Page 39 of Red Velvet

The guy working behind the bar doesn't bat an eye at her appearance when he greets us with a polite smile.

"Evening," he says, looking at her first before he turns to me. "What can I serve you tonight?"

I cast Lila a questioning look and am not surprised to find her shrugging. "I really liked the wine."

I nod, turning back to the bartender. "I recall you have a pretty decent Faiveley Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru."

"The 2012? Of course, sir."

I can't deny that the look Lila is giving me now is satisfying as fuck.

"You remembered the name? Color me impressed."

I nod, granting her a confident smile that hides a lie. Of course I didn't remember the fucking name of the wine we had last time. I've been visiting this establishment for almost as long as it exists, and I’ve used every part of their service from the very beginning. That includes a personal file where they note the drinks I’ve consumed so I can stock up my own house bar if I ever encounter a specific bourbon or wine that leaves an impression on me.

Or to impress unsuspecting little girls like Lila with my formidable memory.

After all, it never hurts to impress.

Chapter 20

Kade

She relaxes with every sip that touches her lips, and while I enjoy watching her growing comfortable with her sexy nakedness, I also notice that she's not quite here. Her mind appears to be somewhere else, always drifting off, away from me, away from our surroundings and to a place I don't want her to be.

Something is troubling her, and it has very little to do with the fact that I made her take off her dress and sit at the bar quasi-naked.

"Where are you?"

My question startles her, and it's like she’s waking up from a trance when she jerks up to look back at me.

"Here," she states the obvious. "I'm here. With you, sir."

Sir. She's learning faster than I expected. But she's not saying the truth.

"No you're not. You're somewhere far, far away, little girl," I object. "Does it have anything to do with the reason why you were late?"

The look on her face tells me I'm right, and I hate that she's shaking her head, despite it being so obvious.

I'm not letting her get away so easily. "Tell me."

She sighs, and I prevent her taking another sip of her wine by placing my hand on her lower arm as she reaches for the glass.

"Talk first, drink later."

She frowns at me. "You really like that one, don't you?"

"Don't get snappy with me, little girl. You don't want me to be angry when we go upstairs later."

"Fine," she says, withdrawing her hand from the bar. "If you must know, my ex called just before you picked me up."

Her facial expression is as hard as her voice, showing nothing but lingering resentment toward the guy she almost married. I hate how much this is troubling her. If she was really over the guy, she wouldn't react in such a strong way to a simple phone call. Unless he said something that stirred her up.

"What did he want?" I ask, trying to sound more nonchalant than I truly feel about this. "Did he say anything to provoke you?"

She shakes her head. "No, not really. It's not like that."

"What is it, then?"

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