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“Good evening, Mariana,” Vlad greeted me, his voice smooth and inviting. “You look very lovely this evening.”
I blushed at his compliment,
“Good evening, Vlad. You don’t look too bad yourself,” I replied, feeling a rush of excitement tinged with nervousness.
Entering the car, I sank into the plush leather seat, surrounded by an aura of luxury. As Vlad revved the engine and pulled away from the curb, I stole glances at him. His focused gaze on the road ahead contrasted with the sophisticated allure he effortlessly exuded.
Next to me, he smelt like mint and cinnamon. I had to hold myself back from leaning in and sniffing him.
Resting my head on the window, I closed my eyes, mental images of him running his fingers up my thigh made my core twitch.
Remember, Mariana, you agreed to this date to make it clear you don’t like him.
He craned his head to me once, looking away from the road. “Are you cold?”
“No.”
“Bored?”
I peeled my eyes open. “Yes.”
He glanced away from the road briefly a second time. “Look at my face if you’re bored.”
My brows knitted. “What’s on your face.”
“Handsomeness.” A smile flickered on his face. One thing with Vlad, he would always laugh at his own jokes first.
I rolled my eyes, hissing. “You’re not even that handsome.”
Navigating the steering with only one hand, he placed the other on my thighs just like I’d imagined. “I don’t agree. I think I’m very handsome.”
My stomach jumped from his touch. It was soft and sensual enough to make my whole body tingle. And he wasn’t lying, he was very handsome. It would kill me if I admitted that to him though. “You’re just lying to yourself.”
“I never lie,moya zvezda.”
Arriving at the restaurant, Vlad brought the car to a stop in front of the entrance. One of the valets opened the driver’s door to let him out.
Sliding down from his seat, Vlad rounded the car to the passenger seat, opening the door for me.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile as I slid out.
He pushed the door close, handing the keys to the valet and opening his arm for me to take. A subtle smile graced his lips as he turned towards me. “Shall we?”
I looped my arm through him, the sudden contact with his muscled arm making the hair on the back of my neck rise. “It’s not like I have a choice.” Glancing up, I noticed the neon signboard illuminating the top of the building towering above us. “Is this one of your restaurants?”
“Yes.” He placed a finger beneath my chin, tilting my face to his. “You’re the only woman I’ve brought here. It means I really like you.”
I bit back a smile, trying not to let his teasing get to me. He was teasing, right? There was no way he had never taken a woman here for dinner before now.
Inside the restaurant, a waitress led us to a V.I.P. room. Given Vlad’s reputation, I assumed he would like to sit far awayfrom public eyes. Not just because most people would recognize, he also needed to be safe.
I wasn’t familiar with the mafia, but if it was anything like I heard it was, then it was dangerous for him to sit in open spaces without his guards.
A waitress came in to take our orders after we settled down. I ordered steak and red wine, then I spent the next few minutes peering around while Vlad made his order. The restaurant was big and classy. The wall glass across us gave a perfect view to the musicians playing instrumentals in the room next to us.
Obscene chandeliers dangled from the tall ceiling, illuminating the room with a soft, yellow glow. If Vlad was my boyfriend, then this would be romantic. But he wasn’t and the fluttering in my chest made me feel like I was doing something wrong.
The waitress took Vlad’s order and vanished down the French door, leading to the hallway outside.
