Page 114 of Kiss Me Forever

"Thank you."

"You're beautiful." Luke was looking at me intently.

My skin simmered. I felt myself blushing. Licking my lips, I picked up my bag, putting it over my shoulder. "All right, I'm all yours." I glanced at Aunt Dana. “You’ll rest up while we’re gone?”

“Yes. I’ll stay here, sit on the couch. I don’t want to go to bed. Might ruin my hair.”

“True. I tried getting an appointment late in the afternoon, but they were booked.”

“No worries. Have fun, you two.”

I put on my thick winter jacket, excited for the day.

I tried to guess where he was taking me on the drive, but it wasn't a neighborhood where I had been before. Unless.... I looked at him intently. And as we drove even farther, I was sure I knew what he'd planned.

"Oh my God, are you taking me to Phil's Cottage?"

He grinned. "Yes, I am. I know you wanted to go for a while."

"I've wanted that forever. I can't believe this. I didn't even know they opened for lunch."

"They don't. I might have convinced them to make an exception. Besides, like this, we get the whole place to ourselves."

"Luke Maxwell, you are unbelievable and amazing,” I gushed. “And I love you so, so much."

A few minutes later, we arrived in front of the building where I knew Phil’s Cottage was on the twenty-second floor. My heart was racing as we got out of the car. A valet took over the parking. People milled in and out of the building, as it housed plenty of offices, and even a hotel, though that had a separate entrance.

The restaurant had its own separate elevator, and we rode alone to the twenty-second floor. I was giddy with excitement as the doors opened.

A server in a tux was waiting for us in the entrance area. It was elegant with granite plaques up on the walls.

"Welcome."

He took our coats and led us farther inside the restaurant. It was decorated in the same dark and gritty vibes, but it got plenty of light from the huge windows. I looked around. I wasn't even sure where to glance first. I wanted to soak it all up. We were seated in the main salon.

"Thank you so much. I can't believe you brought me here."

"I want to make you happy, Meg, always. And I knew bringing you here would do that."

"Yes, it does."

The waiter brought us menus, and we ordered Maxwell champagne. After our drinks were poured, Luke said, "I know you haven't had time to study the menu, but take all the time you need right now."

I laughed, shifting in my seat. "Luke, of course I've studied the menu hundreds of times. I know exactly what I want."

"Of course you do," he said with a chuckle. "So do I."

"What? You've barely looked at the menu."

"Yeah, but I've learned from a certain gorgeous woman that it pays off to study it beforehand."

I clapped my hands, shimmying in my seat. "Ah, I'm so proud I've taught you this."

The waiter must have sensed that we were ready because he came right away. I ordered chicken satay with brown rice mixed with nuts, raisins, and cinnamon. Luke got the venison. We were going to order dessert later.

We spoke about the restaurant and Aunt Dana right until we received the food. It was even more delicious than I hoped it would be. The rice was the perfect mix of crunchy, rich, and flavorful. The chicken was very tender. For dessert, we ordered crème brûlée. I finished my portion in seconds, then glanced at Luke’s plate. Damn, he’d cleared it already too—no seconds for me.

I looked around, sighing with happiness. "Thank you for doing this. I can't believe you talked them into opening, and for my promotion, no less."

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