I laughed again. “Oh, you have absolutelynoidea.”
“Well they’re known for their fish here, but order anything you like and I guarantee it’ll be life-changing.”
“Like-changing, really?” I like the sound of that. I was desperately craving a steak, and I knew no fish would satisfy my need for red meat. “I’d love a steak. A big, juicy one.” I grinned at him as he looked amused, and then he pursed his lips and nodded. “Steak girl, hay? Excellent, I can getbehindthat.”
The waitress came back a few minutes later and poured two glasses full of red wine. We cheered and took a sip. It was beyond amazing. I didn’t know the difference between most wines, but it tasted delicious. Good enoughforme.
“Are you ready to order?” the girlasked.
James motioned for me to order first, and I looked up at the waitress eagerly. “I’d love a steak, please.Mediumrare.”
The girl nodded and scratched my order on hernotepad
“Actually, scratch that. Rare, please. Practically bloody,” I spoke upagain.
The girl raised her eyebrow at me but then smiled and nodded. “What would you like on theside,Miss?”
I shrugged and looked at James for a suggestion. Really I just wanted the steak, but I would have to be happy with anything they put on the side, really. “Whatever yousuggest.”
The girl smiled a winning smile and bat her eyelashes at James and then looked back to me. “I can ask the chefs to whip together something special for you, if you like. Whatever they have, I’m sure it will bedivine.”
“That sounds amazing, thank you. I’m sure anything they make will befantastic.”
James ordered his dinner, the cod with a side of some sort of green thing. I wasn’t exactly sure what he ordered as it sounded sort part French, and part some other language I didn’t even recognize it. Whatever it was, I’m sure it would it would be just as delicious as mysteak.
My stomach rumbled again, and I held my arms tightly over it in an effort to silence it. By the look James gave me I knew he’d heard it. Damn that exceptional shifterhearing.
He placed his hand out on the table for me, and I placed my hand in his. He squeezed my hand and smiled at me and I couldn’t help butswoon.
“So, how is it that you seem to know everybody who’sanybody.”
“Just a friend of mine.” He shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back in his chair, as if knowing the owner of some sort of super-secret restaurant wasn’t abigdeal.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I leaned back in my chair to mimic him and crossed my arms. “You think you’reimpressive,huh?”
He shrugged again. We both looked at each other and then burst out laughing. There was something about him that just relaxed me and I felt comfortable around him. It was a nice change of pace from being locked up in my apartment alone, and just the sight of him across the table was enough to make me hungry for more than juststeak.
But that would come later. Steak first, sexy shifter man second. A girl’s gotta have priorities,right?
“So, tell me about yourself, James.” I realized I really didn’t know anything about the guy, apart from the fact that he was ridiculously good looking and he was some sort of shifter. Plus he had a smile that could make even the coldestheartsmelt.
He sat there and pondered for a minute before shrugging his shoulders in a small, but kind gesture. “What would you liketoknow?”
“Well, where areyoufrom?”
“I’m originally from Liverpool,” he said, smiling. “I moved to London about ten years ago, and haven’t been back since. I much prefer thebigcity.”
I nodded, “I understand that. I fell in love with London, too.” That was a total lie, but if it meant avoiding having to explain why I was really here, I didn’t mind offering a few fibs here andthere.
“Any family?” James looked down at his hands then and didn’t answer. His eyes furled forward, and I immediately regretted asking. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You don’t have to ask answer that question if you’re notcomfortable.”
He then looked up at me and offered me a half smile. “No, really, it’s okay. I think it’s important for us to get to know each other. My family died when I was quite young, and I didn’t really get to know them allthatwell.”
“Oh, that’s terrible,” I said reaching out to take his hands in mine. I looked into those beautiful eyes of his and tried to understand what he possibly could’ve been feeling. But happiness came back to his face right away, and that moment of sadness disappearedimmediately.
“It’s okay. I really don’t remember much. I have friends here in the city who feel like family, and that’s all Ireallyneed.”
I nodded and gave his hands a squeeze. “I canunderstandthat.”
