Page 18 of Her Michigan Mob Boss

“I’d be in the wrong place if I was, unless I was in the mood for…” I scanned the menu, which was a carnivore’s dream. “A grilled cheese sandwich.”

“The grilled cheese is good, but if you want something to keep you going for the rest of the day, go for the bacon cheeseburger. Mara makes her own relish. You’ll love it.”

“Okay, that sounds good.”

A moment later, Mara returned to the table with our drinks and Ciaran placed an order for two bacon cheeseburgers.

“Want me to make yours a double?” she asked him.

“Yeah, sure. I worked up a bit of an appetite this morning.”

My cheeks heated as he shot me a meaningful glance. Mara grinned and headed for the kitchen.

“So. Annie, tell me a bit about where you live.

“Uh, it’s a small town about fifteen miles outside of Aberdeen, called Inverurie.”

“Inver…..How did you pronounce it?”

“Inver-ooh-ree.”

“Inverurie.” Ciaran’s American twang distorted the pronunciation, but I wasn’t about to correct him. “Have you lived there long?”

“All my life. I still live in the house my parents bought when they got married.”

“So, you’re quite attached to the place?”

I shrugged, not wanting to go into how I didn’t feel the same connection with my home now that both my parents were gone. Thankfully, before Ciaran could probe any farther, Mara came to the table with our meals.

“That was fast,” I remarked, as soon as Mara left us once more.

“She probably told the cook to make ours a priority.” Ciaran was unapologetic about the prospect of other people having to wait so we could get our food first. “She knows I’m a busy man.”

“Yet you’re taking the day off to spend it with me?”

“I think you’re worth it. Now stop fishing for flattery and eat your burger.”

There was no point in denying I was looking for him to say something nice about me, because that was exactly what I was doing. Embarrassed at being caught, I turned my attention to the plate in front of me. There was a huge portion of fries sitting next to the biggest burger I’d ever seen. I couldn’t work out how I was going to eat it all and Ciaran’s was double the size of mine.

“I’m not sure how to tackle this,” I said.

“Just pick it up and take a bite.”

That might be easier said than done. I somehow managed to keep the burger from falling out of the bun as I lifted it to my mouth. Grease dripped down my hand as I took a bite. Delicious was an understatement. The savoriness of the beef patties along with the saltiness of the bacon, the creaminess of the cheese and the tartness of the relish made for a perfect bite. Unfortunately, it was incredibly messy. Setting it down on the plate, I wiped my hand on a paper napkin.

“That is so good,” I said with a happy sigh as I balled up the napkin and dropped it on the table. “But I have no idea how I’m going to finish it with my dignity intact.”

“I mean, you could eat it with a knife and fork, but Mara would probably run you out of town.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want that.” Picking up the burger again, I took another small bite then set it down and tried one of the French fries. Crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, they weren’t the same as the thick-cut chips I was used to back home, but they hit the spot. After I’d eaten a few, I realized Ciaran was watching me.

“You’re staring,” I pointed out.

“You’re fascinating to watch.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “I’m only eating.”

Ciaran shrugged. “You can tell a lot about a person by how they eat.”

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