15. The Not Date

Chapter 15

The Not Date

" R elax," he suggested, making me frown before tearing my eyes from the window to look at him.

"You know this is kidnapping, right?"

He laughed and said, "No, this is me taking you on the date you agreed to, where we will be surrounded by people as we share a meal together. This isn't me chaining you to my wall and gifting myself with something beautiful to look at."

I started choking on a cough as the imagine he just painted entered my brain with the power of a herd of stampeding horny elephants. Of course, I also lingered on the fact he just called me beautiful, although I tried to hide this fact with my response.

"Wow, okay, good to know what your interpretation of kidnapping is."

He grinned at me and asked, "And what is yours?"

"I don't know, duct tape and a ransom note," I replied.

His first response was to pluck my hand from my lap and bring it to his lips like he had done last night.

"Oh, trust me, sweetheart, if I were to kidnap you, there wouldn't be a ransom note."

Jesus, my heart was not going to survive this man much longer. It felt like it wanted to just open my ribcage like a door and wish me well before it fucked off on vacation.

"A phone call to the cops, then?" I asked, making his lips twitch against my hand after he had kissed it.

"Funny girl," he muttered as if to himself, and the tingles it gave me were through the roof. To the point that I couldn't look at him, instead focusing back on the window. Something easier to do now he had taken to holding my hand instead of kissing it.

"Oh wait, we just passed the ice cream place," I informed him, hoping he had been lying about the meal.

"I will get you ice cream later," he said, making my whole body tense.

"Later?" I practically squeaked out.

"After dinner," he stated, as if this was absolute.

"But I am not dressed for dinner," I told him, hoping this would get me out of it.

"Nor do you need to be," he said, making me frown down at myself. My usual denim blue jeans, long-sleeved light-gray, knitted sweater and khaki winter jacket didn't exactly match his sexy black suit. He was wearing a deep red shirt beneath it, and a silk black tie folded with perfect precision at his neck. His hair, like last night, was pushed back from his handsome face, half of which was tied with what looked like a thin length of leather.

The rough hairstyle, along with his trimmed dark beard, was a complete contrast to the smart, expensive cut of his suit, telling me he wasn't a man that liked to follow convention. I even wondered if there would be the sight of a tattoo adorning his muscular body when he was naked. Even with the layers, there was no chance of masking a body like that.

"Why? Are you taking me to the drive thru?" I asked, knowing there was no way I was walking into some fancy place with him looking like that, and me looking like some charity case he just found on the sidewalk.

However, he scoffed at this and told me, "Not happening."

Before I had chance to argue further, we were pulling up to my current worse nightmare.

A fancy restaurant.

I opened my mouth ready to repeat what he had just said back at him, only to find him exiting the car. I felt like reaching over and handing the driver all the money I possessed, asking him to high tail it out of here.

But wait… why was he still in the driver's seat? Because every other time I'd been in this car, he was the one to open the door. Well, clearly Victor had different ideas because, this time, he was the one to open my door and offered me his hand.

A hand I really didn't want to take.

Although my ‘date' really hadn't got that memo because he flipped the switch and the stern, bossy Victor was back, demanding,

"Take my hand, Nessa."

I swallowed hard at the authority that laced each word like it was law and gave him my hand, unable to help myself. Then I let him pull me from the car until I was left gaping up at him, blurting out the question,

"Why can't I say no to you?"

He answered first with a smirk and second by wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me closer. My breath left me on a lightheaded whoosh, as he leaned down.

"Because secretly, you don't want to," he told me seductively and damn him… he wasn't wrong.

Although he also didn't do what I wanted him to do in that moment because instead of kissing me, he released his hold on me and took my hand so he could lead me to the last place I wanted to go.

"I can't… please, can we just… I don't know, stay in the car and talk?" I asked, and something in my voice must have been enough for him to realize that I wasn't joking. Which was when he stopped leading me toward the fancy entrance that had a foreign word written above it called,

He turned to face me, and I felt his crooked fingers under my chin, tipping my head the way he wanted it.

"Look at me," he demanded when I avoided his intense gaze.

"Alright, sweetheart, now this is what is going to happen, we are going to walk in there and…"

"But…" I tried to interrupt.

