Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JADE
“He was close... too close. Yet, I didn’t want him to move.” - Clara Foss, Painted Inferno
The elevator dings as it reaches the first floor. My stomach knots and I push my curled hair over my shoulders, adjusting my purse when the doors finally open.
This isn’t a date.
That’s been my mantra all day. While I fixed my hair and my makeup. While I stood in front of my closet and tried on seventeen different outfits. There’s no reason for me to feel this nervous about getting dinner.
I grab the top hem of my black high-waisted jeans, hiking them up a little higher, and straighten the buckle of my designer belt. Since it’s not a date, I opted for a pair of black jeans, a cream-colored tight-fitting sweater, and a pair of heeled boots.
It’s nothing too fancy, yet not too casual. Matteo didn’t tell me where we’re going tonight, so this is what he’s getting.
When I reach the front door to my apartment building, I see Matteo just beyond the sidewalk. He’s leaning back against the side of his sleek, black SUV, arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankles.
Jesus Christ, looking as good as he does should be a crime.
Our gazes meet through the glass. My breath catches as Matteo’s eyes hold mine. His gaze rakes down the length of my body as I slowly push open the door, swallowing hard.
He’s wearing a pair of jeans, a dark shirt beneath his normal bomber jacket, and a pair of white sneakers. His hair’s tousled in loose waves, brushed away from his face. I step through the doorway, welcoming the brisk air as it chases away the heat that encapsulates my body.
February has a tendency of being just as brutal as January, although we’ve been lucky lately with warm air coming from the coast.
However warm that air might be, it’s not the cause of the fire spreading through my veins.
It’s Matteo Ford and the way those steel gray eyes drink me in.
“Hey,” he says softly as I stop in front of him. He pushes away from the side of the SUV, his body towering above mine.
I smile. “Hey yourself.”
He shifts to the left, bending at the waist as he pulls open the car door. Those damn eyes meet mine once more, a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips.
“After you, Sunny.”
“Thank you.” I bob my head, half curtseying before climbing into the SUV.
The dark red interior is lush and elegant.
It smells like him and leather. Matteo waits until I’m seated before shutting the door and walking around to the other side.
“Where are we going?” I ask as he gets in behind the steering wheel.
He puts the car in drive, the engine purring quietly as he pulls away from the curb. “To get dinner.” He looks at me from the corner of his eye. “You have a track record of forgetting to eat, so it’s only right for me to make sure you do.”
“I thought we were celebrating?”
“Two birds, one stone.” The corner of his mouth twitches. His voice lowers. “I’m an efficient man, Jade.”
I inhale sharply, my stomach fluttering as his quiet chuckle fills the air around us. Why do I keep ending up in close quarters with this man? It’s impossible to escape him when we’re in such close proximity to one another.
His scent, his sound. He’s everywhere.
He’s temporary.
“Did you do anything to celebrate yet?”
His question catches me off guard, but effectively pulls me out of my own thoughts.
“No,” I admit, shaking my head. “I haven’t been doing much other than writing.”
“Is it hard?”
“It depends on the day. I have a tendency of overthinking things, so sometimes it takes me all day to write a single chapter.” I sigh. “I really do enjoy it, but some days, it’s so taxing.”
“I’m sure it’s hard to stay in a creative state if you get interrupted or have to take a break when you’re not ready to.”
I nod and chance a look at him. “It really is. Most people don’t understand it.”
“I won’t pretend like I do,” he says with a soft laugh, turning the car down another street. “It just seems like it would be.”
“Well, your assessment isn’t wrong.” I glance out the window, my eyebrows tugging closer together. We’re still in Hillford, only a ten-minute drive from my apartment building, but I’ve never ventured over this way before. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see in a second,” he says with a wink. “We’re almost there.”
We drive to the end of the street, and he takes a left, pulling up in front of a massive brick building on the right side of the street. My brow furrows and I look at Matteo as he puts the car in park but leaves the engine running.
“We’re here,” he says, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Valet will park the car.”
“Where the hell are we?”
Matteo chuckles again but doesn’t comment as he climbs out of the SUV. I stare at him as he strides around the front of the car, confidence radiating off him. A man I didn’t notice before greets him on the sidewalk. They shake hands, exchanging a few brief words before Matteo walks over to my side.
He opens the door, tilting his head as he catches my gaze. “Your seatbelt.”
“What?” I look at it. My head is such a mess right now. I huff out a laugh, heat creeping up my neck as I undo the seatbelt and climb out.
Matteo smiles, offering me his elbow to lead me to the front of the building. There isn’t a single window. No lights except the one above the metal door that looks like it’s a hole in a brick wall.
My stomach does a somersault and my heart flutters as I quickly look at him and then back to the door. Matteo pulls it open just as his car moves away from the curb.
This feels like the beginning of a horror movie.
“Okay, full stop.” My feet freeze in place, and I give a little tug on his elbow to get him to stop. I look at him, my heart pounding with either excitement or the possibility of letting him walk me to my death. “I’ve seen this movie before.”
“Are you always so dramatic?” He asks, cocking his head to the side. He’s holding the door open, enough for me to see it’s dimly lit inside. I can’t make anything else out.
“When I’m brought to a place that looks like it’s straight out of a scary movie, hell yes.”
He raises both eyebrows, looking at the building and then back at me. “Okay, I see your point. It’s a restaurant that’s reservation only. It’s not open to the public.”
That’s what they all say in situations like this.
Matteo lets out a sigh, pulling the door open farther. “Just trust me?”
I don’t move at first. My eyes scan his face, searching for any hint of malevolence. He stares back at me with the same relaxed face I’ve grown accustomed to studying.
“Fine, but you’re going in first.”
His responding laughter circles around me, like a warm cloak. He shakes his head at me, rolling his eyes before he steps inside first. He holds the door for me, and I hesitantly follow him.
We step into a small foyer area with dark marble floors. The walls are a deep, forest green with elegant landscape paintings wrapped in gold frames. Across from where we’re standing is a mahogany desk with a beautiful blonde woman standing on the other side of it, holding a tablet.
“Welcome to the Ivory Table.” She smiles brightly. “Are you Mr. Ford?”
He nods as he walks ahead of me. “I have a reservation for two at eight o’clock.”
“Right this way,” the hostess says as she leads us through the door behind her.
It opens into a room that matches the appearance of the foyer. It’s rich and moody in color and décor. The perimeter of the room is lined with private booths and the center has a dozen round tables perfectly arranged.
The dim lighting in the room comes from the light fixtures above. Except they aren’t electric lights. They’re all candles.
Matteo steps to the side, motioning for me to slide into the round booth first. I do, scooting across the seat as he slides in after me. He leaves about three feet between us with his body angled toward me.
“Is still water fine?”
“Yes,” Matteo says as he takes two menu boards from her, handing one to me. “That’s all I’ll be drinking tonight.”
I want to ask him why he isn’t ordering a mixed drink, but I stop myself. It’s rude and frankly, none of my business. Drinking doesn’t have to be a requirement for dinner.
Although, some alcohol would definitely take the edge off right now.
“And you, miss?”
“Water is fine for me too.”
She nods, pausing before rattling off the specials. I look down at the menu board, scanning the options as she disappears for a minute. We order our food when she returns with the water. I opt for a salad and the fish entrée and Matteo surprises me when he orders the same.
I take a sip of my water, and am suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to fill the silence that stretches between us.
“So, do you bring all of your dates here?”
Shit. My face pales. Why did I ask that? Candy would never ask something like that.
Matteo arches a brow. “Are we on a date, Sunny?”
“No,” I say in a rush, shaking my head. “That’s not what I meant. I —”
What the hell did I mean?
“I’ve never brought anyone here before. I’ve only been here once before, with my mother.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” he says, wrapping his long fingers around his glass of water. I can’t tear my eyes away as he lifts it to his lips. I’m mesmerized at the way he tips his head back, exposing the strong column of his neck as the liquid flows into his mouth and his throat works as he swallows.
Sucking in a breath, I rip my gaze from him, and look around the room, marveling at the intricate designs carved into the crown molding. “This place is amazing. I had no idea it was even here.”
“Isn’t it? It’s hard as hell to get a reservation. They book at least a month in advance.”
I tilt my head to the side. “How did you manage to get one?”
“It’s a secret,” he says before cracking a smile. “I’m kidding. My parents know the owner. I asked them to let me know if there was a cancellation for tonight and someone ended up cancelling their reservation last night.”
“Well, aren’t you lucky?”
“I am.” His eyes seem to darken. “I’m here with you, aren’t I?”