Chapter 7
I’ve eaten in restaurants so famous that their reservations were months out. Places where only “it” people could eat. The kind of restaurants that had food critics likening each tiny bite of food to nirvana. But even I had to concede that Drive-thru’s burgers lived up to Hannah’s hype. They were amazing.
Standing in the crowded parking lot with sauce dripping from my burger wrapperwas the least princely thing I’d done in the last year—and I loved every second of it. Here I was literally just another guy, standing in a crowd of fifty people or so, all just there to enjoy a meal and perhaps buy a motorcycle. Maybe it was the endorphins from the great food, but I was seriously considering taking a Ducati for a test drive.
A muffled moan left me as I enjoyed another huge bite.
“Good, right?” Hannah had opted for the fully loaded French fries which looked just as delicious, smothered in cheese and bacon and mushrooms. She held one in front of her face and licked at the drips of cheese before they could fall, then popped the whole fry into her mouth.
For the second time that evening, I had to take a second and shake out my pant leg.Merde,did she have to make everythingso erotic? Or was that just a symptom of my newly reawakened libido?
“Right?” she asked again.
I swallowed quickly before answering. “Oui. Pardon,I was lost in a food coma for a moment.”
Because there was no way on earth I was telling her that the way she ate was so distracting it made my dick hard. I hadn’t ever been on a first date, but I was pretty sure that wasn’t acceptable behavior.
Hannah covered her mouth with her free hand as she laughed. The lights in the parking lot cast a halo around her head, giving her an ethereal aura that was both captivating and alarming. I didn’t have time to examine that feeling before she spoke again.
“That’ll happen. If you like Drive-thru and are around for much longer, there are a few other places I think you’ll love. Stick with me—I knowall the good dive bars, food trucks, and bowling alleys in town.”
“I’m with you on the food trucks and dive bars. But you’re not getting me anywhere near a bowling alley.” Wouldn’t do to tempt fate, given what had happened when my cousin Harrison had last been in Vegas. Plus I had promised Bastien.Sigh.
“Pool halls, then?” Hannah grinned mischievously. “We had a table at home growing up. Ibet I can wipe the floor with you in a game of eight ball.”
I unconsciously took a step toward her. She was so filled with joy—it was magnetic. And she didn’t even have to try hard. She could’ve wiped the floor with me now. “That I’d like to see.”
“It’s a date.”
We stood there with our food clutched in our hands, staring into each other’s eyes. The crowd around us faded to white noise as mypulse filled my ears. I took another step toward her until I could feel her body heat against me. Hannah angled her head back and tilted it slightly. The invitation was clear. My lips hovered over hers, and I brushed them softly with mine. I was a nanosecond from taking the kiss deeper when the loudspeakers overhead blared with static, followed by a loud voice barking about the new, dynamic motorcyclesin the store. We both jumped away from each other, the moment lost.
Hannah laughed and shook her head. “I almost dropped my fries.”
“Because of the kiss or the ill-timed announcer?”
She just gave me a smile and ate another fry.
I cleared my throat uncomfortably because suddenly I’d found myself liking her too much and making more plans when I wouldn’t be here that long. I couldn’t promiseHannah anything. Hell, given the way Bastien had left things back home there was a good chance I’d be returning to my own betrothal announcement if I wasn’t careful. I had to remind myself that this—with Hannah—was temporary.
To cover my awkwardness and disappointment, I tried to make small talk. “Can you carve some time into your busy schedule for me? Will your boss be okay with that?”
“I’mtechnically self-employed, so I’m my own boss. I rent a space at the salon and Kennedy, the owner, doesn’t care as long as she gets her monthly rent.” She paused for a second with her fry dripping cheese into the carton. “Well, actually that’s not entirely true. She’s a gossiping witch on the best of days and a backstabbing bitch on the others. I’ve been looking for a new spot. And depending on howthe next few weeks go, I might take some time off and let my lease expire…” Her voice trailed off like she was lost in thought.
“With us?” I barked in surprise.
She blinked at me. “What? No.”
“Oh. You just, I mean, I just thought…The way you sounded…” This time I was the one who trailed off, but mine was in discomfort. To be honest, my reply had been a reflex. It wouldn’t have been the firsttime that a woman I was with developed expectations.
But Hannah didn’t know who I really was, I reminded myself. Not everyone had ulterior motives.
“Sorry, Luc, but my world doesn’t revolve around you. Besides, won’t you be gone in a week?”
“Oui. Again. I’m sorry. It’s just…” I didn’t know how to finish that, so I tried to laugh it off. “I’m used to the world revolving around me, I guess. Iapologize.”
Hannah laughed lightly and shook her head. “Must be nice.”
I inclined my head but didn’t answer. No one ever wanted to know the truth.
