Having dated Lycan women exclusively, most of his bed partners had been eager to please him—no, scratch that, they were eager to please the future Alpha of New York. They all acted submissive in bed, letting him take over and dominate them. But Sofia didn’t have a submissive bone in her body, and he was looking forward to find out what she was like in bed.
And the other problem was that the damned woman refused to let him sweep her off her feet.
Not counting their breakfast date, he had taken her out two nights in a row, one to a Japanese restaurant with a famous celebrity chef, and the other was a Michelin-starred restaurant that usually needed a year’s reservation in advance. Though she seemed happy enough with the food and even gracious when they met the chefs at both places, she just didn’t seem impressed.
He was used to women being dazzled by the glitz and glamour of what he could offer, but Sofia didn’t have the usual wide-eyed surprise most of his previous dates did. Instead, she seemed eager to get on with the meal. He was pulling out all the stops and she didn’t even seem fazed, like she dined at exclusive restaurants all the time. She was also annoyed that each time she tried to pay, the waiter told her that the bill had been taken care of and refused to let her see the check.
So now, on their third date at the private-dining room of a famous TV chef, she shot him a dirty look when the waiter shook his head when she handed him her card.
“Will you stop doing that?” she huffed, training her annoyed gaze on him. “You can’t expect me to just keep letting you pay. I do hold a job, you know.”
He did know that, but also knew that detectives probably didn’t make a lot, at least not enough to be able to afford all these places. “What’s wrong with the restaurants I’ve been taking you to? Aren’t they good enough?”
“Good enough?” she asked, puzzled.
His irritation was rising. “I’ve taken you out three times now and you don’t seem impressed.”
“I don’t?” Her expression changed. “Oh, no. I’m sorry, Lucas.” She shook her head. “It’s not that I’m not impressed—I don’t even know how you managed a reservation at the last place. It’s just that …” She let out a breath. “I don’t know. These restaurants, they all seem stuffy and boring. You don’t have to take me to these fancy places to impress me, you know.”
Her explanation rendered him speechless.
She gave him a smirk. “And I know I can’t afford these places, but you really have to let me pay sometime. At least half.”
“I’m the one who invited you out, so I should pay,” he insisted.
“Fine.” She put her napkin down. “Lucas, will you go out with me?”
That took him aback. “Go out with you?”
“What? I haven’t made a good enough impression to warrant a fourth date?” She sounded hurt but was grinning when she said those words.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll go out with you. When?”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday, and I have to go home to Queens, so it’ll have to be Monday.”
He didn’t want to wait more than twenty-four hours to see her, but he knew how important her family was. “All right, I’ll be ready.”
“I’ll choose the restaurant, I’ll pick you up, and I’ll pay.”
The smile on her face was worth swallowing his pride.
On their last three dates, he had picked her up at home, but this time, Sofia insisted on doing the same for him. She showed up at exactly six o’clock on the dot.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his eyes roaming over her face. Her hair was done up, and she wore only the most minimal makeup to enhance her features. As always, he found himself staring at her lips, thinking about kissing them again.
“Thank you, but I’m taking you out, so I should be the one giving the compliments.”
“All right then,” he challenged, spreading his arms. “What do you think?”
“Meh, you clean up nice.” A smile tugged up at the corner of her mouth as he gave her a mock hurt expression. “Just kidding. You’re beautiful too. C’mon.”
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I have the whole night planned, but it’s a surprise.” She led him down the steps, where there was a waiting yellow cab. “Come, my finest chariot awaits.”
“You’re not driving?” he asked.
“This place has great, if overpriced, wine, so I’m planning to splurge,” she said. “And besides, parking downtown is hell if I’m not on official duty.”
“And where is this place?”
“I’m not telling.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Don’t worry, it’ll be up to your standards, but I promise you, it isn’t stuffy or snooty.”
When she attempted to open the door, that was where he drew the line. Instead, he pushed her aside gently and pulled on the handle, then let her go in. He sent a quick text message to Reyes, who was in the town car parked behind the cab, then slid inside to join Sofia.
“You’ve been to this place before?” he asked as the vehicle began to move. She didn’t even have to tell the cabbie the address, which meant he had no idea where they were going.
“No, but my parents went twice,” she said. “The first was on their first date and the second when my dad proposed to my mom.”
He felt her tense beside him, and her cheeks went pink. The implication, of course, wasn’t lost on him either. “So, the food’s good, huh?” He wanted to spare her the embarrassment. “Even better than your grandfather’s place?”
She laughed. “Supposedly, though I’m not really fond of Italian food. My mom said the chef was even nice enough to come
