he still soaked up everything he learned about her.
By the time their main courses came, she seemed to be completely relaxed, so he got bold and reached across the table to take her hand. It was strange to be so tentative with a woman. Usually, he decided right away if he was gong to fuck someone and got them horizontal as quickly as possible, but he could sense that Alice was worth the extra effort.
She intertwined their fingers on the table, which felt like a small victory. As the date went on, the two of them continued to chat, sharing heated looks and casual touches. By the time they’d finished their meal, he was burning with desire for her. Despite his resolution to take things slow, he wanted to be alone with this woman.
“Can I get you guys anything for dessert?” the waitress asked, clearing their plates away.
Alice shook her head. “I’m full.”
“Just the check,” Nickolay said. When the waitress walked away, he leaned toward Alice and spoke in a low, seductive voice. “What do you think about going somewhere more private?”
For a moment, he was sure that was going to agree, but the ringing of his cell phone interrupted the moment. He thought about ignoring it, but he had too many responsibilities to get away with that.
Pulling out the phone, he saw that it was his Aunt Gina. She was babysitting Max for him tonight. He sent an apologetic look to Alice.
