Page 85 of Don't Bet On It
“For me?”
He shrugged. “Do you have a problem with that?”
He was a constant surprise, and I didn’t have a problem with any of it. Lordy, I was falling down a hole I would never be able to crawl out of. I was being buried by feelings and emotions I’d never expected at every corner. Yet, despite the danger inherent in what we were doing, I didn’t stop myself. “Whatever floats your boat.”
His lips twitched. Whenever I dusted off a saying that was older than both of us combined, he couldn’t hide his amusement. “Do you ever wonder where some of these sayings you whip off like your bra at night come from? I mean, whatever floats your boat. Who coined that?”
“You did not just mention my bra,” I challenged, adopting a stern expression.
“Oh, but I did.” When he smiled, he became even more attractive, which should have been impossible. Somehow, he always managed to carry it off. “I happen to think about your bra more often than is probably healthy. It’s impossible for me not to bring it up in conversation.”
“Sometimes you just talk to hear yourself talk, don’t you?”
He laughed. “Sometimes.” He turned serious. “How much work do you have left? Do you want to go out for something to eat?”
We both had a shift starting in four hours. We had plenty of time to eat, though. “What’s your surprise this time? Did you dig up some hole-in-the-wall Chinese place with the best egg rolls in the state?”
“No, but I can put my mind to that next time if you want. I was thinking we could go Italian. I’m in the mood for some pasta. If that doesn’t strike your fancy, though, we can go anywhere.”
“I could eat Italian.” I happened to love Italian food. “Where?”
“How does Superfrico strike your fancy?”
“I’ve never been there.”
He only smiled. “You’ve seen photos, right?”
I shook my head. “Actually, no. Why? Is there something special about this place?”
“Let’s just say I think you’re going to like it.”
I grinned. He had me, and we both knew it. Even if I hated the place—the odds on that were long—I would enjoy myself because new experiences made me happy, whether negative or positive.
“I brought a change of clothes.” I swiped the back of my hand over my forehead. Sculpting was messy work. “I need to shower and change. We can come back here after dinner and change for work, right?”
His eyes had gone dark at mention of a shower. “Absolutely. Do you want company for that shower?”
Amusement tipped my lips up at the corners. “If we do that, then we need to take our work clothes to dinner with us. We might not have time to get back here to change after dinner.”
“So … no?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that.”
SUPERFRICO WAS EXACTLY WHAT Ihad always wanted even though I’d never realized it. The establishment was deemed “Las Vegas’s Las Vegiest Place”—a term that was trademarked—and that wasn’t wrong. The bars varied in colors. Loud music and a variety of lounges and tables were all over the place.
As for the menu, I had trouble picking one option. “Wow. Just wow.” My eyes danced all over the place.
Ronan smirked as he debated his own options. “Normally, I would try to avoid garlic because … you know.” He sent me a flirty wink. “Since we have a long shift ahead of us, I’m not tooworried. The garlic should wear off by the time we’re done with our shifts.”
“Good point.” I hadn’t been worried about garlic. “I think I’m going to get the clams linguini.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you liked clams.”
I frowned at him. Either he was about to take this to a filthy place or he had no idea what he had said. “What about you?” I challenged, opening the door for him. “Do you like clams?”
The way he shrugged told me he’d missed the obvious opening. “I like seafood—scallops, shrimp, lobster, and crab legs—but I don’t like fish, and I’m not a big fan of mussels. Clams are too much like mussels.”
I blinked. Then I blinked again. “You’re so pure,” I said with a laugh.
