“Um, we were just going to grab some lunch.”
“Mind if I join you?”
My instant reaction was to say that yes, I did mind. Except that would be a lie because I found I didn’t mind at all. In fact, some adult company might be nice, even if it was with Dayton. And then a wicked thought entered my mind. He didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who mingled with kids very much. I could be wrong, but I doubted it. Time to test Mr. Somers’ mettle and have a little fun in the process.
“Not at all. I was going to take Max to the Stardust Diner. Have you heard of it?” I asked innocently, already knowing the answer. I’d seen this fun, crazy place when I’d been shopping with Max a couple of weeks ago and vowed to take him one day. However, I was one hundred percent sure the restaurant did not feature on Dayton Somers’ radar.
“I haven’t.”
“It’s in midtown, so a bit of a walk.”
“No problem, the car is outside, complete with child seat.” He cocked a brow, a teasing smile playing around his lips.
My insides somersaulted, and the ends of my fingers tingled. He sure was easy on the eye. Dark, perfectly styled hair, a strong jaw covered in designer stubble, piercing blue eyes, a straight nose that Hollywood stars probably paid a fortune to replicate. The more I thought about our arrangement, the more I realized it wouldn’t be too much of a hardship to spend time in his company.
For goodness sake, Christa. Haven’t you learned anything?
Yes, I had. I’d learned to be wary, to watch my back. To withhold trust until I could be certain it had been earned. I was the one in control, of my feelings, my reactions. I was nothing if not a great student.
“Then let’s go.” I gestured to him, locked up, and headed for the elevators.
It was freezing outside, and a smattering of snow covered the sidewalks, although the roads were clear. Dayton had parked a short distance down the street, and by the time I got Max strapped in, made sure he had a toy to play with to keep him occupied, and climbed in beside Dayton, I couldn’t feel my fingers.
“God, it’s bitterly cold,” I said, blowing on my hands. “I think I’ve got frostbite.”
Dayton started the car, but instead of pulling into the traffic, he twisted in his seat and captured my hands between his. My heart thudded as he rubbed my hands, my tongue suddenly feeling too big for my mouth. I licked my dry lips and swallowed, my attention fixated as he worked warmth back into my fingertips. I had to admit it felt good to have someone who bothered enough to care.
“Better?” he asked after a minute or so had passed.
I nodded, color hittin my cheeks. “Much.”
“Good.”
He held on to me for a few seconds then let me go, a wry twist to his mouth that I didn’t understand. Not that I was about to ask. Didn’t want to pull on that thread.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“It’s on Broadway,” I replied. “Head north.”
He nodded and pulled into the busy traffic. Once we were on our way, he pressed a few buttons on a screen on the dashboard, and seconds later a voice came through the speakers.
“Yes, Mr. Somers.”
“Paul, I’m headed for the Stardust Diner on Broadway. I’ll need you to come and fetch the car then drop it off again when I’m ready to leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dayton hung up. I stared at him, dumbfounded. “We could have jumped in a cab or caught the subway. You didn’t have to get the poor man out in this weather.”
Dayton shook his head. “It’s his job. I’d have had him drive me today if I’d known we’d be heading into midtown.”
I frowned. “That’s a good point. Why did you stop by today?”
“I thought we could discuss the schedule I sent you.”
“Why? It seemed pretty straightforward to me.”
His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed. Right there was a man unused to having his motives questioned. I repressed a shiver.
“Because I wanted to take the opportunity to brief you on the first couple at least. The purpose of the event, the guests who will be there, the part I’m expected to play.” He glanced sideways. “The part you’re expected to play.”
“Oh.” I bit my lip, feeling bad for reading things that weren’t there. “Good thing I was in then.”
He chuckled, his irritation receding. “Indeed. I should have called first.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because I didn’t want to give you the opportunity to lie about your whereabouts.”
I twisted my hair into a knot. “Are you questioning my integrity?”
“No. I’m simply stating that I’m fully aware you wouldn’t choose to spend your Saturday afternoon with me. By turning up, I forced you to decline my offer to my face which is much harder than doing it from a smartphone. Ask any internet troll.”
I laughed at his directness and the honesty of his statement. “You got me,” I said.
Dayton’s answering smile warmed my insides. Aware Max hadn’t murmured the whole way there, I twisted in my seat. A grin spread across my face. He’d fallen asleep. It must be the rocking motion of the car, as well as the warmth.
“Everything okay?” Dayton asked.
“He’s asleep.”
He frowned. “Is he unwell?”
I laughed. “He’s fine. It’s been a big week for us both. I had to wake him this morning which is very unusual.” I spotted the diner up ahead, and doubts crept into my mind. “Maybe we should go somewhere else,” I said. Despite the cold, the line for tables snaked around the block. I estimated we’d be waiting in the freezing temperatures for about thirty minutes.
Dayton followed my gaze. “Do you want to take Max here?”
I nodded. I really did, but Dayton was not going to enjoy standing in line. He didn’t strike me as the kind of man who had to wait for anything.
“Then that’s where we’re going.” He stopped the car right in front of the restaurant.
All eyes were on us, especially when Dayton’s driver opened his door.
