The Bride (The Boss 3)

I shook that feeling away. It had nothing to do with me. Obviously, Neil wanted me. I saw it in his eyes every time he looked at me. It was just plain stupid to blame myself for a problem I hadn’t caused, or feel resentful because he was willing to take medication in order to fuck me. Actually, looking at it in that light, it more than proved that he wanted me.

He was a pretty great fiancé.

When they brought us a small, elegantly arranged dish of thin white sashimi, I almost dug right in, until I heard the word “fugu” in the explanation of what he’d set before us.

“Fugu?” The blood drained from my face. “Can’t that kill you?”

“I suppose it could,” Neil said, lifting a slice with his chopsticks. “So could riding in a car, flying in a plane—Bobby Darin died from having his teeth cleaned.”

“You realize how dated that reference is, right?”

The waiter looked a bit annoyed at my doubt. “Chef Masa is one of the most highly regarded itamae in the world.”

“I can’t argue with that,” I said with a little laugh, hoping to smooth over my faux pas. I didn’t even think about the fact that I was calling the chef’s skill into question, especially when he’d agreed to serve us after normal restaurant hours. “I’ve loved everything so far.”

“Yes, it’s all been utterly fantastic,” Neil added. “And tell Takayama I give my regards. I’m not ignoring him.”

Now the waiter smiled graciously. “You’re having a romantic evening. He understands. For anyone else, though…”

Neil laughed. “I promise, I won’t abuse the privilege.”

When the waiter left, I cocked my head and folded my arms over my chest. “Is there anyone in this city that you don’t know?”

He considered. “Jay-Z and Beyoncé.”

Damn.

I eyed the piece of death fish still dangling from Neil’s chopsticks. “Are you really going to risk it?”

“Not this piece. This one is for you.” His raised eyebrows and close-mouthed smirk issued his challenge, but he had to really grind it in. “Unless you’re scared?”

I leaned over the table and opened my mouth so he could carefully place the nearly transparent slice of blowfish on my tongue. Trying not to think too much on it, I chewed and swallowed and smirked right back at him.

“I knew you’d do it,” he said, smiling to himself as he took another piece.

Since I hadn’t stopped breathing yet, I supposed I would survive, and I took another slice. “You knew you could make me.”

The warm light in the room cast a gleam in his green eyes as he looked up from the plate between us. Every now and again, I would see him exactly as I saw him at the beginning of our relationship, when I’d been so smitten with his good looks and charm that my ribs would ache. He was no less handsome or charming now, but time together had made me take that for granted.

Until moments like this. And when they happened, they stole my breath away.

His lips curved in a barely perceptible smile. “I can’t make you do anything, Sophie.”

After dinner, Neil made one last attempt to wrestle his surprise out of me. As he got into the car, he asked, “Shouldn’t you tell Tony where we’re going?”

“He knows where to take us.” It was a wonderfully smug feeling, being the one surprising him again.

“You know, my life has been filled with such uncertainty as of late,” he joked, but I knew he hated the lack of control. He’d enjoyed his party, but I could tell it irrationally bugged him to not be captaining the ship, so to speak.

“It’s going to be worth it,” I promised, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

The ride was mostly quiet, with Neil staring out the windows, trying to guess where we were headed. He spared the occasional glance at my purse, as though he could see the collar inside. I practically bounced in my seat. I was so happy that he hadn’t figured it out.

We pulled up to the curb, and slowly it dawned on him.

“Sophie…you didn’t.” Neil took in the front of the building with wide eyes as he stepped from the car.

“The Wow suite,” I said, answering the question he hadn’t explicitly asked. “I thought it would be a good birthday present.” I slipped my arm through his and led him inside.