Page 104 of The Woman in the Hollow
“It can wait. I’m hungry too. I stole one of Domenico’s gross protein bars from under the counter.” I ran my tongue across the roof of my mouth a few times. “I can still taste it,” I said with a nose wrinkle.
“How about we grab something on the way home?”
Home.
I liked that more than I should have. Especially since we weren’t even officially dating.
“Is anything even open this late?”
“The diner is twenty-four hours. We can order takeout.”
“I actually haven’t had diner food yet,” I admitted.
“What? You’ve been in Jersey for months.”
“I know! I just didn’t want to go alone, I guess.”
“Alright. Change of plans then. How about we go and have some sit-down diner food? Then we go home.”
“I like that plan. Do they have those silly little radios like they show in the TV shows about Jersey?”
“They have ‘em. But they don’t usually work anymore. More for the aesthetics than for actual use.”
“The vibes are still fun. Let me just grab your card,” I said, rushing over toward the desk.
“Do you have any water back there?” Dante asked, following me.
“Yeah,” I said, producing a bottle. “Why?”
He said nothing, just uncapped it, grabbed some tissues, wet them, then gently tipped my head up and started dabbing at the dried blood on my neck.
“Does this hurt?” he asked.
“Not really. That knife was really sharp. It was like getting nicked by a razor when you’re shaving your legs. I mean, not that you shave your legs. But it kinda just burns for a second then you forget about it until it’s mostly healed, then it itches. Which is a long way of saying it’s no big deal.”
“No big deal,” he repeated, tossing the tissues in the garbage before gently framing my face with both his hands. “Hazel, I could have lost you tonight. I can’t think of a bigger deal than that.”
He leaned in, his forehead kissing mine for a long moment. And I swear in the silence that followed, I could hear my heart growing, expanding, filling up with him.
I was pretty sure it was me who angled up toward him. But he was quick to seal his lips to mine, to kiss me long and deep until I felt it in my toes. Until I felt it in my bones.
“Keep making sounds like that and we’re gonna end up giving everyone out there a show.”
“I mean, there’s a floor behind the counter,” I said, getting a sexy little chuckle out of him as his hand reached for mine. Hethreaded our fingers, grabbed his card, then led us out of the shop.
We said a quick goodbye to both Domenico and Ant before climbing into his car.
It occurred to me as I slid into his passenger seat that I had no idea where my car was. Nor did I particularly care. I was kind of enjoying having a chauffeur.
“What’s the smile for?” Dante asked as he reversed out of the parking spot.
“I was just thinking that I am kind of enjoying being a passenger princess.”
To that, he let out a little chuckle. “Yeah? Well, I like driving you around.” His hand moved out, grabbing my thigh, then giving it a little squeeze before letting it settle there as he drove down the highway. “Your car is parked at Famiglia, by the way.”
“Famiglia?” I asked, brows scrunched.
“Luca’s restaurant. I wanted to put it somewhere that was safe and wouldn’t get towed. We monitor that place twenty-four seven. We can get it whenever you want it back.” My stomach twisted. “But I’m in no hurry to give up my position as your personal driver.”