“Sir,” he said.
“Wait here,” Dayton said to me. He got out of the car.
I frowned. What was that all about? I did as I was told, though, and a few seconds later, Dayton opened my door. He held out his hand.
“The road is slippery. I don’t want you falling and breaking a leg.” I flashed him a reproachful glare, and he grinned. “Don’t worry, Christa. I’m not being benevolent.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I took him up on his offer of help and carefully stepped onto the road.
Paul smiled and opened the back door for me. “Ma’am.”
“Thank you,” I said, suppressing a giggle at his formality. I reached in to grab a still sleeping Max.
The minute the cold hit, though, he woke up. His mouth opened in a big yawn, and then he grinned.
“Come on, handsome,” I said, kissing his cheek. I hoisted him onto my hip and headed for the back of the line.
“Where are you going?” Dayton asked, gripping my elbow.
I pointed with my chin. “To line up.”
He didn’t answer me or change course. Instead, he marched straight into the restaurant, right past the waiting customers. I caught the death stares of several people at the front of the line. Heat rushed to my cheeks.
“What are you doing?” I whispered. “You have to wait like everyone else.”
“Except I’m not everyone else,” he drawled.
My embarrassment shifted to glee, though, when we got inside. The place was packed, and the noise level off the scale as screaming kids hyped up on sugar ignored their overwrought parents’ hapless attempts to apply some control and discipline. I sneaked a look at Dayton, expecting to see a horrified expression. Instead, I found him smiling. Well… goddamn.
“We need a table for two and a highchair,” Dayton said to the lady behind the podium.
She glanced up, frazzled, but as busy as she clearly w
as, two dots of red appeared on her cheeks as her gaze fell on Dayton. Easy on the eye, see…
“I’m so sorry, sir, but there’s a thirty- to forty-minute wait. We’re very busy today as you can see.”
“I told you we had to line up,” I said, lowering my voice.
“Yes, I can see that,” he said, ignoring my interjection. “I tell you what…” He lowered his gaze to her nametag. “Erin, if you can make space for us, I’ll pay the bill of everyone seated right now.”
“Dayton,” I seethed. “What are you doing?”
Erin’s eyes widened. “I-I-I’m not… I mean, I don’t know…”
“Do you have an intercom, Erin?”
She nodded, totally overwhelmed now by the forcefulness of Dayton’s demands. “Um, yes we do, for staff.”
“Is it that microphone on your podium?”
Again, she nodded.
Dayton reached over and picked it up.
“Oh God,” I groaned, heat rushing to my face in earnest as I guessed what was about to happen.
Dayton flicked a switch then tapped the microphone to check if it was working. “Ladies, gents, and adorable children, sorry to interrupt your lunch, but if I could have your attention for a brief moment.”
I didn’t know whether it was because he was used to public speaking—so his voice carried weight—or his mere presence, incredibly out of place in a room full of sticky fingers and tomato ketchup stains, but the entire restaurant quietened. Even the kids stopped what they were doing and stared at us.
“Thank you so much. I’m aware this is irregular, but I need your help. My lovely companion,” he gestured to me unnecessarily, “wanted to bring her son out for a special lunch, but unfortunately, we’re on our way to another event right afterward and don’t have time to wait. Therefore, if there is any chance of maybe a couple of families sharing a table so space could be freed up for us, I will pay for everyone’s lunch.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I muttered under my breath. We weren’t on our way to any such event. Dayton had outright lied to avoid having to stand in line. It gave me an insight into his character, one I wasn’t entirely comfortable with.
There was a moment of stunned surprise, followed by murmurings, and then everyone started shifting around. In less than a minute, a booth had been freed up. Dayton flashed a triumphant grin in my direction. I met it with a fierce glare.
“Thank you so much,” he said. “Charge everyone’s meal to that table would you, Erin?”
He handed the microphone back to a stunned Erin, and the entire restaurant broke out into applause. I’d never been so mortified in my entire life. Dayton, though, simply ushered me over to the table. A waitress appeared from nowhere with a highchair, some crayons and paper for Max, and a cloth to clean the table. In a flash, we were seated, and Max was in his chair, happily drawing.
“You are unbelievable,” I said, aware that my voice had taken on a horrible shrill tone.
His gaze locked on to mine, and I swear he looked almost smug. “You’re welcome. Now, what are we having?”
11
Dayton
I watched Christa clean the mustard, ketchup, and goodness knows what else from Max’s face. In the hour we’d been there, I’d worked out that kids were messy, extremely loud, and impossible to control. But I also realized how empty my life was, how ordered, how clean and tidy it was. I thought of my pristine penthouse here in the city, my lakefront property up in the Catskills, my beach house on the Cape. Each one sterile and lacking the warmth of this crazy-ass restaurant in the center of Manhattan. And right then, I had a revelation. Sitting here with Christa, I felt more content than I had in a very long time.
“I’m impressed,” she said, jerking me from my innermost thoughts. “I expected you to last ten minutes before you lost your patience, or your hearing.”
I smiled. “Sorry to have disappointed you.”
She responded with a grin of her own. “You’ve got to admit, you don’t fit in here.”
