Page 37 of The Book Reader
“It’s clear, sir.” Mark nods.
I turn and give Ari my hand to help her out of the car. She still looks like she has a million questions to ask me, but as she firstlays eyes on the restaurant, she gasps, and I can’t help but smile as a grin spreads across my face. I know she thinks it’s stunning. I designed it just for her.
The front is a dark gold color, featuring two matching bay windows on either side of the black-framed glass door. The tables out front are also gold, with black chairs and blankets over them in case it gets chilly.
There are two tall trees on either side of the door from the Underworld—they have an aphrodisiac scent that gives people a euphoric “I fancy you” feeling. These trees are still saplings, so the effect is very light. Some daemons use these trees as a form of date rape, extracting the oil and mixing it into any drink. The person who drinks it, if it is mixed correctly. Can fall head over heels in love for a few hours, making them want to do anything. If they’re exposed to too much, however, they will go insane, their heart literally breaking. The fully grown plants are hazardous.
The ones we have here are kept from growing, but there’s also a protective ward around them that prevents them from being picked. It's a bit complicated, but it's worth it for the subtle scent it adds to the romantic atmosphere.
I open the door and let Ari walk in ahead of me. She looks delectable in that tight black dress. My eyes trail down to her ass as she walks.Fuck I want to bury my face and cock between her full cheeks.My eyes glow brighter blue with my need in the dark room, illuminating it slightly—I need to stop thinking about her ass, otherwise I’m going to fuck her right here on the table.
The restaurant is quiet as requested, with only a few couples scattered around at the booth-style tables. I wanted to create an open and friendly setting for couples, while also giving them enough space if they didn’t want to sit next to each other. The art on the walls is all views of France. My Rose and I had spent a few years living in France in one of her past lives. She’d handpickedthe artwork in that life, and I’ve kept it with me ever since. The only form of lighting here comes from the candles on each table and a few torches placed around the room. My table is at the back, out of the way of prying eyes, as I often do business here.
“This way, our table is ready for us.”
I lead her through the restaurant, and a few of the daemon seated look up, gasp, and low mumbles of shock reach my ears for a second when they see who I am with. Ari’s conscious powers are locked till she connects with the book, but her dormant ones activate when she’s in danger.
But once that happens, every supernatural who comes close to her can smell how powerful she is—her power has always had the sweetest smell, like Roses mixed with honey and orchid. I glare at them as we pass. If any of them so much as come close to her, I will kill them all. It was a risk bringing her here tonight, but it’s only rumors at the moment. However, if one of my enemies sees me with her, it could all be over.
Reaching our table, I wait for Ari to sit before taking my seat next to her. The booth allows us to look at each other while also being close enough to touch.
“This is beautiful; the pictures in the magazine don’t do it justice. Mekhi is going to burst when he finds out this is where you brought me.” She laughs a little, and I can’t help but reach out, grabbing her chin and turning her to face me; our gazes lock.
“Wait until you see the view later, it’s stunning.” I let my eyes run over her face—my Rose has always been beautiful to me, but this time, creation made her even more perfect. I notice her cheeks have a spray of light freckles over them. She also has an Orion’s belt of birthmarks on her left cheek. She’s had those markings in all her lives. A marking the powers that be gave her—a sign that marked her as the Reader.
She blushes deeply before leaning back from me and picking up the menu. “What would you recommend?” she says. I grin, knowing I am affecting her as much as she is affecting me.
“I hope you don’t mind,” I say as the waiter places a jug of water on the table. “But I took the liberty of ordering the taster menu for us—samples of every dish.”
She smiles at me. “That sounds perfect, I can never decide what to pick anyway.”
“Drinks, Sir? My lady?” the waiter asks. I gesture to the drinks menu, and Ari picks a bottle of white wine.
“We’ll also have a jug of Black to go with it,” I order. The waiter nods before leaving us.
“Black is so strong. I’ve only ever had it once, and I was hungover for days,” Ari laughs lightly. Black is the demon version of Tequila, but much stronger; it’s black in color and has a silver swirl when added to any drink. Human alcohol does nothing for daemons, so adding a few drops gives drinks a nice edge.
“We’ll go slow, we have all evening,” I assure her.
“We’ll have to go really slow, or I’ll be dancing on the tables, and your friend that owns this place won’t let us come back,” she laughs, and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite sounds.
Seeing her naked and dancing on this table would be a dream come true. I can make it happen with a click of my fingers, and this place will close. I grin at her, flashing my dimples, my eyes full of mischief. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind at all, seeing as I’m the one who owns this place.”
The pink of her cheeks darkens, and she then glances around as if seeing it for the first time.
When her eyes settle on mine, she’s smiling with excitement. “This place is amazing. Why did you buy it? Are you a part-time chef?”
I can’t help but laugh out loud at that, which makes her giggle next to me. “No, I can cook some things, but not as well as our chef here. He’s from France.” The waiter brings over our drinks, and I pour us both a glass of wine. “I saw it one day and it reminded me of something, so I had to buy it.” It had reminded me of her, but I kept that to myself.
“Just like that, you walked in and paid for it?” she asks, watching me add a couple drops of Black to her wine.
“You can buy anything for the right price. Plus, the owner was struggling, so my money helped him out, and now…”
“It’s one of the top restaurants in Darkville,” she finishes for me. I watch as she lifts her glass to her plump lips and takes a sip of her wine. I can’t stop watching as she lowers the glass and licks a drop of the wine from her lips. My cock twitches with a need to reach out and taste her. I adjust in my seat as my cock starts to get hard again. I reach for my drink and take a huge gulp. “Thirsty?” She asks me, amusement lacing her voice.
I chuckle. “You could say that.” I can feel my eyes turning a brighter blue. I forgot they do that when I’m with her—she always had a way of bringing out my darker, more powerful side.
“So apart from buying amazing restaurants, what do you do, Gaelan?” She’s smiling at me, and I can already tell that the Black is affecting her; her eyes have dilated, and her body is relaxing. We imported the best stuff from the Underworld—the human-made kind just isn’t the same.
