“Of course, Mr. Anderson,” the waiter said before he turned to go and get a bottle without waiting to see if she was going to confirm that choice or not. It was just another reminder of the power the Andersons carried.
“I don’t need wine,” Sarah tried to call out, but it was too late. She’d just been thinking that was exactly what she needed, but she didn’t like Noah having the power he had, and she really didn’t like him taking over and ordering for her, even if that would’ve been exactly what she would’ve ordered. He was observant, that was for sure. And they had spent enough time together for him to know exactly what drinks she preferred.
“Live a little,” Chloe said with a smile as she turned her head to look back and forth between her and Noah. The restaurant might as well have been empty, as alone as she suddenly felt with the man she’d been avoiding all day. She wasn’t supposed to see him until tomorrow. She’d been counting on the night to work up her courage. She could remain professional with him if she gave herself enough pep talks—and read some more self-help books as well.
“Are you making my help run for you?” Chloe asked before she leaned in and gave Noah a side hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“I always enjoy a visit with a beautiful lady, and it’s good to make people run. It keeps them in shape. Did I hear correctly that you’re the official owner of this place now?” Noah asked.
“You heard right,” Chloe said, her smile so big she almost looked like a clown.
“How did you hear?” Sarah asked. “I just found out.”
“Good news travels fast,” Noah told them.
“Yes, it does, especially in a small town,” Chloe said. “But I do have to run into the kitchen for a little bit. We’re going to be closing down in about a week for the remodel, but I want to have people excited this week, so everything needs to run smoothly. All the staff has agreed to stay on. I can’t wait.”
“Well, I’m starving, so feed me something great,” Noah said.
“Mmm, go with the pasta primavera. The cook made a special sauce that’s amazing,” Chloe suggested.
“Don’t be gone too long,” Sarah said, a bit of desperation in her tone. She was now avoiding looking into Noah’s eyes.
“I’ll hurry, but I’m sure Noah will be more than happy to keep you company in the meantime,” Chloe said.
Sarah wanted to call the woman a traitor, but since she hadn’t been around much, she couldn’t be mean. Chloe turned and left, leaving her standing there with Noah. She didn’t even want to sit. She was trying to decide if she should turn and walk away. Feeling awkward, Sarah finally did sit, and Noah smiled before taking the seat across from her.
“You, Chloe, and Brooke have a special bond not many other people share,” Noah pointed out.
“Yes, we really do,” she said. “But I haven’t been around enough lately, and I’m missing my friends. You don’t need to sit here and eat with me. I’m fine with being on my own until Chloe gets back,” she added.
“I need to eat, too, and I’ve always liked this place.” The smile he gave her was enough to make her knees weak again. The waiter returned with the bottle of wine, and Noah took it from him. “I’ll pour.” The man left, and he filled both their glasses.
“Thank you,” she murmured, picking up the glass and taking a big gulp.
“I have a suggestion,” he told her with a wink. “Why don’t we play a little game?”
The wine was perfection, but if she wasn’t careful, she was going to start talking too much. Alcohol did strange things to her, and though she was always an honest person, alcohol made her a freaking open book.
“What are you talking about?” she asked as she stupidly took another big swallow of the delicious red.
“If we are going to have an adventure, we’re gonna spend a lot of time together. Let’s see if we can get through a single meal first,” he challenged.
“That’s a game?” she asked.
“Life is a game,” he replied with a smile before he sipped again while his eyes trailed down the V of her neck. That made her breathing instantly deepen.
“I don’t believe that,” she said sadly.
There had been times in her life she’d laughed a heck of a lot more. Growing up really sucked sometimes. Being responsible wasn’t a barrel of fun, but it was what you had to do—or so she’d been told.
“So you aren’t willing to bend?” he asked, challenge in his eyes.
That made her hackles rise. He was challenging her, and it wasn’t easy for her to walk away from a challenge. She knew he was doing it on purpose, knew he wanted a reaction from her, but even logically knowing this, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from playing right into his hands.
“I can sit here and behave just fine. It’s you who can’t,” she told him, lifting her glass only to realize it was empty. She’d polished that off way too quickly. Still, she didn’t complain when Noah reached out and refilled the glass. Maybe it would take the edge off. Maybe she could learn a bit of control and keep the zipper closed on her lips.
“To mutual understanding,” Noah said as he lifted his glass. She only hesitated a moment before she clinked hers against his, almost feeling as if she were making a deal with the devil. She probably had done that the first time she’d met this man.
Noah leaned a bit closer, and Sarah felt that urge to run again, but at the same time she wasn’t sure if she wanted to run to him or away from him. It was killing her not knowing what to do.
“I failed to mention how sexy you look,” he said, his eyes stripping her dress away, making her feel as if she were waking up in one of those nightmares where you’re nude in front of the entire school. “You look as good clothed as naked.”
There was no doubt her next sip went down wrong, making her choke. Noah’s low growl and hooded eyes were causing her to shiver and sweat at the same time. He didn’t know the meaning of playing fair. He did know how to send her into a puddle at his feet.
But she was an adult, and she should be able to stop him with nothing more than a look. She’d laid out the ground rules, and she needed to enforce what she’d said the night before. If she allowed him to continue in this train of thought, he’d think it was acceptable the entire time they were on this adventure she’d come up with. She still wasn’t quite sure how that had happened. She’d gone to the house more determined than ever to keep things professional, and then in the blink of an eye, she was asking him to go on a treasure hunt with her.
The man was good. He was so smooth she wasn’t even sure anymore which were her ideas and which ones were his. He had a way of getting her to do something she hadn’t wanted to do without her realizing she was not only doing it but doing so with a smile on her face. Was this what it was like to have the kind of power he had? She couldn’t imagine how good the man must feel every single day of his life. She wondered if he’d ever been told no with emphasis and meaning behind it. She’d rather walk through fire ants than tell him any of the thoughts she was having. Luckily the waiter returned, giving Sarah a few extra moments to figure out what to do next.