Page 52 of Disarming Caine

“Sì, but you’re worth every moment.” I raised my glass, the motion catching her attention.

Without looking down, she picked up her glass to clink with mine. “To…” Her words hung in the air, mouth forming the start of many words, but none coming.

“Surprises.”

A smile creased her beautiful face and she nodded. “To surprises. I guess they’re not all that bad.”

I kept my eyes on her as we drank. The Chianti was a lovely, dry, full-bodied red, which tasted faintly of cherries. After her sip, she looked to where she’d retrieved the glass from before putting it back down.

She saw the jewelry box.

What now?

My heart rate accelerated and the butterflies swirled. We’d spoken of gifts and my money in the past, and about how that contrasted with her minimalist ways. But if she accepted me for who I was, which she said she did, any gift was part of it, whether it was worth a fortune or not.

She froze, her free hand raising to her face for a moment, clenching, then drifting to her lap. Her eyes stayed on the box as she placed the glass down and picked up a fork.

“No?” I had another sip of my wine and winked at her.

She took her first bite, and her eyelids slid closed as she groaned. “This is delicious!”

And with that, we were ignoring the box. I took a bite myself, and she was right; I’d outdone myself. “Marone. Thisisquite good.”

With a laugh, she swallowed the piece in her mouth. “It’s not just the tortellini, is it?”

“Oh no. We have several courses.”

“Is this all you did today?”

I took another bite, washing it down with the wine. A perfect pairing. “No, I visited the office, then went out to see Mamma and Nonna.”

“And you still had enough time?”

I waved a hand while she continued her meal. “They were brief visits. I told them I had a woman to woo.”

She laughed around the food in her mouth. "You don't need to woo me, you know."

I picked up my glass and held it out for another toast. She’d have to raise hers and see the box again. Was that cheating? “Here is to wooing you because I enjoy it. Not because it’s needed.”

“Fine.” She clinked her glass with mine and we sipped before she returned to her pasta. Completely ignoring the jewelry box the entire time she ate. “Time to dance now?”

I stood, shaking my head at her. When I picked up the dishes, she removed her napkin from her lap and pushed her chair back.

“You sit, bella. You’ve had a long day and I’ll take care of everything.” After placing the dishes on the counter, I went about plating the steak. “But tell me about your day. I spent mine cooking and you’ll see all of that.”

She swiveled to sit sideways in the seat again, watching as I worked, enjoying more of her wine. “Office hours were boring. Got a few police reports in and updated some notes from my site visits from yesterday. I went out to Mason’s Gallery with SIU.” She paused, taking a deep gulp of her wine. “Then a kitchen flood and two water damage claims.”

I withdrew a salad from the refrigerator and set it between our place settings. “Cortorno, arugula with figs and Grana Padano, in a peppercorn sauce.”

She leaned closer, taking a deep whiff, then stealing a piece of the cheese.

After drizzling the balsamic glaze over the steak, I brought two more plates to the table. I set mine down, then hers, stopping to kiss her shoulder. “And il secondo, tagliata steak with balsamic glaze. This will pair beautifully with—” I uncorked a new bottle and poured each of us a fresh glass. "—Valpolicella."

When I sat, I raised my glass. “To Mason’s Gallery.”

With a laugh, she toasted with me, and we drank. “You trying to get me drunk?”

“Never!” I reached between the glasses, pushed aside the common plate, and held my hand out for hers. When her fingers slipped into my palm, a lightness surged through me. “I want you to relax. I want time to slow down so we can enjoy each other’s company before I have to leave.”

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