I gave the card a brief glance before tucking it away. “Thank you, I appreciate it. Hopefully, Lantern will come around.”
Brian reached for another scone. “It never hurts to give them a little nudge.”
Maybe not. But at the moment, I was more preoccupied with my impending date with Seb later that evening than I was with my recalcitrant publisher.
“So you care to tell me what that scene with that intriguing young man at the club the other night was all about?”
I swallowed another bite of scone before answering. “What if I said no, I really don’t care to tell you?”
When Brian continued to stare at me, I sighed. I should have known better than to think he’d let me off the hook. “All right, I’ll tell you that we’re going out on a date tonight, but that’s all. There’s nothing else to tell.”
“Yet,” Brian quipped before turning his attention back to his scone.
Yet. Right. That yet was the exact thing that had my stomach in knots.
The tuxedoed waiter showed Seb and I to our booth, which was tucked into a hidden alcove, where a fireplace crackled nearby. “You server will be with you shortly, enjoy. Remember, Bellissimo’s is pleased to be the first menuless restaurant in the city. Think about what you want, and your server will convey your wishes to the chef. If you have trouble deciding, of course, your server can suggest a few seasonal specialties. Bon appétit.”
Seb’s eyes were round when the host finally retreated. “Whoa. No menu? How does that work exactly? I mean, what if I wanted, say, some kind of fish that’s only found in Thailand? Or I requested something super tacky, like…fried Twinkies?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve heard whispers that maybe the chef is a warlock.” I shuddered. “And please tell me you aren’t going to request an abomination like fried Twinkies.”
Seb flashed me a cocky grin. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Also, what are these curtains for? I saw them on all the booths as we walked by.” He reached behind him and slid the rich, tapestry-like material around, so that our booth was partially obstructed from view.
Seb’s innocent question ignited an uncomfortable fire in my groin and I balled my hands in my lap. My gaze inadvertently focused on his full, sensual lips while I pondered informing him of some of the whispers I’d heard about the types of shenanigans that occurred behind the privacy of Bellissimo’s curtains. And then I pictured doing some of those things to him and was suddenly glad that my lap wasn’t exposed.
A server appeared, making Seb jump back while I sent the man a silent thank you for the timely distraction. Yes, I’d agreed to give dating a try, but my reservations were still valid. Imagining myself crawling under the table to service Seb while the clueless diners around us sipped their wine and twirled their pasta was not at all helpful if I wanted to stay in control.
The server smiled at us. “Good evening, I’m Jones, and I’ll be your server for the evening.”
With his artfully tousled brown hair, wide-set eyes, and lean build, Jones looked more like a Calvin Klein model that a server. He smoothly produced a bottle of merlot for me to inspect. My favorite vintage. I’d heard that the restaurant kept client information cards on file, and with their impeccable service? I wouldn’t doubt it.
Either that, or they really did employ warlocks.
“Would you like me to pour you a glass, Mr. Wright? Or would you prefer something different this time?”
“I’ll take a glass of the merlot, thank you, Jones.”
The waiter deftly uncorked the bottle and poured me a glass with a flourish, lifting the bottle up high and catching all the wine smoothly in the crystal goblet he held below.
“And you, sir? Would you care for a glass?”
Seb nibbled his thumb, and I smiled across the table at him. “It’s okay to order a beer, if you’d rather. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
Relief softened his features. “That would be great, thanks. Do you have any porters?”
Jones rattled off a number, and Seb selected a dark chocolate one with a hint of cinnamon.
Once Jones left, I sipped my wine. “To answer your earlier question, the curtains are in case the patrons would like to engage in any…pre- or post-dining activities.”
Seb’s eyes widened again, before his lips curved into a wicked smile. Christ. I’d practically tossed him a gauntlet with that one. “Before you go getting any fancy ideas, remember the terms of the club contract,” I said.
Seb’s shoulders slumped at the reminder of the club’s no-sexual-contact-on-the-first-three-dates rule. “That’s right.”
He looked so dejected that I had to both fight back a grin and also a burst of pleasure at that fact that this adorable, virile young man was dejected by the wait. I drew the curtains closed again. Discretion was one of the main reasons I’d chosen Bellissimo’s.
That, and okay, so maybe I’d been trying to impress Seb, too.
Now that the curtains shielded us from prying eyes, my shoulders relaxed and I allowed myself to slowly drink him in. I rarely saw Seb dressed up this way, and I had to admit, something about the sight of his lithe form all buttoned up into the perfectly fitted suit I’d ordered for him brought out a possessive streak. As much as my head warned to proceed with caution, a more primal part of me growled, mine.
Seb studied my expression like he could read my mind and sighed. A sly smile spread across his face. “That’s okay. I get it—you’re far too proper and set in your ways to even consider pushing the boundaries.”
My spine stiffened and my eyes narrowed. Had Seb just called me a coward in so many words? Then his impudent grin registered, and I realized he was trying to goad me. The prudent thing would be to ignore him and take things slowly.
Then again, I’d picked Bellissimo’s for a reason—even if part of that reason had remained subconscious until now. I’d taken the first step and claimed Seb for a trial consort period. What was the point if I wasn’t going to give the relationship a chance?
Besides, the assertive part of me demanded that I call his bluff and wipe that smile off his smug face.
I scooted over until I was only inches away from Seb. Then, I slid my shoe off and found Seb’s ankle with my toes. I moved them upward, slowly stroking his lower leg beneath the silky fabric of his trousers.
To my immense satisfaction, that smile flew right off his face and his eyes almost bulged out of his head. “But…you just said…”
“What?” I sipped my wine. “The rules state no sex or sexual contact. I’m merely giving you a leg rub.”
Seb’s eyelashes fluttered in the most delightful way, and his full lips parted, making me wish more than anything I could yank the curtain all the way closed, pull Seb onto the table and taste him. Now that Seb had broken the seal on our friendship, so to speak, I couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d taste, or how his skin would feel against mine. Damn him. I’d had my urges completely zipped up and under control, right up until that moment when Seb had confessed that he wanted more from our relationship than just conversation and breakfast meet-ups.
Fear of messing up our existing relationship held my desires in check, though. That, and the fact that the one person whose bad side I did not want to discover was Monsieur’s. So I contented myself with teasing Seb under the table until our server returned with his beer. Seb gratified me by gulping down a few greedy swallows. Oh, I’d witnessed Seb flustered on a number of occasions, but always because of his harried schedule of work and school. I’d never seen him hot and bothered over me, and I found the experience more intoxicating than an entire bottle of wine.