The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) - J. R. Ward Page 0,108

the tables seemed to have stopped eating and was looking in their direction—

From out of nowhere, a woman rushed over. Like the decor, she was all in black, and even her hair was a cap of stick-straight high-gloss.

“How do you do,” she said with a broad smile. “Welcome to Circle the World.”

And we will now self-destruct in three … two … “Yeah, I didn’t call ahead—”

“Oh, Mr. Latimer, yes, you did. Your representative, Mr. Perlmutter, let us know you would be gracing us with your presence. We are so pleased to accommodate you at the windows.”

Fuuuuuck.

Thank you, thank you, Fritz, butler lifeboat supreme—who had clearly overheard something.

As his queen beamed, the woman indicated the way across the open room—and as they followed her, Trez realized that they had stepped onto a vast, slowly revolving plate: The entire restaurant moved around the center core of the elevator shaft and what must have been the kitchen space.

They went right to the edge. To a table for two that had one of its generous four sides directly against the glass.

Under which the entire city of Caldwell stretched out, about four hundred thousand feet below.

Time to sit, he thought, praying his sudden case of the wonks didn’t wipe out his knees before he did his queen proper.

Helping Selena into her seat, he kept his eyes averted as he went over and fell down into a seat that was hard as rock.

The maître d’ cast her pale hand over the table to the godforsaken windows. “This will be the spice to the courses of your meal.”

No, that would be nausea, sweetheart.

She turned back to the rest of the place. “The interior is designed to be the night, the perfect background for savoring what the chef will provide for your pleasure.”

When they were alone, Selena shifted herself toward the windows. “It’s … incredible. The lights of the buildings. They’re like fallen stars.”

Trez wiped his sweaty palms on his napkin. Bracing himself, he glanced over and found that—well, yes, it was as bad as he had thought. Peering out the utterly clean glass, it was as if nothing separated him from a fall to the death, the lack of a ledge turning even a split second of eye contact into a terrifying swoop into the abyss.

Time to put the napkin to the brow.

“Trez?” She looked over at him. “Are you all right?”

Pulling it together, he reached out and took her hand.

“Have I told you how beautiful these are?” he murmured.

Her smile was radiant. “Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it.”

“So beautiful.” He smoothed his palm over hers. Then bent in and pressed a kiss to her skin. “Long and lovely. Strong, too.”

When he finally looked up, it was into her eyes, and that was when things got better. One single heartbeat later, and he wasn’t worried about his terror of heights, and he wasn’t thinking about the humans around him, and he couldn’t have given a shit that the twinkling view was subtly circling below them.

With her hand in his and that beautiful face of hers staring across at him, he was transported away from it all.

“I love you,” he said, rubbing his thumb on the inside of her wrist. “No one could do this to me.”

“Do what?”

“Make me forget all my fear.”

She flushed. “I didn’t want to bring it up, but why didn’t you tell me you don’t like heights? I thought you were going to jump out of your skin in just the elevator. We could have gone somewhere else.”

“This was where you wanted to go. And like I wouldn’t suck it up for you?”

“I want us to both enjoy tonight.”

He lowered his lids. “I had fun in the car. Already looking forward to the trip home.”

As her scent flared, she let out something that sounded like a purr.

Later, much later, he would remember this moment between them … the way it seemed to last forever, stretching into the divine infinite. All of the details would stay with him, too, from the sparkle in her eyes to the shine of her hair, from the way she smiled at him to the flush on her cheeks.

Memories were especially dear, when they were all you had left of a loved one to hold on to.

THIRTY-FOUR

“What’s happening! What is … what’s that alarm mean?”

Layla was right behind Qhuinn as he burst into his brother’s hospital room and started talking. Over his shoulder, she saw Doc Jane standing by the bed, and Luchas down flat, his johnny