“So you like to watch, do you?”
Elsa’s cheeks burned, but still, she couldn’t take her eyes off of the attractive couple. She licked her lips and turned her head to see the wickedest of smiles on Mr. Black’s mouth.
“I thought you knew everything about me?”
His grin widened. “I strive to know everything about you, but there are just some things I can only learn by spending time with you.”
She returned his smile and glanced at the couple again when he gripped her hand.
“Are we going to stay here all night watching these two or go make our own fun?”
She wouldn’t mind staying to watch the conclusion, but something in his voice and statement urged her away from the amorous man and woman. Yes, she wanted to make her own fun with Mr. Black.
Two blocks later, her feet started to ache. Luckily they arrived at their final destination only a few minutes later. It looked like an upscale restaurant and when she peered into the window, it was bustling with well-dressed patrons. Suddenly feeling exposed in her see-through dress, she began to have second thoughts. Without a doubt people would see her naked body underneath, possibly even her tattoo. What a distressing thought.
Mr. Black seemed to sense her hesitation and smiled down at her as if amused with her discomfiture. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of her humiliation this evening and she straightened herself with pride.
As they waited for a table, a man who recognized Mr. Black approached them.
“I’m to be called by my given name in public,” he whispered in her ear.
“Victor!” the older, gray-haired and well-put together man put his hand on Victor’s shoulder.
The man’s eyes immediately focused on her face first then slowly moved down her body. Her face flushed under his probing gaze and she scanned her shoes - the ones that said, yes, she did like being fucked in bad ways. Undoubtedly, Victor was enjoying this.
His hand rested on the small of her back, giving her comfort when she felt a finger on her chin, bringing her face up.
“Say hello to District Attorney Drew Matheson.”
Elsa cringed but forced a smile. Here she was dressed like a call girl and meeting the esteemed District Attorney for Richmond. He thrust his hand at her and her good manners kicked in. She shook his hand and made brief, polite conversation about being new to the area. He seemed authentically interested as well as surprised, though she had no idea why.
“This is a treat,” he added when there was a break in conversation. “I can only think of one other time I’ve seen Vic in the company of a female and that was a very long time ago. You remember that, don’t you, Vic?” he glanced at Victor.
The muscle in Victor’s jaw quivered with agitation.
“You must be one special woman,” Drew added.
Her demeanor immediately brightened and her embarrassment abated. Victor’s large hand slipped around her waist, drawing her nearer to him as his expression darkened. Glaring at Drew, his grip tightened. He held her so close against his body, his heat could be felt penetrating the delicate fabric of her frock.
“She is special,” he commented, stunning Elsa. He leaned down into her ear and whispered so softly she could barely hear his words, “and mine.”
Too shocked at what he had just said and the way he reacted, she didn’t hear the rest of their exchange. Was this the real Victor in front of her or the Game Maker? She stared at him, dumbfounded and turned on. Never in a million years would she have guessed this man to be the jealous type – not with all his confidence and austerity. Anyway, whether or not she liked it, she was still just another Chapter according to his own words.
As the hostess seated them, she watched him closely for some sign of acknowledgement of what he had just told her, but he showed no further emotion.
She reached for the menu, when he gently pushed it down.
“There’s no need for you to worry over such things. I’ll order for you.”
It was hard to be offended by his offer and he did know her likes and dislikes, after all.
While he ordered for her, she slipped her shoes off under the table. The sexy platforms were meant to entice and not for any longer of a walk than it took to get to the bedroom. Once the waiter left, Victor reached under the table and took her foot into his strong hands and began circling his thumbs into her aching arch. His fingers explored the soft spots of her feet, the raw sensuousness of his touch scorching through her body. His eyes examined her face as he sat silently teasing her with his caressing fingertips.
He was so relaxed, she couldn’t resist taking advantage of his good mood. She had opened the door earlier with her question and he walked through it, and she wasn’t about to let him retreat again.
“When you said you’ve loved before, were you talking about your wife?” she cautiously inquired.
He shook his head and one side of his mouth lifted in a wry smirk. “I already told you I’m not married.”
“You also told me that lying is part of your game. So… are you lying?” she asked genuinely concerned.
The muscle in his jaw tensed even though the twinkle in his eyes was hard to miss. But, as ever, he was otherwise unreadable. When he didn’t immediately answer, her mouth became unbearably dry. She would be sickened if she found out he was married, not just heart sick, but physically ill.
“Please tell me you’re not married,” she pleaded.
He smiled, but didn’t answer.
“Please, Victor,” she begged again. His given name felt foreign on her lips.
His mouth parted as he blinked long and hard. What did that mean? Elsa was frantic as she formulated all sorts of things that would come from his mouth – an explosion of irritation for her continued prying or worse, an admission of being married.
Finally he answered smoothly, “I already did.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Amused, he chuckled while squeezing her foot. “I don’t really care if you do or not.”
Her eyes squinted critically and when she responded, she made sure there was no ambiguity in her statement. “You should because if I ever find out you’re being unfaithful to your spouse, I don’t care what you do to me, our agreement will be null and void.”
Victor’s brows went up, clearly enjoying their dialogue and his smile reached from ear-to-ear. “Null and void? Oh, Elsa, do you really think you can end things between us that easily?”
Exasperated that the conversation was going nowhere, she sighed. Why did he have to be so difficult? Would he always be like this? Would every bit of information she got from him have to be painfully extracted?
As she sat mulling over everything that had happened in the last ten hours, he reached his hand under the table and began massaging her other foot. This man… always brooding yet so damned irresistible.
Once their food arrived, they began eating in silence. Uncomfortable with the unnatural quietness, she started talking about the most mundane and nonsensical things. She could hear her own voice and how anxious she sounded, but it was like she was unable to shut herself up. She was nervous. Halfway through some ridiculous statement, Victor cut her off.
“Do you always find it necessary to try and fill the silence?”
She closed her mouth and shrugged. “I enjoy good conversation. When it’s not one-sided, that is.” Undeterred, she asked, “Do you enjoy your job?”
The corners of Victor’s eyes tightened as they strayed from her eyes to her mouth. “What job would that be, Ms. Cassidy?”
She immediately mentally cursed herself. She wasn’t supposed to know anything about him. Looking down at her food, she did her best to hold her composure and prayed he couldn’t see through her pretense. She could play this game, too. She met his gaze and didn’t blink an eye. “Whatever job is it that you do.”