Page 21 of Wild Tides
She looked like she’d stepped out of a noir film, the classy dame to my dapper detective. And with that enigmatic expression, she could just as easily have been the femme fatale, all secrets and temptation.
“You look absolutely stunning,” I finally said when I could muster words. “You look fancy like Seattle, not fancy like Friday Harbor. But Seattle’s loss is our gain.”
“Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself, Lee.”
“No, but I want to be,” I muttered. The words popped out, uninvited.
She tilted her head, slow like a predator, or like a detective scenting a clue. “Want to bewhatnow?”
“Bad.”
Her eyes narrowed as if she wasn’t sure if I was flirting or not. I hadn’t meant to. But I couldn’t stop. So much for my vow to play it cool until I could stand on my own again.
Brushing aside the moment of honesty, I gestured toward the door. “Shall we head out?”
She paused, as if tempted to wait me out. Force me to explain my comment about being bad. I held my breath.
Her liquid eyes searched mine, her mouth half-quirked in a quizzical smile. Instead of questioning me further, she shrugged.“Sure. We need to get a move on before they give our table away.”
Vi drove us to a restaurant tucked away between Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor, the two major towns on island. Goose Hollow didn’t have the most romantic name, but the restaurant itself was beautiful in a rustic way. We stepped inside to be transported into a cozy cabin with tables nestled in nooks and the buzz of quiet conversation providing a soothing background to the hustle and bustle of the busy restaurant.
We were shown to a table near a roaring fireplace. Painstakingly, I followed the hostess and Vi, my boot and crutches making my progress slow. She left us with menus and slipped away. Vi studied her menu. I studied Vi. The glow from the fireplace burnished her skin in bronze, creating intriguing shadows and hollows at her collarbone and along the graceful line of her neck. My fingers itched to follow them.
“What looks good?” I asked , more to distract myself than her.
“Everything,” Vi said, gaze focused on her menu.
“Would you like to order it all?”
Her brown eyes flicked to mine, luminous in the low light. “Are you serious?”
“Why not?” The excitement in her delicate features made me want to offer her that and more. “That way you can taste everything.”
“I’ve always wanted to do that, but it’s so expensive. It feels over the top.”
If it made her happy, I’d buy her the whole damn restaurant. “This way we’ll have plenty of leftovers. It’ll give you a break from cooking for me.”
“Ilikecooking for you.”
Her voice softened, no teasing in it, just truth. Her sincerity eased the guilt pressing at me for leaning on her so much. I swallowed, struck by how natural it felt to share this table, thismoment. “And I like spoiling you. So let’s try it all. Just this once. Together.”
Vi’s broad smile told me I’d said the right thing.
“Deal.”
We placed our order, and as the servers brought out dish after dish, I was grateful they’d seated us at a four-top table. It fairly groaned under the appetizers, which included a gem lettuce salad, mushroom pâté, and Westcott Bay oysters. We sampled each, but I held back. We had a rack of lamb, scallops, and rigatoni all still coming.
Watching Violet taste each dish was the closest I’d come to a public loss of control. She enjoyed her food with a relish that made me want to satisfy her in other, more intimate ways. Lids fluttering as she tasted the mushroom pâté. Throat working as she swallowed an oyster whole. Every move was a study in sensuality. Her joy enhanced my own, making the flavors burst across my tongue. The woodiness of the mushroom. The salt from the oysters.
Our server cleared and boxed the remaining starters, returning with plate after plate of main dishes. A young couple at a table across the room kept staring at us. To be fair, we made a bit of a spectacle, ordering more food than we could possibly eat. They looked to be in their early twenties. They were also decked out for the evening, like it was a special occasion. I whispered instructions softly to our server, who nodded.
Vi’s moan as she tried the lamb drew my attention back to her. I shifted, easing the sudden tightness in my slacks.
“It’s so good, Lee. Try.” She extended one delicate hand, fork loaded with a bite for me. I leaned forward, holding her gaze as I wrapped my lips around the fork, easing back slowly to drag the morsel into my mouth.
Earthy and tender, it was delicious.
“Phenomenal.” I extended a forkful of halibut. “Try this one.”