"I have not finished," he stated firmly, making my mouth snap shut, letting him continue. "You are going to realize that there is nothing to worry about, because you are perfect just the way you are and if anyone dares to say otherwise or makes you feel as if you don't belong, then they suffer the consequences."

I swear I felt like I was trying to swallow molasses.

"Consequences?" I questioned. He had made that one-word sound like something deadly.

Who the hell was this guy?

"They will be asked to leave or if they work there, they will lose their jobs."

My mouth dropped before I engaged my brain enough to ask, "Lose their jobs?"

He grinned down at me, running the backs of his fingers down my cheek and adding to the tender look he gave me.

"I own the restaurant, Sweetheart."

I mouthed the word, ‘Oh', giving him another reason to smile, although this time he added,

"Cute as fuck." Then he kissed me on my forehead and, again, my breath left me. In fact, I was so lost in my happy heart flutter that I didn't even realize I had been walked inside before my eyes widened at the beauty of the place.

A curtain of thin black rope hung behind the hostess, someone who clearly recognized her boss.

But my eyes were elsewhere as the dark gray walls would have been foreboding had it not been for the magnificent painted domed ceiling. A picture that told a story of ancient gods and mythical creatures at war. The center of all the glorious heavenly chaos was what looked like a golden, glass heart hanging down the center, lit up from inside. It cast a warm glow that mirrored the same golden glass light fixtures on the walls. Black velvet covered seats were situated around gold leaf tables, each with its own little golden lamp in the middle. The floor was a dark slate, that looked rough and mirrored the textured walls.

I also noticed that Victor started speaking immediately in what sounded like Greek to the woman, before she could even open her mouth. Another man, who was most likely the manager, heard this and walked over, greeting Victor like he was royalty. Seriously, he even bowed his head a little, making me wonder if it was a culture thing? Their eyes widened before turning to me and granting me a warm smile,

"Good evening, Miss Cadell, welcome to Kardiá," said the man who looked to be in his early fifties and had salt and pepper hair.

"Erm… thank you. It's lovely," I said because it was, and also because I didn't know what else to say. Meanwhile, I tried to ignore the heated look Victor was giving me. One that only ended when the woman at the desk asked,

"May I take your jacket?"

This was something Victor didn't allow, because he quickly insisted, "Allow me."

Then he came to my shoulders and just like last night, he removed my jacket. Doing so with his middle fingers extended enough so he could run his fingers down my arm as he peeled away the thick material. Shamefully, it also meant that he could feel my shiver when doing so.

He handed the man my jacket and with a hand on the small of my back, started to lead me to what I gathered was his usual table. It was set for two and in the most secluded part of the restaurant, where it was portioned off and looked to be a VIP area.

"Thank you," I said, blushing as he pulled my chair out for me, doing what the waiter never got the chance to do. I had never in all my life been treated like this by a man before and it kept making me feel like I was living a fairytale moment.

"This place is amazing," I told him, looking around in awe, and seeing the painting better now. The Gods all with their statuesque bodies, with rippling muscle on show and golden weapons in their hands all aimed at the enemies. It looked as if it had been painted by a master artist.

"I am glad you like it. Have you ever eaten Greek food before?" he asked, after nodding for the waiter to give us a minute.

"I haven't, no, but I am excited to try it," I admitted, surprising myself because now that I was inside, I was far too intrigued to let my previous worries ruin the experience.

"That makes me happy to hear. But may I make a suggestion?"

I finally stopped looking around the place and taking it all in to focus on Victor.

"Sure," I told him.

"Would you allow me to order for the both of us and have the chef prepare some of my favorites?"

I grinned big at that, an expression he mirrored because, clearly, he liked making me happy.

"Yes, that's a great idea. ‘Cause God only knows what I would end up ordering and, well, it's clear you speak the language. So, is that where you're from then, Greece?" I asked, speaking way too fast and making those handsome lines at the corners of his eyes deepen as he tried to hide his grin behind the hand that rubbed his jawline.

"I am originally from Greece, yes," he told me, and with his dark hair and slightly tanned skin, I could see it.

"What does the name of this place mean?" I asked, noticing the gold lettering on the menu and tracing the fancy lines with my fingertip.

At this he repeated the word in a sexy way, a rumbled word that made me want to hear it being whispered in my ear.

Especially when he told me what it meant.

"Kardiá…"

"…It means, Heart."