Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Efa
Obviously I can’t meet him at the hotel, even though I’m only a block away, so I’ve agreed to meet him at the Madison Square Park fountain. I’m wearing sunglasses despite the overcast skies, and I’m reading an old copy of The New York Times that I found behind reception. I’m like something out of a bad spy movie, just waiting for him to find me.
A particularly dark cloud passes overhead and I shiver.
“Efa,” Bennett says and pulls my newspaper from my hands. “What are you doing?”
I grin up at him. He looks so good. I’ve never seen him in anything but office attire, and I one hundred percent appreciate it. But today? It’s hard not to look at him the way he’s dressed. His outfit is simple: Levi’s and a white t-shirt. Wayfarers and a Yankees cap. He’s like an advert for Americana, and he wears it like a champ. His body is more on show like this. Easier to reach. Easier to touch.
I stand. “Hey. You look handsome.”
“Doing the crossword?” he asks, stuffing the paper into the bin.
“It was part of my disguise.”
He raises his eyebrows. “I’m disappointed there’s no wig.”
“Oh I’m sure I can find one for later.” Maybe whips and chains don’t do it for him, but roleplay does? “For now, it’s just a newspaper and lipstick.”
“The red looks good on you,” he says.
I wink at him. “I’m glad you think so.”
Our gazes lock, and for a second too long, I wonder why we bothered coming out to eat. Why didn’t I suggest takeout in bed?
I smooth my hands over his arms, lift up on tiptoes and plant a kiss on his cheek, leaving a great big red lipstick mark on his cheekbone.
“Thanks. That’s inconspicuous.”
I laugh on a roll of my eyes and grab his hand, leading him to our eatery, just a couple of steps away.
As we get to the entrance, I stretch out my hand in a voila movement.
“Shake Shack?” he asks, reading the sign.
“We have one of these in London. Burgers are delicious.”
He shakes his head with a chuckle and I lead the way, finding us a table at the edge of the outdoor seating area. “What can I get you?” I ask. “My treat.”
“This is where you want us to have our first date?” he asks, genuinely surprised.
“First of all, we can’t sit at Tribeca Grill, can we? You have pretty strict requirements. And second, this isn’t our first date, Romeo. We’ve had sex twice. We’ve hung out. We’ve had conversations, shared things, pledged our honesty to each other. It’s not a conventional getting-to-know-you—not by British standards, anyway. I’m rolling with it because I figure you’re worth it.”
“Worth it?” he asks. There’s a trace of suspicion in his voice. I recognize it from when he thought I was stalking him by working in his hotel room. But he has nothing to be suspicious about. Not with me.
“Yeah,” I say. “In the spirit of full honestly, I like hanging out with you. In all ways.”
“All ways?”
“Naked ways and not-naked ways.”
He grins, even though I can tell he’s trying not to. “And at Shake Shack.”
“Right,” I say. “I’m going to order you the biggest burger I can find and then I’m going to order two for me. Back in a sec.”
I make my way to the counter and look over my shoulder. He’s staring at my arse and I love that for him—I wore my best jeans in anticipation of a moment like this. I’m taking it as a win.
I get our food and drinks and bring the piled-high tray back to the table.
“And when do your friends arrive?” he asks.
“Oh no, sir, most of this food is for me. I’ve skipped meals all day because I knew we were coming here.”
“It’s noon. How many meals could you possibly have skipped?”
“Three, duh.” I’m grinning at him and our eyes lock. Even though his mouth is only slightly tilted upwards, the sparkle in those eyes tells me he’s happy. And I’m happy he’s happy.
We unpack our burgers and swap condiments and napkins and finally dig into the food.
He swallows and I watch his Adam’s apple bob. “This is really good,” he says.
“That’s the problem with you billionaires. You don’t know how to enjoy the small stuff. I keep telling you.”
“You billionaires? Are there a lot of us in your life?” He laughs, but I’m about to rain on his parade.
“Well, there’s Dax, the man my sister is engaged to. And?—”
“Your sister is engaged to a billionaire?” His expression is doubting.
“Dax Cove. Look him up.”
He pulls out his phone and starts typing. “Bitcoin billionaires. Two a penny.”
“Except his day job is medical research—like, saving lives and stuff. The way I see it, he deserves to be a billionaire.”
“Okay, so he’s a billionaire.”
“And then there are all his brothers—they’re wealthy. I’m not sure how wealthy, but Vincent has a plane. He owns the place where I’m staying. But you probably know that already, since I’m certain you and your paranoia have checked me out.”
He shrugs. “I check out everyone in my life.”
“I get it,” I say. “It’s difficult to trust people. I’d rather trust—albeit taking precautions—and get taken advantage of, than live less of a life because I can’t trust anyone.”
He doesn’t move his gaze from mine as he takes another bite of his burger.
“Tell me why you’re staying in the hotel and you don’t go into the office,” I ask.
His gaze flits over my shoulder and then across to scan the restaurant.
“Precautions,” he says. But he’s not looking at me. He’s looking everywhere but at me.
Have I pissed him off? Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything. He seems to be getting more and more uptight the more we sit here.
“Precautions about what?”
“I told you. I think someone’s been following me.”
“Right, but there must always be people who want to find you-know-who’s real identity. Why are you being so cautious now?”
“A few things.” He leans a little farther forward. “Does something feel off to you? It’s like the air has shifted or something.”
I glance around the restaurant and there’s… definitely something happening. Someone shouts in the distance and a murmur waves through the diners. Staff appears, moving tables around.
Maybe the paranoia is catching, but I swear I can hear the sound of camera shutters going off everywhere. “Bennett,” I whisper. “Did you hear that?”
He pulls in a breath and pulls down his cap. “I think we should leave.” He definitely heard it.
At that exact moment, there’s a little more activity at the entrance to the outdoor seating area. Some beefy-looking guys come through the gate and start looking around before a group of six to eight people follow.
I start to laugh as I recognize one of the faces amongst the group.
Bennett is half out of his seat.
“Sit down,” I whisper. “This is not about you. Seems like Tom Cruise likes Shake Shack just as much as me.”
He frowns in confusion. “What?”
“That’s what the fuss is all about.” I nod toward the party of guys on the other side of the restaurant. “Tom Cruise is in the building.”
Bennett finally lets out a chuckle, then sighs and sinks back into his seat. “Ahhh. I can enjoy this burger after all. I was thinking I might have to abandon my food, and that’s never a good feeling.”
I laugh and slot my legs between his, wanting to get closer to him and his smile. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
“The burgers are great,” he says, taking another bite.
“But you’re not comfortable. I didn’t expect you to be so… We should have ordered room service. Except then I’ll get fired, which is only a big deal because I don’t want to let down?—”
“One of your numerous brothers-in-law.”
“Right.” I grin at him.
“We should get away for the weekend,” he says.
“Like a romantical mini-break?” I suggest, picturing some country castle in Scotland.
“Somewhere in the middle of nowhere. A log cabin maybe.”
“Oh yes, I love a lack of flushing toilet. It’s just so intimate.”
He chuckles. “It’s your turn to be tense on our date.”
“True,” I reply. “If you want to take me away to a place without a flushing toilet, I would be delighted. I think I might follow you anywhere.” He raises his eyebrows, and I replay my own words back in my head. “As in, because I can’t get enough of you, not because I’m stalking you. For the record. In case that required clarification.”
He laughs again, and the sound washes over me like warm water and bubbles. “How can I resist a challenge like that?”