Shattered (Anderson Special Ops #4) - Melody Anne Page 0,42
way right up front.
“Tomato, tamato,” he said with a waggle of his brows. She had to fight not to roll her eyes. Her mother would smack her for doing such a childish act.
“Good evening,” their waiter said as he stepped inside the room. “I have some warm bread and excellent oil and vinegar for you. Have you had a chance to decide on appetizers?”
The waiter, dressed without a wrinkle in sight, wore a warm smile as his busser handed them plates and set down the warm bread that was making her mouth water as much as the wine.
They took a few minutes to study the menu, then ordered of Bruschetta Con Granchio; Dungeness Crab marinated with basil oil; Gameroni Provinciale; Gulf Shrimp sauteed with garlic, wild mushroom, and a touch of primavera; and their main course of Lambata Di Vitello Al Rosmarino — a grilled rib veal chop with rosemary oil essence, served with arugula and shoestring potatoes — and Anitra Alle Ciliegie Amarene — a dry aged, free-range duck with imported wild cherries, deglazed with grappa.
The waiter clearly believed they were a couple, making Amira bask a bit in the illusion of it all. The logical part of her brain told her it was a fantasy to believe they could be anything more than a one-night stand, but the romantic part that fought to break free yearned for more.
“This is a beautiful place. Thank you for picking it,” Amira told him. “How did you find it?” She was on her second glass of wine already, and she wasn’t going to stop until it ran out — it truly was that good.
“I met the original owner years ago before he passed and I vowed to come here every time I ended up in Seattle,” Smoke told her.
It was on the tip of Amira’s tongue to ask if he’d brought many dates there, but she reminded herself she didn’t have the right to ask him that. “How did you meet the owner?” she asked instead.
“I was here on vacation and was at the Space Needle. We got into a conversation about his journey to America and he told me about his pride and joy that he’d started with his bare hands planning and cooking. I came here that night and I was hooked for life.”
“That’s beautiful,” Amira told him, meaning it. The entire reason she’d decided to meet him was to lay out clear lines on where they stood. As she sat in the dimly lit private space she found she was having a very difficult time doing just that.
“I got to travel to Lofoten in Norway a few years ago,” she said, deciding words were so much better than the intense, very intimate silence between them. “Have you been? I have a thing for islands. You get to be in your own private paradise.”
“I’ve never been to Norway,” he told her. “But I went to Greece last year and traveled through some random islands. It was quite beautiful. I did some fishing and a lot of swimming.”
“I haven’t been fishing in over ten years. I used to go with my gramps,” she said, feeling a pang as she said the name. Her parents had worked a lot and expected perfection from her. Her gramps, on the other hand, had been her hero, a man worthy of worship. When she’d lost him three years prior it had shaken her very foundation. She’d wondered for a long time what the meaning of life was to have someone she loved so much taken from her. She was still dealing with those feelings.
“I wish I would’ve had a grandparent to take me fishing. I’m glad you had that,” Smoke said. He reached over and took her hand. “From the sparkle in your eyes it appears you miss your gramps very much.”
“Yes, I do. It’s been three years, but it hurts just as much today as the day I lost him. We won’t get into that now though,” she said, forcing a bright smile in place of the frown she’d been wearing.
She was glad when their appetizers arrived. Smoke speared a shrimp and took a bite, then let out a little moan that sizzled straight to her core. Her mouth watered again as she watched him chew the delicious food.
“You have to try this,” Smoke said as he speared another, then held out his fork. She tried to grab it from him, but he held it back a tad before moving it to her mouth.