Sins (Havoc of Sins #3)

Chapter 8

Kenna

T he hangover drink Dale made for me shook like Jell-O as it sat in the cupholder of the golfcart. He claimed the drink worked miracles, but now I wondered if I’d been the butt of a nasty joke. It looked like green cement and snail sludge blended to taste like what I assumed a cat’s asshole would be like. Every sip was a constant battle with my stomach to keep the shit down. Thankfully, Salazar suffered just as badly as I did, and a few times he looked like he might be sick as well.

“Where were you two?” his friend asked as we rolled up late, and Salazar slowly shook his head as he didn’t want to answer. “You think you can do the next one?” The guy chuckled and swung like a pro.

We rode in silence to the next hole. To say we were both hungover was an understatement, but at least we were in this hell together.

Salazar pulled a big plastic cup from between the seats and gagged as he took a sip.

“He got you too?” I held up mine and showed him the name the shit had written on the side of it. Hate me now, thank me later.

“Did you see what he put in this thing?” He dropped the cup back in the holder and took the iron the caddy held out. “Green tea, coconut milk, and tomato juice. The man should be punished. What a combination.” He made a face.

“I’m willing to conspire on something violent if you’re up for it.” I pulled my ball hat down, hoping to block more of the sun, but it didn’t work.

“This is why we’re friends, Kenna.” He chuckled lightly.

“I’ve yet to see you swing.” His buddy came up. “And you’re trying to sell me.” Salazar shot him a look, and he shut up but winked at me. Clearly, they had a good relationship. “Have you seen him play before?”

“I have.” I felt my phone vibrate, but the idea of even moving to answer made my head swim.

“He any good?”

Salazar got out and walked to the tee then immediately took a swing and launched the ball straight toward the flag on the next green. My eyes hurt as I watched, but I saw it had landed only about a foot away from the cup.

“Damn,” his buddy muttered, “here I was thinking I had a leg up because I got him so drunk last night.”

I grinned, knowing Salazar’s play. “Did he tell you he was a righty too?”

His face fell. “He did.”

“Yeah,” I chuckled as Salazar returned and handed his club to the caddy, “he’s ambidextrous.”

“Shit!” He rubbed his mouth and I realized he must have bet a lot on each hole. “Since you look like shit, my friend, maybe we should do this another day?”

“No.” Salazar climbed back onto his seat in the cart, and we tore off toward the next green. When we were far enough away, he turned to look at me. “The next hole, he bet his beach house in Bali for a month.”

I grinned. “Let’s take him down.”

It wasn’t until three that I felt human again, and maybe it was because of the burger I swallowed down with no shame at the Iron Bar with Salazar.

“Can I ask you something?” I downed some lemon water.

He leaned back in his chair and seemed more relaxed now that we’d found some shade and food. “Is it about last night and where it was we met?”

“No, we don’t ever need to discuss that night.”

He smiled. “Then ask away.”

I dabbed my mouth with the napkin. “How are you and Yen Hong?”

“Better, actually.” He thanked the waiter who took his plate away. “We even had lunch the other day.”

“I’m impressed.” I dove into my fries.

“To be honest, so am I. Yen isn’t the most forgiving man. But I think he knows what happened wasn’t intentional, and that I don’t conduct business that way. I didn’t mean to take his business deal from him, but business is shady in our world, and we can’t always predict what a seller is capable of.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I also appreciate that you said something to him.”

I held up my hands, but he tilted his head to show he knew. “I hope I didn’t overstep, but I was in Hong Kong, and we got to talking.”

“It means a lot that you had my back. You’re good people, Kenna.”

“Kenna!” Grim’s sharp voice made me jump in my seat. I looked up and saw he wore quite the usual scowl. “Excuse the interruption, but I need to steal Kenna away.”

“Of course.” Salazar sat straighter. “Is everything all right, Mr. Gates?”

“No.” Grim held out a hand and helped me stand. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

I threw an apologetic smile to Salazar as Grim pulled me toward the car where his driver, Cartwright, waited with the door open. I slipped inside and held myself back from blasting him until I had a better handle on what was going on.

I didn’t react as Grim sat and snatched my purse from where it lay on my lap. Cartwright took off so quickly I lurched in my seat, and Grim’s free hand landed on my lap as if to anchor me. Once the car hit the main road, he removed my phone and hit the screen. “Ah, so, it is working.” I noticed several missed calls from him.

“I was with a client.” I plucked it from his hand. “What the hell is going on?”