I nodded. “True, but life is all about different kinds of experiences. If we only stick to what we know, we end up with a very narrow view of the world.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “Wow, you’re full of surprises today.”
I rested my arm across the back of the booth and crossed my legs at the ankles. The movement meant I brushed against her legs. She shifted but didn’t snatch them away. I took that as a positive sign. Good. My plan was progressing beautifully.
“I’m abundantly aware of the box you’ve put me in, Christa, and I probably deserve to be there. But all humans are multi-faceted, including rich, privileged, jackasses like me.”
She pretended to faint. “Did you just make a joke?”
My face broke into an unexpected grin. “You’re a bad influence.”
She rubbed her finger over her bottom lip. God, I wanted to kiss her. Yep… definitely coming around. Maybe I wouldn’t have to hold on much longer to make my move.
“Wait until we’ve spent more time together,” she said. “I might even persuade you to wear jeans.”
I stared at her in mock horror. “Not in this lifetime.”
“Challenge accepted.”
I scooched along the seat and got to my feet. “And on that note, I’ll go settle the check while you see to Max.”
I walked over to the podium and gave my credit card to Erin, who, because I offered to pay for everyone’s meal, had spent the last hour stealing glances in my direction with an expression akin to adoration. I stole a glance of my own at Christa. I’d never admit it to her, but I’d thoroughly enjoyed myself. I’d begun to see her as a real person rather than a woman I wanted to fuck, and the more time we spent together, the more I liked what I saw underneath the outer shell. She made me feel good without even trying. She challenged me, my thoughts, my beliefs, and her wicked sense of humor amused me. She wasn’t swayed by money, affluence, or social status. She was a woman confident in her own skin, who could transcend classes. She was as comfortable here as she’d been at the gala dressed in a four thousand-dollar gown. Not that she had any idea of the cost of the dress she’d worn—another thing I found attractive about her.
I texted Paul and five minutes later spotted the car outside. It had started to snow while we’d been in the restaurant, and the sidewalks were slippery. I stuck out my arm for Christa to hold on to, especially as she was also carrying Max. She strapped him in, then got in the car herself.
“Thanks,” I said to Paul. “I’ll take it from here.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll see you Monday morning.”
“Five-thirty,” I reminded. Pointless really. Paul never missed a beat.
“Yes, sir.”
I got in the car and merged into the traffic. Max was in the back talking to himself, and I found my lips forming into a smile. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d smiled so much in one day. “You’ve got a good kid there,” I said.
“I know.” Her face went all soft. “He’s amazing.”
“Does he miss his dad?” I asked.
She paled, and her chin trembled before she clamped down on the moment of weakness and withdrew into her shell. She hunched her shoulders and twisted to stare out of the window. “No,” she said, her tone clipped.
I waited a few seconds. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Ouch.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between us, broken only by Max playing with his toys in the back. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I kept my mouth closed in case another faux pas escaped. Notably, Christa didn’t speak either. I wasn’t used to finding silences awkward. Keeping quiet and forcing the other person to speak first was a key negotiating tactic I often used, and I normally gave an Oscar-winning performance. Sitting here with Christa, though, when I’d clearly stumbled upon a very raw subject, I found myself fidgeting in my seat.
I parked on the street outside her apartment, leaving the engine idling.
/> “Thank you for taking us,” Christa said stiffly.
I nodded. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Cassandra will be in touch with regard to Friday night, as discussed.” I hated the formal tone to my voice, but given Christa’s unyielding body language, I thought it best to reaffirm our professional relationship.
“Okay.”
She climbed out of the car, opened the back door, and lifted Max out. I popped the trunk so she could retrieve Max’s stroller. I watched as they entered her building, and then they were gone.
I thought I’d been making headway, but it seemed like every time we took a step in the right direction, she retreated. Whatever had gone on with Max’s father, my gut told me it hadn’t been good. Unless he was dead. But then her reaction would have been different—less… fearful, more… grief-stricken.
My chest burned with an unfamiliar, and slightly disconcerting, sensation. Was he the reason for her wariness? What the hell had he done to her, because from what I’d seen of Christa, she was no pushover. To me, he was already a worthless bastard. Any man who fathered a child then left the mother to cope alone deserved to have his balls chewed off by a pack of rats. Then again, some fathers didn’t deserve their kids—and some kids were definitely better off without their fucking fathers.
Not going there.
I turned my thoughts back to Christa, increasingly aware that as I spent more time with her, she was becoming more than simply another conquest. I still wanted to fuck her, badly, but I also found myself wanting something I never had before. Walks in the park, picnics out by the lake, fun with her and Max on the beach in summertime. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but I decided to let it run its course and see where I ended up.
And then a realization hit me like a bat across the back of the head. Since I’d watched her spill out of that cab several weeks ago, I hadn’t shown the slightest interest in another woman. My black book had stayed firmly closed. Hell, even when Caroline and I had dated, I’d been on the constant prowl for someone more interesting, the next female to briefly pique my interest, warm my bed, and keep my cock sated. Then a few weeks later, I’d move on to the next one, etcetera, ad infinitum.
Tempting Christa: An Irresistibly Mine Duet - Book 1 Page 8
