Page 23 of Forbidden Romeo

It takes me a moment to remember I have company, and I turn around to see Jack looking at me with soft, hazel eyes and that cocky little smile of his.

I clear my throat and straighten up. “I suppose this is where you take all your actresses, then?”

“Only the good ones,” he teases back.

We both take a seat just as a waiter appears to take our drink order. I hesitate a little; this doesn’t really seem like the place to do two-for-one cocktails, and my paycheck isn’t coming through until the end of the month.

Jack, however, seems unperturbed. “Red or white?”

“Erm… white, I guess?” I say a little awkwardly.

Jack nods and reels off a French-sounding name that the waiter disappears to fetch.

“Don’t look so concerned,” Jack says after glancing back at me. “This will all go on my father’s tab.”

“Are you sure?”

Jack chuckles a little. “In fact, if you wanted to order some champagne too, I’d encourage it.”

I look at him curiously. “Are you and Daddy not seeing eye to eye?”

“Let’s call it creative differences.”

The waiter returns with our wine and takes our food order. All the while, Jack doesn’t break eye contact. I nervously take a sip of wine, and holy crap, it tastes good. I can’t remember the last time I drank a wine that wasn’t Two Buck Chuck.

Whatever Jack sees on my face makes him smile, and he finally releases me from his gaze to nurse his own glass.

“So…” I say in an attempt to break through the tension. “Did you say the agency was a family business?”

Jack hides his smile with a glass. “Emphasis on family.”

“You must represent some important people,” I say, glancing around the room. Again, I’m overcome by the magnificence of it all. “Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met?”

“I would hate to incriminate anyone like that,” Jack teases. “What about you? If you’re not an actress, what were you doing backstage?”

“I thought I told you I’m the security detail,” I joke back. “I keep all the men vying for Roisin’s affection at bay.”

Despite my subtle deflection, I can see the cogs beginning to turn in Jack’s head. “By dating them yourself?”

“It’s a new technique that I’m trying.”

The real technique is actually trying to be so overly cautious about sharing my personal details that Jack will leave this date knowing less than nothing about me. I don’t want another encounter with the mob, and they’re probably looking for me as we speak. So, I can’t give up any information that might lead them back to me. No matter how attractive Jack looks right now.

Okay, well, maybe until I at least know I can trust him. Old families always have an annoying way of knowing each other, so I can’t rule it out just yet… But giving him my number should be fine… right?

“How do you know Roisin?” he asks casually.

“Pretty well,” I tell him, equally nonchalant. “I can tell you she’s exactly the kind of person you’d want to represent, if that’s what you mean.”

He narrows his eyes at me. Crap, he’s figured out what I’m doing. “Remind me why I should trust your judgment of character?”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?” I say lightly.

He sits back in his chair with a shake of his head and raises his wine to me. “Touché.”

The food arrives at that moment, and it smells incredible. I bask in the aromas for a moment before digging in heartily—not caring that Jack is watching me again.

“Well, if you’re not going to tell me about yourself, what shall we talk about?”

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