Page 60 of Dark Love

Um… “Sort of.” I shrug.

“It’s a good thing you’re cute, or you’d be irritating.”

“At least you didn’t say I’d be dead.”

He stares at me for a second and bursts out laughing loud enough that people turn their heads tostare at him.

Not that I blame them in the least, Vex personifies sinfully sexy with an edge of lethal.

He even looks good carrying our trays to a corner table that one of his guards managed to hold for us by sheer force of will. Vex sets the food down and pulls out a chair for me.

Do men even do that anymore? There hasn’t been one guy that’s done it since we entered the place. He also took the chair in the corner with his back to the wall.

Vex is a gentleman and a crime lord?!?

The dichotomy messes with my head.

Maybe Mindy and Diane were wrong. The man in front of me must be misunderstood.

The delectable scent of fried chicken wafts up from my plate, distracting me from the man in front of me. “It looks as good as it smells.” I’m such a brilliant conversationalist.

Vex unrolls his fork from inside the cloth napkin.

What casual restaurant uses embroidered cloth napkins? Custom embroidered cloth napkins at that, since they match the wallpaper on the accent wall behind Vex. They’re prettier than the ones in my house.

Maybe I should get embroidered napkins.

The owner of this place must be making a boatload of money here.

“Are you going to eat the food or do you just stare at lunch?” Vex teases.

Ummm. “It’s almost too pretty to eat. But I guess I can sacrifice.” The breaded crust on the chicken crackles as I cut a bit off. “Are you sure you don’t want some?” I hold out the first bite to him.

“Dahl, just eat. I’m good.”

“Your food is too healthy.” I set the juicy morsel in my mouth and sigh silently. The salty, sweet tea brine leads the flavor profile. Whoever created this menu knows how to cook.

We eat in blissful silence for a long minute.

This is nice.

Really nice. “I haven’t spent a day like this in far too long. Not since I moved to Urbium.”

“How long ago did you move here?”

“A couple of months ago. I lived in the burbs north of Urbium for my entire life. How about you? How long have you lived here?”

Vex sets his fork down. “I grew up here.”

“And you stayed?”

“Where else would I go?”

Everywhere. “Anywhere.”

“Why? I know Urbium. It’s safe.”

Hardly. No big city is ever completely safe… for a woman.

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