by Donna Grant
“Tell them to bugger off.”
Oh, if only she could. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“Sure it does. Besides, why do you care what others think?”
“I... Well, I don’t know. For as long as I can remember, my parents would show me pictures of myself and tell me to stand straight or tell me what hair style and cut flattered me. They said if I was going to be photographed that I should look good.”
“The way I see it, there is always going to be someone who isna happy with their life. They feel the need to take it out on others because they’re jealous. You’re no’ just beautiful and an heiress, but have men lined up wanting you. To an outsider, you have it all.”
She often told herself that, but it still didn’t make the nasty comments easier to stomach. But really, she couldn’t get past the fact that he’d called her beautiful.
“Why do you read their comments, anyway?” he asked.
She shrugged and accepted the menu of desserts from the waiter who appeared out of nowhere. “Probably because I know I shouldn’t. But mostly because I can’t seem to help myself. I guess I’m a glutton for punishment.”
“Nay, lass. You want people to like you.”
That was exactly what it was, but she had never told anyone, nor intended to admit it. Then Dorian spoke her secret aloud. “Yes.”
He gave a nod to the menu. “I expect you to order at least one thing, but feel free to order everything.”
Alex pressed her lips together as she smiled. This really was the best day. Dorian kept surprising her with his comments and the seemingly endless way he read her.
If only she knew more about him.
She ordered the lemon tart, and when Dorian’s brow quirked, she found herself ordering the slice of turtle cheesecake as well.
Then he ordered the rest of the menu. Alex laughed, wishing the day could go on forever.
When Dorian raised the bottle of Dreagan in offering, she nodded. She wasn’t much of a whisky drinker, but with him she felt the need to branch out and do things she wouldn’t normally.
It felt good, freeing. And she really should do it more often.
“Tell me about Dreagan,” she urged as she lifted the snifter to her nose and breathed in the heady fragrance.
He ignored her question and instead asked one of his own. “What do you smell?”
Alex took another deep inhale, letting the scents fill her. She closed her eyes and let the whisky envelop her. “There is a distinct woodiness about it. And wet, fallen leaves. Maybe a bit of apple and caramel. And sherry. Definitely sherry.”
“Now taste it,” he urged in a deep voice that sent shivers through her.
Without hesitation she brought the glass to her lips and let the liquid pass over her tongue and down her throat.
“What do you taste?”
She licked her lips and opened her eyes to find his gaze on her mouth. His eyes jerked upward, but it made her stomach quiver. “The sherry flavor I smelled, and apples. Also a hint of smokiness, which I really like. But it’s the lingering woodsy flavor that I truly enjoy.”
As she spoke, his eyes heated. “Do you want more?”
“Very much.” And she wondered how the whisky would taste on his lips.
His mouth curved into a grin that made her heart skip a beat. The man truly had no idea of how the smallest things could affect her, and she was thankful for that.
Because if he knew, he could have her on her knees begging for his kiss in the next second.
Then again, if the day continued in this vein, she might do that on her own.
Chapter Seven
In all the things Constantine had kept Dorian abreast of, the food of the mortals wasn’t one of them. As much as Dorian hated to admit it—and he really detested it—some of the human food was actually good.
Though he’d never tell them that.
When all fifteen desserts were set before them, he watched as Alex’s gaze moved around the table trying to decide which to eat first. She had her fork in her hand, lifted and waiting.
As soon as she spotted the chocolate cake, she quickly speared a bite. To his dismay, his balls tightened with unexpected need when she closed her eyes and moaned once the sweet was in her mouth.
This was the second time that his traitorous body had reacted so to her. The first had been when she’d embraced him. No. Actually, it occurred once he wound his arms around her and felt her softness. Then she’d rested her head on his shoulder.
It had felt strange and unfamiliar, but too damn good.
That’s what confused him. He wanted to hate her like he did the rest of humanity, but the more he was with her, the more he discovered that he actually liked Alex.
Her eyes opened as her lips curved into a sexy, satisfied grin. And all he could think about was he wanted that same look on her face after he pleasured her, her body so slack with indulgence that she couldn’t move.
His mind came to a crashing halt. What the hell was wrong with him? Liking her was one thing. But...desiring her? That was quite another.
“Try this,” she said, pushing the plate of chocolate cake toward him.
He glanced at the thick slice covered in chocolate icing, even between the four layers, and the lone strawberry on top—as if adding a fruit would make it healthier.
“Don’t you like chocolate? Or is it cake you don’t like?” she asked, a frown furrowing her brow.
Dorian shrugged. “I doona know.”
Her eyes bugged out. “What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I’ve no’ eaten desserts before.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” she said with a laugh. It died as she looked at him with shock. “You’re not. How is that possible?”
Dorian was growing uncomfortable at her questions. He had no intention of telling her anything about his past, but now it looked as if he didn’t have much of a choice. “I did tell you I isolated myself.”
“From food?” she asked, astounded.
He shrugged, preferring not to reply.
