Chapter Fourteen
Heledmetohis passenger seat with his hand on the small of my back. He opened the door for me, and I melted into the sumptuous leather. The car purred to life, and he drove us through the city. I scarcely paid attention to where he took me. His features lit by the dashboard display were far more interesting.
“Do you like Italian?” We pulled up alongside “Il Bacio,” a restaurant I never would have gone to without him.
“How nice of you to ask after we already arrived.”
He smiled at my chastisement, “I guess I’m used to having my way.”
“I can’t imagine why.” He flashed me a perfect smile as he came around to open my door for me. I didn’t understand why I waited and didn’t hop out of the car myself. He held my hand as he led me up the sidewalk, and to the restaurant with fairy lights in the bushes and modern angular lamps on either side of the door.
“They do an excellent risotto here.”
When we walked in, the maître d’ ran over to us with comical exuberance, “Mr. Harris, we have your table ready for you. Right this way, please.”
We trailed behind him as I eyed Mason with disbelief— and he stoically ignored me. As we took our seats, he slipped a bill into the man’s hand. I did my best not to laugh or make a comment as he poured the wine already set on the table.
He pulled out my chair for me. “Thank you,Mr. Harris. What a gentleman,”
He raised his brow at me as he sat, “You look like the cat who swallowed the canary, Claire. Care to share your secrets?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I couldn’t deny how false my innocence sounded.
“Well, we had a rather unusual conversation last night. I expected you to be angry, and instead, you look... satisfied,” he tested the word as his eyes bored into mine.
“Oh no, I’m not satisfied,not yet, anyway.” I chuckled as I inspected the wine.
His hand came down, squeezing my thigh above my knee. I gasped despite the lack of pain. “Out with it, Claire.”
“You have a lot of nerve to handle a lady like that, Mr. Sharp.” His palm jerked away. He stared at me with such genuine bewilderment, I nearly laughed. He swallowed hard before his mask slipped into place. “You wanted to know,” I prompted him.
He glanced around the room, making sure no one heard me. “Don’t say that name.”
“Why not?” I pressed, thoroughly enjoying the upset to his perfect control.
“It doesn’t gain me any popularity if you can believe it.” The hard angles of his face intensified in the dancing candlelight, and a frisson of excitement ran through me at the danger implicit in his tone.
“Because of your father...” I could not stop myself from poking at the first chink I found in his armor.
“My father isn’t the only one with an unpleasant reputation, Claire. Let’s leave it at that.” His hand returned to my knee. His thumb rubbed circles on my sensitive skin and I pressed my thighs together to temper the response my body had to him. He smiled at me knowingly.
“But I have so many questions and you promised me answers.” The breathy cadence in my voice should have embarrassed me, but there was no shortage of embarrassing things I did in front of this man and wanting him wasnotone of them.
His teeth dragged across the stubble beneath his lip. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? Since you uncovered many of the answers in your sleuthing, can they wait until later? When we’re alone...”
I picked up my glass and took a sip,delightful. Damn, he was great at picking wine. “Most of them, sure, but why does the staff recognize you everywhere you go?”
He laughed with a throaty sound. “I tip well, Claire.”
“I can only imagine how motivating yourtipsare. You could solve nearly all of my problems with one of them.” I let my gaze drift toward his lap.
His lips quirked up in a little smile, “That’s not very polite.”
“Maybe you should punish me. I don’t plan on becoming more polite as the evening goes on.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I wouldn’t dare, Mr. Harris.” He dug his fingers into my thigh, making me gasp. The server came over, giving me a reprieve from the intensity of his gaze and his grip. I ordered the risotto he suggested, and he requested roasted chicken and a glass of Pinot Grigio.