Page 60 of The Secret

Picking up a green bean, I crunched down on it. “Yep. Penn’s family is sponsoring it, they’ve loaned a few pieces to it, so I’m relatively confident that means we’ll get some viewing time if you’d like to go.”

She put down her fork as her brow shot up. “They’ve loaned some pieces?”

I nodded with a grin.

“Then yes, please. That would be amazing.”

“No problem…” I held her gaze, “Maybe we can go together.”

She shifted slightly on the stool, her eyes darting away before returning to mine. “Yes, I’d like that.”

“It’s a date,” I added casually, trying not to convey any of the weight that I wanted it to. Because it would be a date. A proper one. I’d already started planning it in my head.

“Where are you going for drinks on Wednesday?”

She shrugged, her button nose wrinkling up in a way I’d not seen before. “Some new bar Payton wants to go to, called Vitamin D I think. You know it?”

Not only did I know it, I part-owned it. I added another to-do item to my Kit List, making sure I called Leon, the manager, first thing in the morning, to set her and Payton up in the best space on Wednesday.

“I do. It has a great roof terrace.”

Her eyes opened another degree, as she correctly read the grin I’d offered her.

“Is there anything in this city not touched by you?” she teased.

My heart, my mind, and my dick were all fully aligned on the answer to that question, but it probably wasn’t the right time to tell her that. Instead I went for a slightly vague... “I can think of one thing.”

She coughed into her glass of wine, making me laugh. Fuck, she was sexy when she blushed.

My heart, my mind, and my dick all responded accordingly. I swiftly decided to change the subject before we all became uncomfortable.

“Then we’re off on Thursday. Hope you’re prepared, it’s the entire family.”

Her wry smile told me she didn’t think it would be as bad as I was certain it would be, but then again, she didn’t have the knowledge I did, nor would she be subjected to the same levels of interrogation about our relationship. “I’m sure I’ll be able to manage it.”

“You say that now, but you’ll be begging me for an early breakaway back to the city.”

“I’m pretty tough when I want to be,” she chuckled, before forking in a final mouthful of meatballs.

“Oh yeah?” I challenged.

“Yep.” She held my gaze with her eyebrows raised, and it did nothing for the problem in my pants except make it worse.

“Well, I look forward to the day I get to witness that.” I lifted my glass in salute and leaned back on the stool, trying to ease my belly which was now very full. And I could eat a lot.

She pushed her own plate away, looking down at the dishes which weren’t empty, but looked like we’d made every attempt to. “God, I can’t believe how much we’ve just eaten. Good job I only need to walk up the stairs.”

“I know. I might end up in a food coma.”

“It was all so good, but I think the meatballs were my favorite.”

I filed that away for future use. “Me too.”

Her arms lengthened out over her head in a stretch and she stifled a yawn before standing up and started clearing away our empty plates. I put my hand over hers to stop her.

“Don’t. I’ll do this. You clear up all day after my baby, you don’t have to clear up after me too.”

“You heated it up, doesn’t that mean I clear?” She winked, “Let’s do it together.” She opened the dishwasher and started loading it. I followed her lead, clearing the counter and covering all the leftover food, moving around her as she took them from me and put them in the fridge. It was the most domesticated I’d ever been in my own kitchen.

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