“Repercussions, that’s what.”

I wasn’t following. “What the hell does that mean?” I felt my temper simmer as he refused to answer.

We turned down a familiar side street and came to a stop. Grim gave me a strange look as if trying to decide about something then opened the door and waited for me to follow. I hesitated as a cold feeling crept over me and replaced my anger. I stepped out and headed toward him but stayed a foot or so back. I followed his gaze, and that was when I saw Tracy. Her body had been thrown among the trash. Her freckled face was stark white above the terrible red slash at her throat. I saw her mouth had been taped shut.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered, “we’re only a block from Minnie’s club.” I covered my mouth as I felt my stomach roll. “I did this. I paid her to say where I was.”

“No,” Grim growled, “Potens did it.” He pointed to the figure drawn roughly on her forearm with black marker. Just like Leo’s. “I did warn you there’d be consequences, Kenna.” At my reaction, he seemed to relent a little and put a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go. Jesse’ll be here with the police any minute.”

I let him direct me back to the car, and once inside, he draped his arm along the back of the seat. “I showed you that because it could have been you.”

“I know,” I looked out the window as a shiver went through me, “but she deserved it.” I wanted to justify it. “She took that video of me killing Matt and sold it to him.”

“That she did.” His fingers fiddled with the strap of my dress. “That being said, you see why I want you to sleep at my place?”

“No, I really don’t.” I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to argue, however, and let it go. Thankfully, Cartwright pulled up to Indulge, and I hopped out before Grim could hold me hostage.

“Ding-dong, the bitch is gone.” Minnie grabbed my arm as I entered the lobby. “You good? Because, really, who are we to stand in the way of destiny?”

“I moved out of the way.” I chuckled darkly. “We might be able to find a lead on someone’s camera when he dumped the speckled bitch.”

“Kenna,” Grim growled from behind me, but I kept walking, and he turned and headed toward the elevator.

Minnie looked over at me, and I shot her a smirk. “What’s he done now?”

“It’s about what I’m doing.” I felt a new sense of control over myself.

She squeezed my arm. “Tell me.”

“He wants me to spend my nights with him due to all that’s going on.” Minnie rolled her eyes, and I nodded and rolled my eyes in agreement. “I told him if he wants that, he’s going to have to earn it. He’s hurt me too damn many times for me to just cave. Why should I do as he says?”

“Well, that just tickled my twat, Kenna!”

“Mine too.” I waved at Yen Hong as he rushed by with an entourage. “I’ll never be a doormat for anyone.”

“No, the hell you won’t, but um, Jayden is coming this way, so say the word and I’ll nut punch him so hard it’ll swell up and knock the other one right off the twig they hang on.”

“I’d pay to see that.” I laughed as Jayden came up to us.

He stopped and glared at Minnie until she left with a wink at me. “There’s been a complaint filed against you. The client says you haven’t fulfilled your duties as a hostess.”

That made my face fall; I’d never had a mark on my record. “Who was it?” I thought of my three top clients, Salazar, Yen, and Harris. I took excellent care of them.

“Sonny Conti.”

I burst out laughing, and when Jayden looked at me, unamused, I calmed myself. “Trust me, Jayden, you can go ahead and delete that complaint. It’s a bunch of bull.”

“You know I can’t do that, Kenna, and to be honest, I’m a little concerned you don’t see how bad this is.”

“First, that claim is ridiculous. I’ve never been assigned as Sonny’s hostess in the first place, and second, Sonny isn’t even a client anymore, and third, if you must know, the man tried to roofie me. So, we can take this to Mr. Gates on the twentieth and he’ll set you straight on this horseshit.”

“What?” Jayden stepped forward and placed a hand on my upper arm. “I had no idea. Are you okay?” I looked at his hand and thought how dare he touch me as he spoke again. “Would you like to go somewhere and talk about it?” He moved his hand, and when he did, he very obviously brushed my breast.

“If you don’t remove your fucking hand, I’ll kick you in those tiny balls of yours.” I raised my chin and glared at him. So, we were back to the creep stage. His hand dropped instantly, and his fake smile twisted into a scowl.

“Lucky for you Mr. Gates always seems to be around.” He rubbed his nose, clearly annoyed, and probably shocked at my reaction. “Are you two dating now?”

I had to contain my distaste for this man, at least in public, so I refrained from kicking him. “I hardly think it’s professional that we talk about a member of the Gates family like this.”

