Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“Oh . . .” I look around, then shake my head to try and clear my lust-fogged mind. “Right,” I say.
His laughing lips touch my forehead. Taking my hand, he leads me toward a restaurant at the end of the block. The place is really nice, and its dim lighting makes the large room feel intimate. Small booths line the walls, and round tables dot the middle of the space. It’s all white tablecloths and fancy folded napkins and gleaming place settings. As I look around, I feel like I should have looked up the restaurant online to check the dress code.
“Are you okay?”
“Um . . .” I look around again before looking up at him. “I think I might be underdressed for this restaurant,” I admit.
His eyes roam my face, then the thick scarf wrapped around my neck, and move down over my long, black wool coat. It hits me midthigh, covering my sweater and jeans.
“You look beautiful.”
I want to kiss him for the easy way he made that compliment, but I don’t. I shake my head instead and squeeze his hand. “I have on a sweater and jeans.”
“It’s okay. There isn’t a dress code here,” he says.
Judging by the way everyone else in the restaurant is dressed, I have to disagree with him. They might not have a formal dress code, but I have no doubt they will frown at my choice of clothing the minute I take off my coat.
“What are you doing?” I ask when he starts to lead me back toward the door we just entered moments before.
“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, and I can tell that you are.”
“But you made a reservation.”
“Yeah, and I can make another one another time.” He opens the door, leading me back outside.
“Are you sure?”
He stops on the sidewalk, turns me in his arms to face him, and dips his face toward mine until we are eye to eye. “Tonight is just about us spending time together, us getting to know each other. I don’t care where we are or what we’re doing as long as you’re with me.”
I look into his eyes. I know I could definitely fall for this guy.
“Now, where are we going? It’s your choice.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him we should go back to his place, but I know the smart thing to do is to get to know each other outside of his bedroom.
“Do you like pizza?” At my question, his eyebrows shoot up, and his hold on me tightens. I don’t know what that response means. “It’s just that I’m dressed for pizza, and there is a really great pizza spot not far from here—”
“Pizza it is!” He cuts me off before I can blabber anything else. “Is it close enough to walk to in the cold, or do we need to get in a cab?”
“We can walk,” I say softly.
He brushes his mouth over mine, then takes my hand in his. “Lead the way.”
We go three blocks down, to Tony’s. I listen to him tell me about the rest of his day as I soak in the feeling of his hand holding mine. His towering presence at my side makes me feel protected. I know if something were to happen, he would do whatever he had to do in order to make sure I was okay. I have never felt that before with anyone. When we finally reach the restaurant and step inside, I expect to be greeted by Tony, like always. He’s not there, which surprises me since he’s always behind the long counter laughing with customers or his employees.
“What kind of pizza do you like?” Wesley asks, pulling my attention back to him.
I shrug. “Anything with meat on it.”
“My kind of girl!” He smiles, and my heart flips. “Do you want to grab us a booth while I place our order?” he asks, looking around the packed restaurant.
“Sure.”
I release his hand and head toward the back just as a couple leaves one of the tables. Tonight, like most nights at Tony’s, seating is a rare commodity. It’s not a fancy place, but it doesn’t have to be—the pizza brings people from all over Manhattan.
Sliding into the empty table, I rub my freezing hands together and blow on my fingers while I watch Wesley place our order. Feeling more at ease, I slip off my coat and set it on the bench next to me, then unwrap the scarf from around my neck and drop it on top of the coat. This place is definitely more my style. Okay, really this place is like a second home to me. Libby and I spend a lot of time here together because pizza is one of the few things we can have without blowing our monthly budgets. Over time, we’ve become close to Tony and his wife. We’ve also gotten to know his son, Antonio, who helped out his dad after he got out of the military and still does now, whenever he isn’t working as a firefighter.