Page 22 of Counterfeit Connection

“This car is beautiful,” she says, sliding her hands over the plush leather seats. “Is it a V-8 or V-12?”

I glance over at her in surprise. “V-12. You know about cars?”

“My father always wanted my sister and I to be hands-on with things. I paid attention. I’ve always loved Aston Martins. I had a crush on James Bond because he drove them. Is it yours?”

I shake my head. “Only for the time I’m here. Have you ever driven one before?”

“I have never been given the chance. This is too rich for my blood, and I’m not the greatest driver in the world. I’d be too nervous.”

Suddenly, the thought of sitting in the passenger seat and watching Kaitlyn handle this car is all I can think about. “Then I guess a trip to the country will have to come to fruition before I turn this in. It would be rude of me to ask you to take the stick with an audience.”

Yes, that’s right. I just asked you out again with innuendo so rich, if Tobias was paying attention to anything other than the scent of Katarina’s neck, I would have had the highest of fives from the back seat.

“Another offer of a date before this one is even over?” she asks.

“Did we say this was a date?” I turn to her with a smirk on my face that would be the utter envy of any Cheshire cat.

“I…” she stutters. “No, it’s…”

I laugh and reach over to pat her leg, just for a moment. “Relax, Kait. I’m teasing you.” I place my hand back on the stick shift and slide it into the next gear, causing the engine to roar and vibrate in the hood. “And just for the record, this is absolutely a date.”

It doesn’t take long until I’ve pulled up to the valet stand outside of a restaurant called Sapphire. I climb out first and hand the attendant my keys, but raise my hand before the other can open the door for Kaitlyn.

“Allow me, please,” I say to him as I round the car to the passenger door, pulling it open, and extending my hand to her.

“Thank you,” she says softly as she lays her hand in mine.

“Look at you two getting cozy,” Katarina jokes when she and Tobias come to our side.

“Where is my mate and what have you done with him? He’s become a perfect gentleman. I’m not sure I can handle it.” Tobias laughs.

Before I can come up with a comeback for the ages, Kaitlyn beats me to the punch. “Would you know what a gentleman looks like? Maybe you’ve been looking in the mirror too long. I can see how that might become confusing.”

Without so much as permission, I wrap my hand around her slender hip, leading her from our stunned friends on the sidewalk. Once clear of them, I lean into her ear. “Forgive me, but I think I just fell in love with you a little. That was outstanding.”

“Well, you’re welcome, kind sir.” She laughs, tipping her head onto my shoulder briefly before I woefully break our hold to allow her entry into the restaurant first.

The lighting inside is muted, relying mostly on candles, warm overhead lights here and there, and the glow from the city shining through the large windows.

The chairs are covered in lush, cobalt-blue velvet with black, wooden tables.

“Care to sit next to me?” I ask and Kaitlyn smiles.

“Yes, please.”

The meal sails by easily and I find myself doing everything I can to make her smile during any given topic of conversation. Wineis flowing and the alcohol is causing her cheeks to flush the most attractive rosy-red color I’ve ever seen.

“Kait,” Katarina says, reaching over to take her friend’s hands in hers. “You have to tell them about the time you saved that man’s life at Elliot’s.”

Kaitlyn waves her off in response. “You’re making it sound so much cooler than it actually was.”

“Now I have to hear it,” I say.

She pulls her hair over one shoulder and rests her head on her hand and sighs. “This man, who was older, was very excitedly eating some shrimp scampi and he choked. His wife started yelling for help, so I panicked and rushed over. I’m not trained in the Heimlich maneuver, so I just did what I’d seen in television shows. Apparently, it was too aggressive. We both lost our balance and fell backward.” She starts to laugh. “And the shrimp came flying out of his mouth and landed in someone’s pasta across the dining room. It was straight out ofMrs. Doubtfire.”

The laugh that leaves my mouth is unlike anything I’ve experienced in a long time. Normally, I chuckle out of obligation while wining and dining clients. Occasionally, Tobias will get a true laugh out of me, but this is guttural and real. This woman is genuinely a ray of fucking sunshine.

“That can’t be true,” Tobias says, laughing as well. “There’s no way.”

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