She gave a little shake of her head and pushed the plate at him again. “Then you have to try it. Actually, you need to try everything. It wouldn’t be fair to have such a glorious display and you not sample it all.”
Oh, there was something he wanted to sample, but it wasn’t the sweets before him.
Dorian grabbed his fork and leaned forward to cut into the dessert. She watched him as he put it in his mouth and chewed.
The explosion of flavor took him aback. It was sweet and decadent and entirely enjoyable. He went for a second bite, but Alex moved the plate and shoved another in its place.
For the next half hour, Dorian went through each of the desserts. Now he understood why Ryder always had a box of jelly donuts with him. Dorian really should have tried one of those, and he would remedy that once he was back at Dreagan.
“Well?” Alex asked excitedly after he swallowed the last sample. “Which is your favorite?”
He shrugged. “I like them all.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Oh, please. Everyone has a favorite. My grandmother’s was cheesecake, but only the plain. Except during October, and then she wanted pumpkin cheesecake. I, personally, love all cheesecake.”
“So that’s your favorite?” he asked.
Alex grinned, her eyes crinkling as she shook her head. “Actually, I have an addiction to chocolate. Dark, milk, white—it doesn’t matter. I love it all. And it’s true love, too.”
Before Dorian realized it, he was smiling. There was something about the way Alex talked. He saw the difference in her from last night where she was pleasant but reserved to today where she had lowered her walls and was herself. Amusing, generous, thoughtful, and spirited.
“Oh, my!” she exclaimed. “A true smile from you. You know, you should do that more. It makes your eyes shine with mischievousness. Which, I must say, looks good on you.”
Did she have any idea how her words were affecting h
im? His cock was hard, need thundering through him. It was all he could do not to swipe the table clear of dishes and yank her on top before he covered her body with his to sink into her.
Unaware of his problem, she filled their tumblers with more whisky and sat back, the glass held in both her hands before her. “I’m waiting for your favorite. I’ve confessed many of my sins.”
“Chocolate and cheesecake are sins?” he asked curiously.
She laughed and drew in a breath as she glanced out the window to the skyline behind him. “Things so delicious and decadent are definitely sins. But it feels so right to give in.”
His blood heated at the throaty sound of her words. Whether she meant it or not, her words and tone were sexy and erotic, and they were doing quite a number on him.
“Come on,” she said, giving him a seductive look. “Tell me your favorite. I can’t leave here without knowing.”
How could he resist that request? “I did like all of them. The chocolate is verra good with the cake, mousse, and chocolate and raspberry tart. I also really enjoyed the salted almond truffle tart. But I have to say that the lemon trifle was exceptional.”
“So that’s your favorite?” she asked.
Dorian shook his head and looked over at the display of bowls with their icy colored creations. “The gelato.”
Once more Alex’s eyes widened. “Really? Is there a certain flavor?”
“I like all six.”
She threw back her head and laughed, a deep throaty laugh that went straight through his cock. “Oh, Dorian. There are hundreds of flavors. I know the perfect place to take you. It’s in Little Italy, and they make the best gelato. Come on.”
He let her take his hand and draw him out the door of the restaurant where Paul and the other bodyguards awaited. Dorian saw the anger that filled Paul’s face as Alex passed him with a bright smile that made her entire face light up.
Dorian didn’t pull his hand free. She was walking ahead and turned to look over her shoulder at him. Her large curls swung around her as their eyes locked.
And his breath lodged in his throat.
He’d known from the first time he saw her picture that she was beautiful. But in that moment, with her eyes shining and laughter transforming her face, she took his breath away.
She pulled him along out of the elevators until they were both jogging to the cars. He worried that she might twist her ankles in the heels that she wore, but she didn’t falter, not even when they hit uneven sidewalk.
He was conscious of how she didn’t release his hand, not even when they climbed inside the backseat of the SUV. She was giddy as the guards got in and they drove, an excitement about her that he hadn’t seen before.
It somehow rubbed off on him. He couldn’t wait to reach their destination and see what kinds of flavors awaited. But only because she was so eager to show him.
As the vehicle wound its way through the busy streets of New York City, Alex pointed out sights and things that he should do while he was there. She talked nonstop, but it wasn’t irritating. In fact, it was quite soothing.
There were a couple of places he was curious to check out and he made a mental note of them. And while he did look out the window, for the most part, his gaze was locked on something else.
A woman who surprised and charmed him. There were long stretches of time where he couldn’t remember why he wanted to hate her. And then there was the ever present need that was quickly becoming a hunger he couldn’t ignore.
From the flash of her sexy legs to her husky laugh to her curls that he longed to sink his fingers into, Alex had captivated him.
There was no other word for it. He didn’t know how or when, but sometime during their outing, everything had changed.
“We’re here,” she said with a laugh and leaned over to open his door, pushing him out.
Dorian slid out and turned to help her, but she was already leading him to the shop. He glanced up at the sign as they went through the door. Then he stopped and stared at the array of colors and flavors before him.
