I sat down alone and closed my eyes for a brief moment, reflecting on everything that had happened since the last time I’d been here. I knew Declan’s secret. My dad knew Declan’s secret. And now Xander new Declan secret.
What kind of danger did that put us in?
Chapter 22
“Champagne, miss?”
My eyes flew open and my breath caught. It was just the waiter carrying glasses and a bottle of champagne I didn’t even want to guess the price of.
I gave him a wobbly smile. “Yes, please.”
That might help call my nerves some. After I had taken a few sips that warmed my insides, Xander arrived with wide eyes.
He’d put on a sports coat over dark jeans, and it made me smile. I was pretty sure they had a dress code here, but they probably waived any guidelines when it came to Declan. Besides, this was dressed up for Xander.
The hostess gestured to the table, and Xander gave her a smile before seating himself across from me. “Oh my God,” he whispered, leaning in. “Since when do we have connections?”
I laughed. “Since I got my fake job.”
The waiter appeared again to pour a glass of champagne for Xander. Xander waited until the waiter left before his lips curved and he said, “Even the waiters here are cute. This place is too good to be true. No wonder there’s a waiting list. Except when you have connections.”
Evidently. I was going to have to get used to that. Declan had connections. He was a billionaire. And it seemed the son of a brilliant scientist. Butterflies whirled in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if it was a product of the champagne or the fact that I was getting myself in deep with someone I hardly knew.
“How does it feel returning to the scene of the crime?” Xander asked.
I blinked and turned my attention back to him. “What?”
Xander lowered his voice, having the presence of mind to stay discreet. “The scene of the crime,” he said, lifting and lowering his eyebrows. “This was where you found out the man is more than a man. More than mere mortal. Superhuman. Or maybe you could say—”
With a laugh, I cut him off. “Okay, Mr. Thesaurus. I get it. Yes, it’s weird. Before, I was trying to find out secrets. I was trying to expose him.”
Xander got a wicked look on his face. “And then you did expose him—if you know what I mean.”
I groaned. “How is your mind always in the gutter?”
“How is your mind not always in the gutter? Especially around Mr. Tall, Dark, and Superhuman.”
It was a fair point. And my mind was probably in the gutter a lot more than he knew or a lot more than I realized.
Xander lifted his glass toward the waiter, who was standing across the room, apparently waiting for us. It seemed we were his only table. Connections.
The waiter came over and poured Xander another glass of champagne. He filled my glass as well after checking if I wanted more and inquired if we were ready to order.
I glanced to the front of the restaurant, hoping to see Declan, but he was nowhere to be found. For a brief moment, I thought he might have left. That he might have decided with a snap of a finger that I wasn’t worth it and he was getting his ass out of here.
Don’t do it, I told myself. These were the kinds of doubts that had gotten me in trouble in college. I’d been hopelessly in love with a boy who hadn’t loved me back, but he’d strung me along and I’d been too stupid to realize it. I was constantly left wondering if I was less than. If he was just using me or he actually cared.
It turned out he was just using me. But those doubts weren’t healthy—at least not in a healthy relationship. And if I was going to start to have them already in this relationship, then it wasn’t off to a good start.
“Speaking of Mr. Tall, Dark, and you know,” Xander said.
I gave him a tight smile and looked up at the waiter. “He’ll be here in a minute.”
And I was right. Less than a minute later, Declan walked through the door, adjusting his tie as he strode purposely toward our table.
When he saw me and our gazes connected, I felt a jolt straight to my core. His eyes were like lightning, a bolt of electricity that hit me hard. His lips parted as though he felt it too. My sex clenched in anticipation. Fuck, he was hot. And he looked hungry.
I licked my lips and then scooted back my chair. I wanted to ask Declan if everything was okay and if he was okay too.
Declan set a gentle hand on my shoulder to stop me from getting up. I could feel the barely restrained strength in it, though. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Don’t get up. Everything is fine.”
How did he always do that? Anticipate what I was going to say? Was I that easy to read or were we just that in sync?
I decided to trust his words for now, not only because it was our first night out together, but because Xander was here too.
Declan leaned over to shake Xander’s hand and then pulled out the chair next to me. The waiter came over immediately and poured Declan a glass of champagne.
He gestured to my glass. “Have you had any?”
I nodded and smiled. “It’s good.”
But now my stomach was swirling with nerves again, and I didn’t know how much more I could drink. Declan seemed to sense this
