Page 48 of Dirty Little Secret
“Take that one in the back. It’s the nearest one to the kitchen, and I’ll be able to keep an eye on you better.” He led me to the back of the large room. “How about I make the two of you something delicious for brunch?”
“I think that sounds great.” I took a seat then wondered about having wine so early in the day.What the hell.“And how about a nice bottle of wine?”
“Of course.” He went into the kitchen and I stared at the door, waiting for her to walk through it.
I hadn’t intended for this to be so much like a date, but it definitely began to look and feel like one. When Zandra came into the restaurant, pulling her Ray-Bans off her gorgeous face and tossing her dark hair back over her shoulder before waving at me, I knew it was a date.
I got up, meeting her halfway, taking her hands in mine as I looked at her. “Damn, you’re pretty.” I kissed her on the cheek, even though my lips yearned to touch hers. My tongue wanted to tangle with hers too. But I kept myself in check. “This way, please.”
She let me hold her hand as I led her to the table. “Isn’t this the restaurant your friend’s family owns?”
“It is.” I pulled out a chair for her. “And he’s here, making us some brunch.”
As she took her seat, she gave me a dazzling, heart-melting smile. “How nice.”
I took my seat. “Yeah, he’s a pretty great guy.” Looking at her as she sat just across the table from me, within touching distance, I couldn’t help myself from teasing her a little. “Last night was pretty fun.”
Her cheeks went pink, and she ducked her head. “It was.”
That shyness was still there, just beneath the surface. “You’ve gotten over a lot of your shyness, but not completely I see.” I didn’t want her to be embarrassed, so I let her know what I thought about that. “I think it’s adorable.”
She lifted her head to look at me with a surprised expression. “You do?”
With a nod, I said, “I do.” Then I moved my hand over the table, barely touching the tips of her fingers. “I think you’re adorable.”
On cue, the door to the kitchen opened and Rocco came out. “Nice to see you again, Zandra.”
She smiled at him. “You too, Rocco. Kane tells me you’re making us brunch. That’s such a nice thing to do. Thank you.”
He put two wine glasses on the table in front of us then filled them. “You’re very welcome. I’ve got cannelloni in the oven as we speak. A cream cheese filling, a savory meat sauce on top, covered with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. To start you guys off, I’ve braised some mushrooms in a red wine reduction and paired them with some fresh green beans that I’ll spoon over a fresh bed of mixed greens. I’ll be right back.” He gave me a wink. “Right back, Kane.” Then he looked at where my hand was on the table.
I moved it, knowing he was only trying to do what I’d asked him to. “Thanks.”
He left us alone, and I noticed Zandra taking a drink of the wine. “Yum.”
“I know it’s early to be drinking,” I said as I watched her lick the red wine off her pink lips.
She looked a little confused. “Then why did you order it?”
With a shrug, I answered honestly, “I’m not quite sure. Maybe to help ease the tension between us.”
“You feel tense?” she asked as she put the glass down.
“Yeah.” I picked up my glass and took a drink.
“I make you feel tense?” she asked, seeming genuinely confused.
“Yeah.” Putting the glass down after taking a small drink, I clarified, “Sexually, you make me very tense.”
The little smile that curled her lips only made me want her more. “I see. And you would rather not be so attracted to me, because of our son. Is that right?”
“Kinda.” I didn’t know she would see right through me the way she had.
“Funny how our son’s the reason we have to take things slowly, isn’t it?” She ran her hand through her hair and the overhead lights glistened off her shining silky strands. “Kinda seems like it’s too little too late on that front,” she said with a sexy, deep-throated chuckle.
I wanted to run my fingers through her hair. “I wish I could find it funny. Instead, I find it frustrating. But it is necessary.”
I could see by the way her blue eyes glistened that she liked the effect she had on me. “I’m sure you’re right.” She leaned forward, her breasts resting on the table. “So, how are we going to do this then, Kane?”