Beside him, Alex was all smiles. “So. One of every flavor?”
“Oh, aye.”
She tugged him to the counter and told the attendant before they found a table and waited. Dorian watched as the staff began scooping the gelato into containers. He didn’t even care that Paul was openly glaring at him now.
Dorian would be gone the next day with the artifact in hand.
His good mood soured instantly. Shite. He’d forgotten that he planned to steal the object that night.
No matter how he tried, he couldn’t bring back his mood from before. He attempted it once the first round of gelato was delivered and they sampled them.
Dorian loved the caffé, or coffee flavor, and ate the entire thing. In the next round, he discovered stracciatella, which was a soft vanilla flavor with chocolate drizzled on top that hardened and they stirred it together so it looked like little bits within the gelato.
The staff waited until the end to bring them nothing but a huge variety of chocolate gelato. Alex sat up straight, waiting to dive into the offering.
He let her taste them all first. Mostly because he loved watching her expressions. She truly was a chocoholic. There wasn’t a flavor she turned away.
“I found it,” she said and lifted a spoonful toward him.
He raised a brow. “What?”
“This is going to be your favorite. Trust me.”
He looked at the nearly black gelato and smiled before opening his mouth. As soon as it hit his tongue, he knew she was right. It was amazing. The dark chocolate filled his mouth, surging with the soft, heavenly flavor.
“You like it,” she replied with a grin.
“Verra much.”
“But is it your favorite?”
He wiped his mouth with the napkin and swallowed the last bit. “I do believe it is.”
“I knew it,” she said with a laugh. “It’s called cioccolato fondente. It means dark chocolate.”
Alex waved over her guards and told them to get whatever they wanted. All but Paul partook in her offer. Dorian continued to ignore him while he and Alex finished the cioccolato fondente.
When it was finally gone, she dropped her spoon in the empty container and sat back with a sigh. “I’m stuffed, but it was so worth it for you to find your favorite.”
“Why did it matter?”
She shrugged and looked down at her polished nails. “I guess because I wanted you to remember me and this day.”
“I couldna forget you.” And he meant it. Alexandra Sheridan was one mortal that would remain with him for the rest of eternity.
Her hazel eyes lifted and met his. “Really?”
“Aye, lass.”
The soft smile on her lips told him that she was pleased with his answer.
“What shall we do now?” he asked.
She slowly sat up, her cool veneer back in place. “I think we should leave.”
Dorian frowned as he looked around the shop that had been nearly empty when they arrived. More people had come in, and all were staring at Alex. Some with their phones out taking pictures.
He rose and stepped in front of Alex, glaring at the others. It took only a moment before they put down their mobile phones and looked away. That’s when he turned and offered Alex his arm.
Paul and the others were waiting at the door. But once outside, there were men with large cameras snapping pictures as they left the shop. Alex ignored them, but he stared each of them down.
Inside the Rover, she glanced at him. “Thank you for your help. I’m sorry about all of that. It’s why I don’t go out much.”
He understood. He wouldn’t want to have cameras following his every move. The animated woman was gone, replaced by the reserved one—and he didn’t like it.
“What shall we do now?”
Her head whipped around to him, surprise in her eyes. “Really?”
“You said you didna want the day to end. Have y
ou changed your mind?”
Her smile was huge as she shook her head. “No.”
“Then pick where we go.”
“Home, Yasser,” she told the driver.
Chapter Eight
The last person other than Meg or her bodyguards who had seen her place had been her ex. Alex was nervous for Dorian to be there.
What would he think? The fact that it mattered spoke volumes.
The security of her building was extreme, but Paul and Tim still went up to the penthouse first. Once they radioed down with the all clear, she and Dorian got in the elevator.
She fidgeted with her purse, her nerves strung so tight that she thought she might break. No matter how hard she thought back, she couldn’t remember a time where she had ever been so anxious about anything.
Alex began to worry that she had made the wrong decision in bringing Dorian. What was there to do? She had a huge selection of movies and TV shows, but what if he didn’t watch television?
Well, he didn’t know what desserts were.
Exactly. What was up with that? Who didn’t know about dessert? There was just something odd about that. Yet, it was also what made Dorian so damn appealing.
Sexy. He’s damn sexy.
Ugh. Her subconscious really needed to shut up, because now all she could think about was taking him to her bedroom. After telling Dorian that all the men immediately hit on her, she was the one who wanted to rip his clothes off and lick every inch of him.
She’d felt the hard sinew of his body and knew just how firm and tight his body was. A body she ached to have on top of her, to feel him thrusting between her legs.
“You’re blushing, lass.”
Oh, God. She was. And the more she thought about his body, the hotter her face flamed.
Alex refused to look at Dorian. Nor did she know how to reply to his statement. Luckily, the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the penthouse.
She hurried out and tossed her purse on the entry table.
“I can leave.”
His words brought her to a quick halt. Alex turned to him. “Only if you want to.”