“Nor is it professional for you to be sleeping with your boss,” he muttered, “but I’ll keep that to myself because I wouldn’t want to get fired.” He stepped back quickly as I pivoted. “I’ll pass this complaint along and let upper management cover it up—I mean, deal with it.” His smarmy smile made my blood boil as the meaning behind his words sank in. I was about to let loose as Minnie returned, and I got hold of myself.

“You know, Jayden,” I closed the gap between us, “people have underestimated me before, but they’re no longer here to tell about it.”

He stood still and studied me. “What’s that supposed to mean?” His eyes narrowed.

“Think about it.”

“Whoa!” Minnie pushed between us. “That’s enough, folks. We’re in the lobby of the place you both work, and people are staring. As much as I love a fight, walk away.” Jayden stared at me a beat longer then left.

“Kenna,” Minnie got in my face, “Jesus, girl, I know Jayden pushes your buttons, but watch what you say.”

“I know,” I let out a long breath, “but he went too far, and I just lost it.”

“And that’s why we let the guys handle assholes like that, because they know what to say and how to say it.”

“You’re right.” I closed my eyes and wished I could take back the last three minutes. It had been reckless to say what I had. “Thanks.”

I hauled ass to the meeting on the twentieth. I was now a few minutes late and knew I’d have to hustle. When I arrived, everyone was sitting around the conference table. I quickly took my seat and mouthed a sorry to Jim, and he gave me a kind smile in response.

We discussed breaking ground on the new property they had purchased and how Knox was interested in having more of a hands-on position. I noticed Jim glance at Grim a few times as Knox spoke. Again, I felt that twinge of discomfort about my family. I knew they were concerned with how much control Calli had over Knox. They weren’t wrong; she played him like a fiddle.

Jim went on to talk about Secrets and how some of his clients had indicated an interest in moving there for a change from Indulge. Jim was pleased about that, as it would free up the hostesses for fresh clients. Jim reminded everyone that he wanted Indulge to cater more to the older clients who were into a more traditional style, while Grim’s Secrets would offer a fresh upbeat vibe to the younger clientele.

“Is there anything you’d like to add, Kenna?” Jim asked as we finished up.

“Actually, yes,” I cleared my throat and felt Grim’s eyes penetrate my brain, “but I’d like to discuss it privately, if you don’t mind.”

“Why?” Grim cut in, and I glared at him.

I looked at Jim for help then turned to Grim. “Because what I have to say to Jim is between him and me. Besides, you aren’t exactly known for your even temperament, Grim.” His face turned to stone.

“She’s not wrong, Dad,” Knox chimed in. “Grim’s at a ten all the time, especially when Kenna’s involved.” I fought a blush.

Grim ignored his brother and glared at me. “What happened?”

Jim raised a hand when he saw what I did, that his son was about to go from zero to a hundred. “Of course, Kenna. The meeting’s over, everyone. Let’s all get on with our day.”

Grim waited a beat then moved to stand next to me and leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Don’t make me tie you up again.”

I raised a brow. “Is that a promise?”

He chuckled darkly then gave me a warning that he wasn’t kidding before he left.

Once we were alone, Jim placed a cup of coffee in front of me. He was always such a kind man, no matter what was going on in his life.

“I won’t beat around the bush with you, Kenna. I’d like to think we’ve grown close, especially since you started working here. How are you holding up, given all that’s happened?”

I tapped a finger on my coffee cup as I thought about his question. I loved Jim like family, so I wanted to be honest when given the chance. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t struggling, but I know where my loyalty and heart lie, and it isn’t with my father or my sister.” I pushed aside how terrible that sounded, but it was the truth. “At the risk—” I stopped myself.

He waved a hand at me. “Please, go on.”

I took a deep breath. “At the risk of bringing up something that’s upsetting, I want you to know that Leo’s death has been difficult for me to process. Mostly due to,” I shifted in my seat, “how and why he was killed.” Jim nodded. “I’m so sorry for what happened, and I’m sorry for running off to Hong Kong. It’s just that I felt uncomfortable by association. I mean, Cameron’s my father, and I think I needed to reassure myself that I had other options if things became too difficult for me here.”

“I can totally understand that, Kenna. It would be a perfectly natural way to feel.” He leaned back in his chair. “But just so it’s said, we never once blamed you or thought you were in any way a part of our son’s death.”

“I think I know that now. Thank you for that. I can’t imagine how you all are managing, what with Cam?—”

“We’re managing, dear.” He held his hand up. “I’ll admit it’s difficult living every day with your son’s murderer so close and trying to pretend all the time. I wish I could just handle things the way I want to, but there’s too much at stake. There’s a lot more going on, and we can’t afford to lose sight of our goal. He’ll pay for what he did.” He looked at me, and I held his gaze and nodded.

