“No.” She gave him a curious look, as if she was wondering why his voice had suddenly shifted to cool and businesslike.
Well, hell, if she knew how he’d had to fight for that dispassionate tone, she’d have all the power here, wouldn’t she?
“Are you ready for dinner?”
“Yes, but they haven’t called our table yet and—”
“My table’s ready when I am,” he told her.
Both of her perfectly arched eyebrows lifted on her forehead. “Well, I hope you use your power for good instead of evil.”
He laughed shortly. He hadn’t expected to actually enjoy Mia’s company. She was just full of surprises. So, to continue her comic book theme, he said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
She gave him a wide smile as a reward and lust roared up inside him, hotter than before. Shaking his head, he told her, “Leave your drink. We’ll have champagne at the table.”
“Champagne?” she asked as she took his hand and slid off the bar stool. “Are we celebrating?”
“Shouldn’t we be?” he asked, catching her soft, floral scent as she moved closer. “We’re engaged, right?”
“Yes,” she said after a moment or two, “I guess we are.”
Her fingers curled around his and Dave felt heat slide through him so fast it was like a sudden fever.
But fevers burned themselves out fast; he’d do well to remember that.
He led her through the bar to the restaurant, where the hostess recognized him instantly and picked up two menus. “Welcome back, Mr. Firestone. If you and your guest will follow me…”
The young woman headed into the interior of Claire’s, where the lights were dim and the pristine, white linen tablecloths shone like snow in the darkness. Candles flickered madly, sending shadows dancing across the walls. Couples and larger groups sat at the tables and booths, their low-pitched voices no more than white noise. The same smooth jazz from the bar sighed into this room as well and gave the whole place a sense of intimacy.
Dave had brought a few dates here before, but mainly he used Claire’s as a place to talk business. The waitstaff was attentive but not cloying, so you had plenty of time to talk without being interrupted constantly.
Tonight, though, was a different kind of business.
And damn if he’d risk his future because his rock-hard body was screaming at him.
With his hand at Mia’s back, he steered her through the maze of tables and chairs. The cool silk of her shirt and the heat of her body mingled together to twist his guts into a knot that tightened with every breath.
The hostess showed them to Dave’s usual table, a secluded booth at the back of the restaurant, and once they were seated she moved off, leaving them alone. Mia picked up her menu immediately and Dave smiled. It was actually nice to be out with a woman who liked to eat. Most of the women he spent time with never ate more than a salad and, even with the dressing on the side, they seldom finished their meal. A little irritating to pay for food that ended up being tossed.
She looked at him over the top edge of her menu. “I’ve never been here before. It’s lovely.”
“Yeah,” he said, glancing around. “I suppose it is.”
He’d become so accustomed to Claire’s that he hadn’t bothered to even notice his surroundings in longer than he could remember. Now, seeing it through Mia’s eyes, he saw that it was more than a handy meeting spot. It was refined, yet casual enough to be comfortable.
In the candlelight, Mia’s skin looked like fine porcelain, her eyes reflected the dancing flame in the center of the table and her hair fell in long, soft waves over her shoulders. The top two buttons on her silk blouse were undone, giving him a peek at smooth skin that only made him want to see more.
Sure, he’d been attracted before, but this Mia was at a whole new level. She’d surprised him, and that wasn’t easy to do. He wondered what she was thinking as she stared back at him and realized that it was the first time he’d even cared what a woman was thinking. She was hitting him on so many different levels, it was almost impossible to keep up.
To get his mind off what his body was clamoring for, he said, “When I walked in tonight, you looked a million miles away.”
“What?” she frowned. “Oh.” Shrugging a bit, she said, “I was just remembering.”
Curiosity pinged inside him. “Remembering what?”
“My father,” she said simply.