28. Juliette #2
My eyes lowered to my casual outfit, then flickered to his. “We’re not exactly dressed for it. We’ll stand out.”
His dark chuckle followed. “You and I are meant to stand out, Wildling.”
I rolled my eyes, but a smile curved my lips. “Okay, where are we going, then? This street looks deserted.”
He exited the car, then came around and opened my door. Reaching behind me, he grabbed a jacket and helped me slip it on.
“Chicago has a long history with gangsters,” he started as I pushed my right hand into the sleeve. “Prohibition was their busy time. They ran Chicago and opened secret spots throughout the city to keep the party going.”
I chuckled. “So we’re going to a Prohibition-era speakeasy? Isn’t that what they called them?”
He nodded. “I own a few of them. It’s a popular theme to the nightlife here.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Do we need a password to get in?”
He gave me that boyish grin that used to drive me crazy because I hated the way it did things to my body. Made my heart flutter. My thighs quiver. Now it just drove me crazy.
“We certainly do, but not to worry. I can guarantee our entrance.”
We made our way inside what looked to be a very elegant restaurant.
“Welcome to The Library at Gilt Bar,” Dante announced.
We were seated right away, and it didn’t take long for a train of food assortments to be brought over. Apparently, Dante was a regular here.
“Take your pick,” Dante offered. He met my gaze, a playful glint in his eyes. “Whatever your heart wants, you’ll get.”
“In that case, how about we start with a dessert?”
He flashed me a grin. “If that’s what you want.”
It was exactly what happened. I had a dessert first, then a salad, while Dante had his favorite burger. It was one more thing I learned about my husband. He loved eating burgers.
After a meal in the elegant bar, we headed downstairs. “An evening nightcap?” Dante offered.
I chuckled. “I gave up drinking in Vegas,” I pointed out.
“Then keep me company, my wildling wife.”
Hand in hand we headed down the hallway lined with photos until we stopped in front of an unmarked door on the right. When we reached the basement, a gasp tore from my lips. “Oh my gosh,” I said, my voice filled with awe.
The place was not what I expected. Instead of some hole-in-the-wall, a romantic space lined with books and flickering candles welcomed us with open arms, setting the mood. Cushy red velvet booths invited us to sink into them and get comfortable.
“So a nightcap and Fifty Shades feel?” I mused, my eyes darting left and right, trying to commit the room to memory. Dante’s carefree laughter caught me by surprise, and I whirled around to look at him.
God, he was handsome. Dark expressions and an overwhelming arrogance seemed to be permanently part of his face but there was more. Craving. Possession. Obsession. Protection.
“You’re handsome when you laugh,” I remarked.
He pulled me closer into him and I let him, inhaling the deep scent of him into my lungs. Clean. Rain and forest. It’d forever make me think of him.
We took the booth that was furthest away, set apart from the others, and sunk into the plush seats. The drinks came instantly, but I was still determined not to drink alcohol. Instead I asked for sparkling water.
“You mind if I have a beer?” Dante asked when the waiter disappeared to go fetch my San Pellegrino.
“Of course not,” I murmured distractedly, unable to keep from soaking it all in. “I can read you Fifty Shades while you drink beer.”
He laughed. “Better not, I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my wife and come in my pants.”
I sucked in a breath as warmth rushed to my cheeks and spread throughout my entire body. Dante’s eyes sparkled with amusement. His unique scent surrounded me like a protective bubble, and I let it seep through my pores.
He leaned back, resting his elbows against the top of the armrests.
“You blush easily,” he stated.
I rolled my eyes. “Actually I don’t,” I grumbled. “Just around you, it seems. Why you have that effect on me is something I haven’t quite figured out yet,” I admitted.
A dark smile pulled on his lips. “I like that,” he admitted. “I like that a lot.”
“Don’t get yourself all worked up, Mr. DiLustro,” I said quickly, my face burning with my admission. “Eventually I’ll become immune to your words.” And sex appeal, I added silently.
“I hope you don’t,” he said in an amused drawl. “I want to see your blush when we’re eighty. I want you to want me when I’m wrinkly and old. I’ll go with you. Like that Notebook movie.”
A choked laugh escaped me. “Well, that’s… romantic,” I said softly, my cheeks warm from his stare. “I didn’t take you for such a romance buff.”
His words were so quiet I barely heard them. “I wasn’t until I fell for you.”
My heart raced from the shock of hearing them.
He didn’t touch me, but my skin tingled as if he had.
He was so big and warm and hard that I had to fight my body’s need to lean into him.
The pull tugged on me, like he was my center of gravity.
My fingers pulsed with the need to run my hand along his strong jawline and then bury them in his hair so I could pull him closer and meet my lips with his.
Maybe I had been fighting Dante DiLustro for the past two years for naught.