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“No,” he admits.
His eyes remain locked on mine, his gaze steady. I resist the urge to grind my teeth. Fuck. I need to stay far away from this damn man, but if I refuse now when he is insisting,pleading, for me to let him take me to dinner, it might ruin everything. It might make him suspicious of me once more.
“Okay,” I say.
His face lights up. “Okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll let you take me to dinner.”
A smile that makes my heart stutter spreads across his face. “Great.”
I flick a glance down at myself. At my shorts made of soft blue fabric and my plain white t-shirt. At my still wet hair. Uncertainty swirls inside me as I meet Rico’s gaze again and ask, “Right now?”
“No.” He laughs again. An easy laugh. “Since it’s already six o’clock, I’m guessing you already have plans for tonight. But what about tomorrow?”
Already have plans for tonight. Right. Like sitting on my couch alone, feeling like someone is strangling me because I don’t know how to watch TV like a real person.
But I can’t tell him any of that, of course, so I just shrug. “Sure.”
He smiles again. “Good. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Before I can reply, he starts towards the door.
“Wait,” I call. “What’s the dress code?”
Trailing to a halt, he turns back to me and raises an eyebrow. “Dress code?”
“Yeah. You know. What should I wear?”
Confusion pulls at his brows. “Whatever you like.”
“Most restaurants have rules,” I protest. “Even if only informal ones.”
He flashes me a cocky smirk. “Like you said, no one refuses the Hunters. So the rules don’t apply to me. Which means that when you’re with me, they don’t apply to you either.” With another wicked grin, he turns back towards the door and saunters out while saying over his shoulder, “Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And before I can decide if I want to punch that cocky smirk off his face or kiss him to see if his lips taste as arrogant as they look, he disappears out the door and closes it behind him.
For a long while, I just stand there, staring after him.
This evening did not go the way I thought it would. At all.
And now, I need to do something even more difficult than figuring out how to watch TV.
Survive a date with Rico.
16
RICO
What she decided on was something halfway between formal and casual. A dark blue dress that ends just above her knees and that is stylish enough to fit in at a fancy establishment, but not so extravagant that it would’ve made her stand out at a more common restaurant. I had been deliberately vague in my reply just to see what she would do. And God, this girl never does anything without properly thinking through each angle, does she?
Isabella sweeps her gaze around the candlelit restaurant while she slides into her seat. To anyone else, it would look as if she is just taking in the beautiful surroundings. But I can see her eyes moving over each potential entry and exit point. I see it because I do the exact same thing whenever I’m in a place I’ve never been before.
“What do you think?” I ask, keeping my voice casual as I sit down as well.
This time, her eyes focus more on the decorated wood panels, the oil paintings of beautiful landscapes, and the glowing candles around the room.
She nods as she returns her gaze to me. “It’s nice.”
