“You made a reservation?” I asked him as I let him pull me into the dark building. My eyes adjusted to the lack of light when I realized there were recessed lights above. They were just dimmed, almost to the point of making the room appear like there weren’t any.
Nico nodded and slid his hand down to mine as he released my wrist. His fingers felt foreign as they laced themselves with mine, yet it felt like they belonged there. I wrapped mine around his and held on to him as we stepped through another doorway and entered a hallway.
Soft classical music played through hidden speakers. The hallway was still dimly lit, but it was brighter than the first small room we had entered. There was art decorating all the walls, different abstract paintings without any definitive designs. I turned my head, looking at them as we walked past.
At the end of the hall, there was a small hostess stand and a woman standing behind it. She greeted us with a soft smile and I was finally able to see what the restaurant looked like inside. Outside, the brick gave nothing away. Even up until this point, it was hard to picture what it would look like inside and it wasn’t what I was expecting.
It definitely wasn’t a secret place for someone to commit murders.
Each booth was tucked into its own little private area, almost like VIP booths with the way they were circular, but each was blocked off with a half wall and there was a small space that you walked through to get to where you sat. The walls were black as well as the furniture. Shimmering chandeliers hung throughout the restaurant and above each booth. It was sleek and minimalistic. Almost futuristic in a way.
“Name?” the woman questioned the two of us.
Nico was still holding my hand. “Cirone.”
She scanned an iPad in front of her and tapped on the screen with a pen. “Follow me, please,” she instructed as she grabbed two menus and led the way.
Nico followed after her and I fell into step with him until we reached our own little private booth. He let go of my hand, motioning for me to slide in first. I slid around the circular table, situating myself more toward the center of the rounded plush seat. Nico scooted in after me, leaving less than a foot between us as he smiled up at the woman.
“Thank you,” he said softly as she handed us the menus.
“Alaina will be your server and should be with you in a moment.” She nodded at the two of us before stepping away from the booth and then walked back in the direction she came from.
I glanced around and adjusted in my seat as I looked over at Nico. I took a moment to study his features. His jaw was sharp and his nose was perfectly straight. His cheekbones were high, creating the illusion that his face was a perfectly sculpted masterpiece. I watched as his tongue slid out and he ran it over the cut in his bottom lip.
Holy shit.
My stomach felt warm and I clenched my thighs together. I never thought something like that would turn me on the way it did. I needed to flip the switch off but I couldn’t seem to find it. Instead, my breath caught in my throat and I let out a choking sound.
Nico glanced at me with a look of curiosity. “Are you okay?”
Heat crept up my neck and my face was on fire. “I’m fine.” I nodded and attempted to clear my throat. “What is this place?”
He set down the menu he was scanning and a soft smile lifted his lips as he folded his hands on the table. “It’s cool, right? I’ve only been here once before, but I love the private setting it offers.” He smiled and I watched a dimple form in his left cheek. “The food is really good too.”
“It feels like we’re the only people here,” I told him, my voice quieter than I anticipated. The place had a very intimate ambiance and I couldn’t help but wonder who Nico came here with before. A frown pulled my lips downward and I stared down at the menu in front of me as I tried to push the thoughts from my mind. My stomach rolled as I felt uncomfortable sitting here with him.
“What was that?” Nico inquired with curiosity as he scooted closer. “What just happened?”
His presence was consuming me. He was close—too close. I could feel his warmth radiating from his body, encapsulating me. His scent was in my nose, invading my senses. Inhaling deeply, I turned my head to face him just as a college-aged girl stepped up to the half wall by our booth.
“Hi.” She smiled as she placed a decanter filled with water on the center of the table. She set down two glasses along with it. “I’m Alaina. Can I get either of you anything to drink? Or maybe an appetizer?”
“I’ll take an old fashioned,” Nico told her before turning to look at me.
“I’ll take a mojito, please.”
Nico stared at me and I couldn’t quite read the expression on his face.
“Perfect.” Alaina grinned. “I’ll be right back with your drinks. Would you like to put in an appetizer or anything?”
I glanced at Nico and shook my head. He didn’t take his eyes away from mine.
“We’re good,” he told her, still with his gaze cemented to mine.
Alaina left with the promise of returning soon with our drinks. Nico was still looking at me and I squirmed in my seat, feeling like he was assessing every inch of me with his blue eyes.
“Before she came—what was that?”
I raised an eyebrow, knowing damn well what he was talking about. “It was nothing,” I told him, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue.
“Don’t lie to me, pretty girl,” he mused. “You don’t want to find out what happens if you misbehave.” He ran his own tongue over the cut on his bottom lip again. “Or maybe you do.”
My mouth was instantly dry and I tore my gaze from his as I reached for the decanter. My hand shook as I filled my glass in a haste and swallowed some of the water in a rush.
“Try again, Harper.”
I turned back to look at him. “I was wondering who you came here with before, considering it is such an intimate setting.”
His eyes glimmered under the chandelier. “Why is that?”
“Because I would assume it wasn’t just a friend.”
“Are you jealous, Harper Jensen?” he challenged me.
I glowered at him. “How do you know my last name?”
“I have my ways,” he responded with a sly grin. “Now answer my question.”
“I’m not jealous,” I told him, although my voice sounded far from convincing.
He cocked his head to the side as he positioned his arm across the back of the bench seat. “Then ask me who I came here with.”
My heart pounded in my chest and my nostrils flared as he challenged me with his gaze. I didn’t want to ask him, but he already had me cornered. A part of me wanted to know. I never once considered the fact that maybe he was seeing someone. I should have turned him down in the parking lot. I shouldn’t be here with him.
“Ask me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling the jealousy already seeping into my veins. “Who did you come here with?”
Nico smiled as Alaina returned with our drinks. “My sister, Giana.” She disappeared without another word, clearly reading the room, and I was thankful for that.
My face instantly heated and embarrassment swept over me. I looked away from him, but Nico slid his hand under my chin and pulled my face back to look at him. His eyes danced under the lights and he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear.