Desired (Club Sin 3)

“There’s someone new.” Kyler folded his arms across his chest. “I’m just not sure Ella would want to be bombarded by the Morgan clan so soon.” Christ, he hadn’t even gone on a date with Ella and he was already planning to take her to meet his family and maybe bring her into Club Sin.

He wouldn’t pretend that didn’t mean something.

Which was exactly why he believed something special existed between them. He hadn’t had that instinct about a woman in a long time. He knew himself, knew what he wanted, and that was Ella. Not only for nights of hot pleasure, but, he hoped, for the real woman inside her.

The only thing standing in his way was her, and her insistence to keep things casual.

“All right,” his father said with a sparkle in his eyes. “I’ll let your mother know that you’re dating someone and she might be joining us.”

Kyler chuckled, rising from his seat. “Which I’m sure will lead to a hundred questions that will annoy you.” He opened the door and turned to his father. “I’m off this weekend, so I’ll see you Monday.”

Before Kyler could ste

p out of the office, his father asked, “Is Ella a nice girl?”

Kyler glanced over his shoulder and grinned. She’s sexy, and a little vanilla with a sweet submissive side. “Yeah, she’s nice.”

Chapter Nine

In a restaurant located in one of the top casinos along the Vegas strip, Ella folded her napkin over her lap. She looked to the glass wall with hundreds of wine bottles behind it. Then she glanced around the fancy five-star restaurant, enjoying the romantic atmosphere, with dim lights and candles on the white linen tables.

Wowzers.

Savannah had upscale restaurants, but she’d never been to one this grand. From the sleek black marble bar, to the crystal chandeliers, to the overall luxurious modern décor, she was in awe. And yeah, she was more than slightly stunned by the man sitting in front of her.

Kyler watched her with those piercing eyes and his mischievous smile, and she experienced the weight of his stare right down to her toes. He always seemed to be looking right through her, reading into her in a way that no one had before him.

With a dry mouth, she reached for her wineglass and took a large sip of her red wine. Part of her liked how he examined her. It made her feel special. The other part of her wanted to run away from his long studies. It sure seemed like he wanted to know everything about her, and he appeared to be on a full mission to do exactly that.

While most women might like his attentiveness, it induced nervous butterflies to set flight in her belly. Her past she wanted to keep to herself. She didn’t want to get that emotionally entangled.

Maybe Rory’s phone call earlier remained on her mind, but unease was like a cloud hanging over her. She almost wanted to talk to Kyler about it. He was a police officer. If anyone understood what she was going through, it’d be him. But her past was embarrassing, and the idea of sharing it made sickness roll through her.

Don’t look weak.

She’d always been a strong woman and had prided herself on that. She’d been through a lot in her twenty-six years, and she didn’t want sympathy to cross Kyler’s face when he discovered she was a woman who once had been pushed around. She wanted to leave the past behind her and live in the present.

“Are you ready to order?”

Ella broke eye contact with Kyler and realized they’d been staring at each other for a few minutes saying nothing at all. Seriously, Ella! Why in the hell was she thinking about Rory? She swallowed the heady emotion, looking to the young waiter.

“What’s the special tonight?” Kyler asked in a tight voice.

She felt his stare on her, but she kept her attention on the waiter. Desperate to pull herself back together, she pushed the thoughts of her past deep inside her. For some reason—and she couldn’t pinpoint why—being around Kyler made her want to shed it all.

Besides, wasn’t that a rule: Don’t talk about past lovers while out with other men?

“Our special tonight is the Trippa alla Fiorentina,” the waiter said.

Ella had no idea what that was, but that’s what she was going for. Try things you never would have done before. “Okay, I’ll get that.”

“Do you know what it is?” Kyler asked with an amused voice.

She turned to him and pointed. “Don’t tell me.” To the waiter, she said, “Just get me that Trippa thingy.”

With a smile, the waiter wrote it down on his notepad, then he asked Kyler, “And for you?”

“I’ll take the Brasato,” Kyler replied.