Why?
I grab a black knee-length skirt and dark red blouse. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Moreno has a stick shoved up his butt.
I snicker and with a sly smile, quickly change clothes in the bathroom. When I open the bedroom door, Moreno stands on the opposite side and glances me up and down.
It’s quite apparent that he approves.
His gaze on my body brings a forbidden heat to my cheeks.
“Where are we going?” I ask, closing the door behind me.
He leads me down the stairs to the foyer, where I put on my shoes. He grabs the keys to his vehicle.
“I thought you could use a night out, and it’s an opportunity for us to get to know one another. Unless you have other plans?”
I laugh under my breath as I slip into my black heels. “You mean other than reading before bed?” I like my nightly routine, but going out isn’t a bad decision either. I want to know more about Nova’s mother and what better person to tell me than Moreno?
He opens the front door and leads me outside to his fancy sports car.
“Nice ride,” I say. I followed his SUV the other day up to the cabin. “You have more than one car?”
Moreno hits the buttons to unlock the passenger door and opens it for me. “This is the boss’s car, but I like borrowing it any chance I get.”
Well, at least he’s honest.
Moreno waits for me to climb in before closing the door behind me.
“Thank you,” I say and buckle up while he hurries around to the driver’s side.
I feel awkward like this is a date. Except it isn’t supposed to be anything more than a boss and his employee going out.
I shouldn’t be doing this, mixing business with pleasure, but maybe I’m reading into the offer to take me out?
He isn’t interested in me.
Moreno has given no indication that he likes me.
He tolerates me, but that’s the extent of his desire toward me.
I care for his daughter, and any kindness he’s showing is because of Nova.
“Where are we going?” I ask again, relaxing as the engine purrs and we whip onto the road, and the gates are opened before we even approach.
“Out for drinks. You do drink?”
“Yes,” I say.
The car is a manual, and Moreno rolls out the gears as we tear down the road. My stomach is a tangle of knots.
He downshifts as we ease down the road. The sunset is late in summer, and the sky is still lit up, and it’s well after nine at night. “I forgot how long it stays light up here,” I say.
“Yeah, I guess it does. I hate to admit I haven’t noticed. I’m usually cooped up at the house most nights.” Moreno glances at me briefly before returning his attention on the road.
“Dante keeps you busy?”
His grip tightens on the steering wheel.
“Work keeps me busy,” Moreno says.