“Actually, he took her to dinner a few nights ago,” Christopher answered for me. Isabella immediately turned away from me, all attention now on her husband.
“Really? Where did they go?” she asked Christopher, her eyes alight with excitement.
“He took her on a dinner cruise over at The Hatch.”
“Oh, how romantic! What a great idea!” Isabella gushed.
“Yeah. I thought so too. Derek said the weather has been—”
“Yo! I’m sitting right here!” I laughed. I knew my sister would want all the details but before I could tell her more, Val headed our way. I smiled as she approached.
“You’re all huddled up looking like cats who swallowed the canary,” she joked. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing much. Only my sister and brother-in-law being nosey,” I told her as I placed a light kiss on her forehead. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Isabella’s beaming smile. I couldn’t help wondering who was more excited about Val and me finally getting together—my sister or me. I shook my head and suppressed a grin.
“Val, if you want to visit with Derek, I’ll finish up in the dining room,” Isabella offered.
“Are you sure? I can—”
“I can handle it,” my sister reiterated. Christopher conspicuously disappeared into the kitchen as Isabella slid down from her bar stool. Leaning in to peck me on the cheek, she whispered, “Take all the time you need.”
As she walked away, I saw Val pass her a look of gratitude before silently mouthing, ‘thank you.’
“Now, I feel like I missed something,” I kidded. When Val only offered me a knowing look, my eyes widened in surprise. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing at all,” she all too innocently denied. “Are you hungry?”
I eyed her suspiciously. Something was definitely going on. I wasn’t sure what to think about this guileful side to her so I played along.
“I could be.”
“Well, then, follow me this way, Mr. Mills. Your table awaits.”
Once I was seated, Val brought me fresh bread and a plate of seasoned olive oil for dipping, then she disappeared through the door to the kitchen, leaving me relatively perplexed.
What in the hell was going on?
As the last customer exited the restaurant, Val reemerged from the kitchen. Christopher followed behind her and tossed a dish towel over his shoulder. Reaching into his pocket, he dropped a set of keys on the bar.
“The kitchen has been cleaned,” I heard him say to her. “If you make a mess, be sure to wipe everything down again. Isabella is already out back waiting for me. We’re headed home. The front door is locked, just remember to lock up the rest of the place and set the alarm before you do.”
“Will do, boss. Thanks.”
To my surprise, my brother-in-law winked at her as if he was in on the secret, then turned to exit out the back door of the restaurant. Feeling more confounded than ever, I turned my attention to Val. She was now at my table, uncorking a wine bottle she’d procured from somewhere when I wasn’t looking
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“What was what?”
“All that with Christopher just now and my sister earlier. What scheme have the three of you concocted?”
“Nothing,” she denied again with an innocuous shrug. “Christopher has just been teaching me a few things in the kitchen, and I think I have a few of his recipes down pat.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. I thought I’d try a few of them out on you tonight if that’s okay.”
I narrowed my eyes and studied her carefully as she poured the deep red Chianti into a bordeaux glass. I tried to get a read on what she was thinking, but her expression was guarded, and I got nothing. This had my sister written all over it—not that I minded. If it meant I got to be alone with Val, my sister could meddle all she wanted.
“Sounds good to me,” I agreed casually as I accepted the glass she held out to me.
She walked away, only to return a few minutes later with a plate of Insalata Caprese. Rather than let me help myself to the appetizer, she used a serving fork to place a portion of the cheese and tomatoes onto a side dish for me. Then, to my surprise, she pulled out the chair next to me and sat down. Stabbing a small piece of mozzarella and tomato with my salad fork, she brought it to my lips and eyed me mischievously.
“Open,” she commanded.
Allowing her to slip the fork between my lips, the tomato burst with flavor, and the cheese melted in my mouth. I pretended to contemplate the food, then nodded my head in approval as if I’d never had the dish before and was tasting it for the first time.
“It’s very good. So, tell me… do you serve all of your customers this way?”
She bit the side of her cheek in the most endearing way, and I knew she was fighting back a smile.
“No, only you.”
“Are you trying to impress me with your newfound skills?”
“Maybe,” she replied coyly. The seconds ticked by as I scrutinized her, trying to find any sign of what her hidden agenda might be as she brought another forkful of mozzarella to my mouth. I had to admit, I was more than just a bit intrigued—I was fucking turned on.
I ate in silence, the two of us seldom breaking eye contact. This was quickly turning into the most erotic first course I’d ever eaten. Once my plate was clear, Val disappeared into the kitchen once more and returned with a plate of baked eggplant parmigiana. When she began to cut the eggplant into bite sized pieces, I placed my hand on her wrist to stop her.
“No, Sparky, let me.”
Taking the fork and knife from her delicate fingers, I speared a small portion of what she had already cut and brought the fork to her lips. She opened automatically, chewing the breaded vegetable contemplatively as though she was critiquing her own skills in the kitchen. While she chewed, I refilled my wine glass and offered it to her.
“Thank you.”
“I’m serious now. What is all of this?” I asked again.
“I guess this is my way of saying thank you for being so patient with me for the past six or so months. Is it working?” She slowly sipped the wine, eyeing me over the rim of the glass through lowered lashes. The elastic pull—always present when we were together—tightened the space between us. When her tongue darted out to swipe at the remnants of wine on her lips, I nearly groaned.
Fuck…what is this girl trying to do to me?
“Oh, it’s working alright,” I said, my voice sounding hoarse and husky, even to my own ears. My cock twitched. There was just something about the seductive side of Val that got my blood going. It took all the restraint I could manage not to bite her pouty lower lip or pick her up and lay her across the mosaic-tiled bar. I wanted to strip her down and use her body as a plate for her gourmet cooking. And when I was done, I would eat her for dessert.
Restraint. Don’t push too fast.
The warning rang in my head, loud and intrusive. Still, there was no reason I couldn’t test the waters just a little more—claim her mouth as mine then let her take the lead. I watched as she took another sip of wine and followed the gorgeous line of her throat as she swallowed. I saw the moment she realized I was studying her every move, and when her breath caught, any willpower I had was thrown to the wayside.