“Yes, he will.” It had finally sunk in over the past weeks that my own flesh and blood was a murderer.

“So, have you made a decision, then, about the offer from Yen Hong?”

I pressed my lips together, and Grim suddenly popped up in my thoughts. I shook him away, but he wouldn’t leave. “Ah,” I stumbled over my words, which must have looked bad, “if I didn’t love my job here, I would consider it, but my friends are my family, and I wouldn’t want to leave them behind.”

A smile broke free. “That’s good to hear. I’m sure Grim is pleased to hear that, too?”

“Mm,” I shrugged with a playful smirk, “sometimes it’s good to keep Grim on his toes.”

He tossed his head back and laughed. “Spoken like a woman who understands how my son works.” His face was so full of life at that moment that I found myself joining in. God, it felt wonderful to laugh with him again. “Well,” he swiped a finger under his eye, “now that I don’t have to look for a lead hostess anytime soon, I can relax.”

“I don’t have any intention of leaving,” I reiterated. “I do have a concern I want to bring to you, though.”

“Of course.” He sipped his coffee.

“I’m concerned about Jayden Wallace.” His face fell just the way his son’s did. “Honestly, I wouldn’t bring this up, given everything that’s going on, but he’s becoming quite inappropriate. He’s overstepped before, but now it’s gone too far.” I raised my chin. “I can handle myself, but if he’s like that with me, I’m very concerned about the other girls.”

“I see.” He took a moment to think. “I’m going to be honest here and let you in. His father is another one I’m watching. Walter Wallace came on the same time as Cameron, and they’re quite close.” I noticed he didn’t say your father . “For now, leave him to me. Let’s have you spend most of your time at Secrets. Mr. Salazar is leaving tonight, and Mr. Hong is busy with his clothing line. Mr. Harris is in town with some businessmen I think you should engage with. They’d be excellent potential clients for Secrets.”

“Of course,” I agreed.

He pulled out his phone and texted someone. “I appreciate that you came to me with this and know it will be dealt with at the right time. I’ll have one of my men watch him. Make sure he stays clear of you and isn’t bothering the others.”

“I like that idea.” I hooked my purse over my wrist. “That’s it, I just wanted to bring it to your attention.”

“Thank you.” He stopped me as I stood. “I know it’s a lot to ask that you join in and keep up this facade that we don’t know Cameron killed Leo.” He pressed his hands on the table. “It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever faced, but knowing this situation is a lot larger than we even thought, we need to keep it up a bit longer. We can’t risk it blowing up before we’re ready.”

“I’ve had to swallow a lot of things from Cameron my entire life.” My heart stung at my own admission. “A few more days or weeks won’t kill me.”

“You’re a strong woman, Kenna. Please come to me if you need to talk again.”

I gave him a nod and left.

I stepped into the empty elevator and sagged against the wall. I was pleased with my conversation with Jim but also exhausted. I could only imagine how hard this must be for him and Laurel, not to mention Grim and Knox. On a sudden urge, I pulled out my phone and texted Mom.

Kenna: When you have a free moment, I’d love to chat. Things are heavy here.

The elevator stopped on my way to the lobby, and I found myself face to face with my father. His face was in a panic as he stepped inside. He, of course, was with several men; he wouldn’t dare be alone at this point. He must be in a constant panic, as he had no idea who knew what and when someone might strike. I had no sympathy. The curse of being the Devil, I suppose.

“Humph. I hardly know you still work here anymore.” He stepped forward, and the men moved in behind him. “I might add, you’ve missed two family dinners as well.”

“Hello, Dad. How are you?” I rolled my eyes and thought about how nice he’d been only a short time ago. Even bringing up my childhood. I now realized it was mostly because he’d thought Grim had been killed on his order then found out it was Leo. He couldn’t even get that right.

“Don’t be smart, young lady,” he grunted, keeping his voice low as he glanced at the other men who spoke quietly behind us. “This has been a difficult time for all of us.”

How dare he!

Breathe, Kenna.

I closed my eyes and channeled all my control not to throat-punch him. It probably was another attempt to see what I knew. My fingers rolled into fists as I gave myself a pep talk inside.

“It’s been heartbreaking.” I barely managed to get the words out. “Have you spoken to Jim yet? Does he have any leads? I’ve been away in Hong Kong, and I’m not caught up.”

