Page 128 of Love or Tequila in Unexpected Places

“Can’t help it,” he replied, utterly sincere. “You’re breathtaking.”

This time she looked up, rolling her eyes playfully. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“I’m aware,” he said, leaning back in his seat, finally feeling the tension from earlier ease. It didn’t matter how crazy life was. When he was with Allison, everything seemed right.

Now, all they had to do was figure out how to survive Katerina’s extended stay without losing their minds.

But first, lunch. With his future wife.

Thirty

ANGELO

Ever the gentleman, Angelo let Allison order first. She rattled off the name of some French dish that sounded like poetry when she said it, even if he had no idea what half of it meant. Angelo stuck with pasta—a safe choice when he was too distracted to decipher the menu. But once the waiter vanished, leaving them alone, Angelo realized there was no avoiding the woman across from him.

“So… about that wife of yours,” Allison teased, her voice light but her eyes holding a mischievous glint. Angelo cursed her perfect attention span.

Of course, she wouldn’t let that go.

“Don’t you think you should at least ask her out on a date first?”

Angelo straightened up, catching onto her playful tone. “And what would you call this, then?”

“Well, if this is a date, it’s not a very good one.”

Angelo chuckled at her dramatics. “Why is that, Pinkie?” The nickname slipped out smoothly, a habit by now.

“I’m so glad you asked, darling.” She sat up, hands clasped in front of her like she was about to give a TED talk, and Angelo felt his body react immediately. There was something wildly appealing about the casual way she said “darling”—like it was no big deal, when for him it felt like an electrical surge through his veins.

“Angelo? You okay?” Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she raised a brow.

He cleared his throat, trying to recover some semblance of dignity. “Yeah, fine.”

Allison gave him a knowing smile before continuing her mock lesson. “First, you’re supposed to actuallyasksomeone on a date. Step one, very basic. Even kids in middle school get that part right.”

Angelo shook his head, thoroughly entertained as their appetizer arrived. The salad was surprisingly good—seasonal greens and vinaigrette that didn’t feel like rabbit food for once. He poured some wine into his glass, eyeing Allison’s sparkling water. “Alright, fine. Would you like to go on a date with me, Allison?”

Her fork hovered for a second, a smile spreading across her face. “Yes, you big oaf.”

Angelo grinned like a fool, relaxing into the booth. This was their firstrealdate—officially, anyway. Not just grabbing food between work and life or running into each other’s arms at odd hours. A proper sit-down meal, even if he had to coerce her a bit.

I should write today’s date down somewhere, mark it as the start of something official.

Stretching his arm behind her on the booth, Angelo leaned back, his smile never fading. “So does this mean I can call you my wife now?”

Allison blushed—deeply, intensely. It was adorable. “We’re not even dating yet.”

“Sweet girl, you’re pregnant with my child. I think we’re past the ‘dating’ phase.”

She shot him a look, her emerald eyes darkening in a way that made his pulse quicken. Angelo loved that look—the one where she was debating between laughing at his antics or smacking him upside the head.

Just then, the waiter reappeared, and Angelo cursed the bad timing. Allison’s stomach growled audibly, and while it was cute, it also meant she was hungry. No man should stand between a pregnant woman and her food.

Once their main courses arrived, they fell into a comfortable silence, the earlier teasing hanging between them like a cozy blanket. Angelo watched her out of the corner of his eye as she ate, the contentment on her face making his chest warm.

Yeah, I could get used to this.

Angelo kept stealing glances at her between bites of his pasta—surprisingly good, considering the situation—trying to read Allison’s reaction to what he said. Her eyes were downcast, focused on her fricassee, her head tilted just enough to hide her expression. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and it was driving him crazy.

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