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I yank the door open before I chicken out.Holyfuckingshit. Luke’s pale blue eyes meet mine and darken as he takes me in. He’s wearing dark jeans with a black dress shirt, unbuttoned at the top with no tie. His tattoo peeks out a little and my mouth waters. He wears a dark gray blazer to finish the look. His hair is perfectly imperfect, and he smells fucking amazing. Like sandalwood and musk. Yum.
“Jesus,” he mutters under his breath as he wraps me in a hug. “You look beautiful,” he says into my ear before releasing me. His smile makes my heart stutter.
“Thanks. You’re very handsome.” He grins at my odd compliment. Who says that? Grandmas. Grandmas say that right before they pinch their grandson’s cheeks. I busy myself with locking the door to hide my embarrassment.
“Thank you,” he says. He holds his elbow out, and I grip his bicep as we make our way to the elevator. I haven’t worn heels this high in ages, so I do my best to not walk like a baby deer. How does Vera wear them every day?
“I’m glad we’re doing this,” he says.
“Me too.” We grin at each other, a buzzing energy flowing between us. He turns to push the call button and we step inside when the doors open.
The elevator takes us to the parking garage and we head over to the visitor parking area. My eye catches on a sleek sports car. I’m not a car person. I drive a sensible sedan, but this car is impressive. The deep black color and the smooth lines give it a dangerous edge that pulls you to it like a magnet.
“Damn.” I can’t help but say it out loud. This car is doing things to me.
“She has that effect on people.” Luke chuckles and my gaze shoots to his as we approach the car. He grins at my bewildered expression and opens the passenger door for me. Billionaire. Right. I guess we’re going all out tonight. He takes my hand from his elbow and helps me into the seat.
I take the few seconds to gather myself as he shuts my door. After settling into the driver’s seat, he opens the center console and puts what I assume is the key into a port.
He closes the console and holds his hand out to me. I place my palm on his. His soft lips rest on my knuckles and linger for a few seconds as his gaze wanders over my face and neck. After a quick squeeze, he releases me and puts on his sunglasses. He pushes a button and the car purrs to life. Holy Christ on a cracker. I’m not going to make it. But then he sends my libido to the stars when he puts his hand behind my headrest and uses one hand to reverse out of the spot. My breathing shallows, and I have to squeeze my legs together to soothe the ache. He winks at me before he takes off and I know I’m done for. Maybe Vera is right.
We pull out onto the street and when the light turns green, he guns it the short distance to the next light. I’m pushed back into the seat by the force, and I giggle.
“So, what kind of car is this?” I ask, running my hands over the soft black leather interior of the door.
“Aston Martin Vantage.” His lips quirk up in an amused smirk.
“I like it.”
“You’re fucking adorable. Do you know that?”
We stop at a red light and he grins as I flush. We stare at each other until someone honks behind us. Luke blinks and realizes the light has turned green. He reaches over and laces our fingers for the rest of the drive.
We approach Mia, the most exclusive restaurant in the city. He pulls up to the valet, and the attendant helps me out of the car.
“Welcome back, Mr. Reilly. I see you’ve brought out the big guns tonight,” the young attendant says with a British accent, eyeing the car like it’s the holy grail.
“Hi Tom. It’s a special occasion,” he says and holds his hand out for me. I slip my palm into his like we do it all the time.
“I’ll take good care of her, Sir,” Tom says and climbs into the driver’s seat. He looks around the interior with appreciation.
“Tom is an Aston Martin enthusiast,” Luke says and guides me towards the entrance. I can’t help but notice the envious looks of the surrounding patrons. Luke keeps his sunglasses on and looks like a rockstar. I have to admit I’m having a blast.
He guides me into the restaurant, and we don’t even slow down. A hostess intercepts us with a smile and greets us like old friends. “Hello Mr. Reilly. Miss. Your table is right this way.” Luke gives her a polite nod and we follow her down a hall to an elevator, taking it to the roof.
I gasp when the doors open. It’s a gorgeous view of the sunset over Coronado Island and San Diego Bay. “Wow!”
He squeezes my hand and grins at my excitement. The hostess takes us to a table next to the glass wall. Luke pulls my chair out for me and scoots me in. I smile up at him in thanks. He takes off his sunglasses and blazer and drapes it over his chair before sitting across from me. His rolled-up sleeves expose his muscular forearms, and I try not to drool.
I peek around and realize we’re the only ones up here. Market lights and space heaters decorate the modern space.
A server approaches and takes our drink order. “Mia is your mom’s name,” I say once the server leaves.
He smiles and nods. “My mom was a foodie, so my dad started up a restaurant business for her. She hated he named it after her, but he insisted. The original is in LA. My mom was expanding it when she died, so my dad kept it going. There’s one in New York too.”
“So you own the restaurant.”
He leans over the table and takes my hand. “Yes. I also own a resort in Mexico.”