“You’re needed here, not galivanting around in Asia. Jim needs space right now.” He was such a coward. “You should remember that and pick up the slack at work.” How was I related to such a monster? “Grim, too. He doesn’t seem to realize his father isn’t well. He should be more supportive.”

I blinked at his words and looked up at him. “What does that mean?”

“I know you two are dating.” His large neck contracted against his tightly buttoned collar. “Do you really think it’s smart sleeping with the boss’s son?” I opened my mouth to tell him off, but his words seemed awfully close to, if not the same as, Jayden’s. Maybe Jim was on to something. Maybe Jayden had been talking to my father. Christ, was no one safe anymore? Were we all living in a den of vipers? “Grim is not the man your mother or I would choose for you, McKenna.”

Instantly I felt my back go up. “Thankfully, you don’t have a say in who I date, or in any part of my life, for that matter.” He sucked in a sharp breath at my disrespectful tone.

“Hey,” he grabbed my arm as the doors opened. Grim stood in the lobby speaking to someone, and he took in what was happening. “I mean it, McKenna.” My father squeezed my arm a little tighter. “I want you to stay away from him, if you know what’s good for you.”

Grim was already heading toward us. I looked down at my arm and then back up at my father. “First, I am your daughter, yes, and I’m asking you to please let go.” He didn’t. He was an ass like that. “Second, I’m not Calli, and I won’t let you dictate my life.” As he still hadn’t let go, I pried his fingers from my arm. “It’s sad that this is where we are now.”

“That’s not my fault.” He stepped back when Grim appeared. I stepped out as he pressed the button to close the doors.

“Don’t ask,” I warned. “I’m playing my part.” When he didn’t say anything, I glanced up and saw an odd look on his face. “What?”

“I want to invite you to dinner.” He sent my head in a spin. Then it hit me; he was trying. Okay, this is nice.

“All right, where?”

“My place.” I caught a smirk on his face.

“Try again.”

“Fine. Seven-thirty at Desert Breeze.” One of the new restaurants on Secret’s rooftop? That was a good choice for a nice date.

“So public?” I teased him.

“We can always pivot back to my original idea.” He chuckled.

“Desert Breeze it is.”

Good as Hell by Lizzo pounded through my speakers as I sang at the top of my lungs. I checked myself in the mirror and added a little more lipstick. I’d chosen a tight white dress, as I knew he’d wear his classic black suit. I kind of liked that we played the heaven-and-hell look off each other. Though I was anything but heaven these days.

I kept my hair straight and loose. I decided on a sparkly gold bracelet on each wrist and matched it with one around my ankle, then added gold hoops earrings. Sometimes simple was more.

I spotted him at the bar as I arrived. He leaned an elbow against the counter as he nursed a glass of whiskey. As I predicted, he was in one of his wonderfully classic black suits. I loved that he and Elio had similar tastes when it came to clothing. They were both a perfect balance of raw and wild, yet refined and sophisticated at the same time. Trigger blended well with the two of them, perhaps never in a classic suit kind of way, but all three carried that wonderful dose of darkness I loved. It was something that pulled at every part of me, and I felt a surge of desire as I looked at Grim.

He must have felt me watching because he turned and looked directly right at me. His eyes went slowly down my front without an ounce of shame before he pushed off the counter and walked toward me. One hand was tucked in his pocket, and the other held his glass.

My skin heated as I held his gaze. I put my chin up and took a step toward him. His hand slipped from his pocket and slid around my waist as he leaned in for a kiss on my jaw.

“This dress,” his fingers flexed as he breathed me in, “is going to get you into a whole lot of trouble later.”

That’s the hope.

I played along. “And you look like trouble.” I loved Grim’s playful side. “This place looks amazing.” I looked around at his new bar. Lights twinkled in the distance and created a lovely atmosphere. Rooftop bars were always my favorite places, and I loved taking clients there. I knew this one would be a hit.

He turned and steered me to a table where we sat in a booth with a view of the desert. In fact, all the tables were half-moon shaped to provide privacy and a spectacular view. In the center was a dance floor, a pool, and a DJ who already played music.

Then I heard her voice, and my mind went from turned on and relaxed to white hot anger.

“Did you know Jenelle was going to be here?” I leaned forward and slit my eyes as I spotted her with her father two tables down. She was like a damn cockroach.

“I did,” he sipped his drink like it was nothing, “but I don’t care. Do you?”

