Page 59 of Heir of Fire
She pulled away when she felt herself needing air, lightheaded and dizzy. He leaned his forehead against hers, taking in a deep breath.
“We need to get out of this fucking room before I rip this dress off of you,” he said, his lips tilting up in a smirk.
“This dress is too nice to be manhandled like that,” she said, grinning when he growled and pinched her ass.
“You could be wearing pure gold or a sheet of crystals, and I would still tear it apart to get to you.”
“So archaic.”
“Yet you seem to love it.”
With one last kiss, he was pulling her out the door, but the words were stuck in her head. Shit, did she love it? The side of him that lost control. She enjoyed it, of course. Loving it though? That seemedintense.Like perhaps another level she wasn’t yet prepared to enter.
She desperately tried to clear her mind, trying to stay in the moment instead of letting her mind wander to other places that would ultimately only stress her out. When they got down to the lobby, she was able to ground herself in the moment.
Finn’s hand squeezing hers also helped.
They got into the car that had a driver this time, traveling a short distance to the restaurant. The sun was now setting, painting the city in a warm glow of bright oranges and yellows. There were even small specs of pink and purple in the sky that blended with the clouds, which put a smile on her face. It was a beautiful night, that was for sure.
They arrived at a modern Asian restaurant, one that Gianna had never been to before but heard amazing things about. Finn kept his hand on the small of her back the entire time, walking her in and allowing the hostess to lead them to the private room at the back of the establishment. The warm lighting from the flower-inspired chandelier created a romantic ambience that was only further enhanced by the red velvet chairs. The space was quiet from the rest of the restaurant’s chatter, leaving them in their own world.
He pulled out the chair for her, letting her sit before he pushed it back in. Instead of taking the seat across from her, he pulled the chair up right beside her, scooting until his thigh touched hers and his arm brushed along hers every time he moved.
“Could you have gotten any closer?” she asked, stifling her laugh.
“Without you sitting on my lap, doubtful.” Finn picked up the menu, scanning over it. “What would you recommend here?”
“You’ve never been here?” Gianna asked, confused. “You picked it out.”
“I knew you liked Asian-inspired food, so I wanted to go somewhere you’ve never been,” he said. “What do you think we should get?”
She looked at the menu herself, her mouth instantly watering. “They seem to do a variety of different East Asian popular dishes, so let’s just order a little bit of everything.”
“That’s perfect.”
As soon as the waiter came in, they ordered their drinks: a Mojito for Gianna and an Old Fashioned for Finn. Ordering the amount of food that they did felt ridiculous, but she was starving. She hadn’t eaten since before practice, and she was used to having a meal afterwards.
“Are you going to tell me what you have planned for afterwards?” Gianna asked. “Or are you going to remain cryptic and pretend like you can’t tell me?”
“Have you always been this complicated with surprises or is this something new?” Finn asked, leaning back in his chair and throwing his arm around the back of hers.
“Don’t answer my question with a question.”
He groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “I have plenty planned for tonight, but I don’t want to reveal them.”
The waiter came in with their drinks, leaving them at the table and promising that their food would be out soon before walking back out. Gianna took a sip of hers, relishing in the cold minty taste drifting down her throat.
“Can I get a hint?”
“Sure, your hint is that I’m not going to tell you anything.”
She frowned. “Ass.”
“My princess is turning into a brat. Don’t make me have to punish you, Gianna. I think I would enjoy that too much.”
A jolt of curiosity mixed with annoyance rushed through her. “Punish me? And tell me, what would that entail?” Her voice was full of sarcasm, but it stopped when his eyes turned darker.
Finn leaned in. “How about I lean you over my knee and spank that perfect ass of yours?”
