“Yes and yes. Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.”
“You two have fun. And Michael says to be careful and vigilant at all times.”
“Of course. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Ari gave Caroline a few minutes and then concentrated on the idea of a dress lying on Caroline’s bed. Like a second pair of incredibly long arms, Ari felt her magic reach out and grab hold of the fabric. With a tingle of electricity in the air, the dress appeared on her own bed, the magic sucking out of the room as if through a powerful vacuum. Stepping toward the dress, Ari smiled. It was simple but elegant. When she tried it on, it fit almost perfectly. She was a little taller than Caroline so it was shorter on her, but the black silk shift made her look older, more sophisticated. With a little bit of magic, she wove her hair up off her neck into a French coil at her nape.
Happy with her appearance, Ari slipped into a pair of black suede heels and braced herself for Jai’s reaction. He was waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase wearing a black thermal crew-neck sweater that showed off his broad shoulders and a pair of black slacks. The diamond earring in his ear winked in the light as he turned to her and Ari had to suck in her breath. Damn, he was like a model. A flush of pleasure washed over her as he smiled, watching her descend. When she came to a stop beside him, he drew back, his eyes drifting down her body and back up again. His green eyes shone.
“You look fantastic,” he told her, voice gruff with emotion.
Ari grinned at him. “So do you.”
“The restaurant we’re going to is called L’Archeologia on the old Appian Way. Remember to use the Cloak as you come out of the peripatos.”
She nodded, her stomach full of butterflies. They were going to Rome! Her smile turned sly. “Race ya!” And with that, she stepped into the peripatos seconds before Jai could.
The pull of the peripatos told her they were nearing their destination. She shrouded herself in the Cloak and stepped forth, blinking as she took in the famous paving. She turned around and realized she was standing under the wooden canopy of the entrance to the restaurant. She felt Jai’s familiar tingling magic and then his hands groping to find her. She let him pull her behind a slim Roman pillar that had ample foliage to hide them from view. As a couple wandered past, Jai brushed his fingers sensually down her arm.
Come out of the Cloak.
They appeared at the same time. Ari had to tilt her head back to smile up at Jai, he was standing so close. “We’re on the old Appian Way. How cool is that?”
He grinned and stroked her chin with his thumb, seeming happy that she was happy. “I called in a reservation. Tonight, everything else is gone, okay? It’s just you and me on the old Appian Way.”
“That sounds like song lyrics.”
Jai frowned, his eyes teasing as he took her by the elbow and led her inside. “What kind of music do you listen to?”
“Folksy, Legionnairey stuff.”
He chuckled but couldn’t respond because the maître d’ appeared. He asked something in Italian and to Ari’s utter shock, Jai conversed with him. In Italian.
She didn’t say a word as they were led inside the restaurant’s rustic, dark interior. It had Tudor windows and low, vaulted ceilings with thick, dark beams. A grand fireplace served as the room’s focal point.
The restaurant smelled amazing. Her stomach agreed.
The maître d’ led them past the other diners to a private corner table, and all the while Ari wondered about Jai’s surprising language skills and whether a maître d’ was called such in Italy, considering the word was French. Hmm.
Once they were seated with menus and water, Ari arched an eyebrow at Jai. He lowered the glass he was about to sip from. “What?”
“Italian? You speak Italian?”
He nodded, appearing bemused. “I speak Italian.”
“Do you speak any other languages I should know about?”
“Arabic, French, German, and Spanish. Some Farsi. A little Chinese and some Japanese, but not fluent. Oh, and a little Russian.”
Ari’s mouth fell open with unladylike shock. “How did I not know I was dating a linguistic genius?”
“I’m not a genius.”
“You’re a genius.” She shrugged teasingly. “I wish I’d known this before we started dating. I don’t know if I can handle being with someone who thinks he’s smarter than me.”
“Wait a minute—a minute ago I was a genius. Now I only think I’m smarter than you?”
She smiled and shrugged again. “You speak one, two … nine languages … you’re a genius and I bet you think you’re smarter than me.”
Jai chuckled and sipped his water. “I think I’m just smart enough for you.”