I thought for a moment, and the anger that had come so quickly fizzled out as I mulled over what he said. He knew she was here, yet he sat across from me and didn’t hide that he couldn’t wait to get me alone.

“I don’t care, not in the least. But they better not come over here.”

“Good.” He nodded. “You’re feisty tonight.” He seemed amused.

I pulled his glass from his hand and took a large sip. “You have no idea.”

“Does this have anything to do with Jayden? Dad told me.”

I cursed under my breath. “I see.”

“You know you could have come to me.”

I twisted the napkin on my lap. “Truth, I wasn’t sure how you’d react, and I didn’t want a scene.”

“You act like I have temper.” He chuckled at his own joke as though entertained. “I need to know these things.” He paused as the waiter set my favorite dirty martini down and took our orders. “They’re my staff, and if someone is touching something that’s not,” he paused, “theirs, I need to be aware.”

“All right, I suppose that’s fair.”

“Good.” He let it go. “Now, I have something for you.” He pointed to my phone. “Check your email.” I quickly opened my phone and saw an email had arrived from him just moments ago.

“What’s this?” I tapped on the attachment. “Blueprints?”

“Yes. You know my tastes, so I was thinking you could design my penthouse.”

My jaw dropped, but I caught myself. “This is unexpected.” I studied the layout.

“The second attachment is for the Silk and Lace Room. I’m not pleased with how it turned out, and I thought about that drawing you did on the last page in your notebook. It would be perfect, sexy.”

I lowered my phone. “You remember that?”

“I do.” He sipped his drink. “I bow to your skill as a hostess. You go the extra mile, but I’ve seen your drawings, and I like what I saw. I want to use you as a designer. You pick up on what I see in my head but find hard to get across.”

“Is it really that, or because you don’t want me working with male clients and fulfilling their requests?” I smiled playfully, while I secretly felt a sense of pride that he liked what he’d seen.

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t partially that.” He leaned back as the waiter placed our meal in front of us. Everything smelled amazing.

I set my phone down and decided to speak candidly. “Grim, I haven’t accepted the offer from Yen Hong, and to be truthful, I don’t see myself there. However, if this is your way of trying to keep me here?—"

“Don’t insult me, Kenna,” he interrupted. “You’ve got talent, and I want you to design those rooms for me. I want to see what you can do because, as you know, we have another hotel going up soon, and I could use your ideas.” He took a bite of his roasted potato and chewed slowly.

“Wow.” I pushed at a piece of asparagus and thought how exciting that would be. “All right, yes, I’ll do it. Thank you.”

He smiled with pleasure. “You’re talented.” He gave me a quick glance. “Don’t hide it.”

I sighed and looked out at the view of the twinkling lights that could be seen far out in the distance. The summer was coming to an end, and there was a tiny bit of a nip in the air. I loved the relief our clients felt when the temperature dropped, but winter was just around the corner, and Vegas just wasn’t the same without the heat.

Grim stood and draped his jacket over my shoulders. He really could be a gentleman.

“Thank you.” The material was like butter on my skin, and I found myself breathing in his fresh, clean smell. I licked my lips and tamped down the sudden urge to rub myself.

He sliced into his perfectly done rare tri-tip and savored the taste for a moment. I tried to hide my amusement. “What?” He tilted his head.

“You’ve eaten the finest of meals all over the world, yet you still get so much enjoyment from every meal you eat.”

He thought for a moment and took another taste. “I want to make sure it’s up to par.”

“See, I don’t think it’s that.” I wasn’t going to let him get away with that. I loved that he had shown me a moment. I liked this side of him. “I think this might be one of the times in your day that you stop and actually enjoy something.”

“Perhaps.” He shrugged. “I never really thought about it. I guess I’ve tried to focus on things that bring me enjoyment lately.” He made a point of side-eyeing me.

I focused back on my plate, and we both enjoyed the small talk that came with it.

A while later, I slid out of the booth, and he wrapped an arm around my waist as we headed toward his private elevator. I swore everyone watched us, and I suddenly felt unsure if I wanted that kind of attention. There was nothing between us at this point, and I wasn’t totally sure what I even wanted from him.

“Join me for a nightcap at my place.” He pulled out a keycard and tapped his button.

“Well.” I took a moment to think about it. I didn’t want to sound too eager. “I guess I really should check on Leal. But,” I raised my chin, and he gave me a serious look, “tomorrow is a new day, I’m not asking for dinners or for you to spend money on me. I’m just asking for a little effort. I deserve it.”

He smiled. “Understood.”