me, continuing to hold the fork out in midair. I can see his arm trembling slightly. It’s a heady feeling knowing I could affect him as much as he affects me. He lets out a small cough and finally lowers his fork to shovel a bite into his mouth.
“Delicious,” I say with a wink, and he laughs.
“I see what you did there, clever girl.”
The heaviness of the earlier topic is long forgotten.
We continue to devour our meal with lighthearted conversation. It’s flirty, playful, and refreshing. His thigh is touching mine underneath the table, his arm stays wrapped around my shoulders as he eats.
“More wine?” Elias asks, once we’ve both finished eating.
“Yes, please.”
He picks up my glass and fills it from the bottle on the table. “Did you enjoy your meal?”
“It was delicious. Did you?”
He places my wine in front of me before answering. “Oh yes. I enjoyed it even more after sharing the same fork. “
I hum in response, taking a sip of my wine. As I place it before me, I fiddle with the stem of my glace while we sit in silence.
“So I’m curious about something,” I begin, and Elias turns his body to face me.
“What’s that?”
“What is your business at Brooks and Boulder? I saw you talking with Michelle the day of my interview. Unless of course it’s private, then you don’t have to tell me.” Suddenly realizing he may be a client, I’m a little nauseous considering we deal mostly in criminal defense.
To my surprise, Elias looks somewhat embarrassed. Crap, he probably is a client. “You don’t have to tell me,” I rush to amend.
“Ah, no it’s okay. Honestly?” Elias clears his throat and runs his hand through his disheveled hair.
“I’m the son of Preston Brooks.” My stomach drops. This may be worse than him being a client. “I stopped by to see my dad and ran into some old friends.”
“You’re Mr. Brooks’ son? I’m on a date with the partner’s son. Holy shit, I’m a hussy.”
“Marlena,” he chastises sternly. “Don’t. There is nothing wrong with going on a date with me. I have no influence over your position in the office.”
“Other people might not know that.”
“They do. You’re a direct employee of Michelle. She’s the one who hired you.”
“But won’t the others talk?”
“Who’ll care? The only one who has a big mouth is Katie, the receptionist, and that’s because she’s a cold hearted bitch who revels in gossip.”
“That doesn’t really surprise me. I’ve only spoken a handful of words to her, but by the looks she’s given me in all of two days, I don’t think she likes me very much.”
“Just be careful. I know she can act nice when she wants to be or when she needs something.”
“You really think no one, other than her, will have something to say about this?”
“I really don’t,” Elias sighs. “And who cares if they did? I’m an adult, you’re an adult, and technically we met before you worked there. Please, don’t make this into a bigger deal than it needs to be.”
“I guess you’re right.” I’m not entirely comfortable with the revelation, but what can I do about it? I’m delighted to be out with Elias. He’s gorgeous and sweet and funny—entirely out of my league. If I’m honest with myself, this probably won’t last so I might as well enjoy it until then.
Before I can press him further, the waitress returns with our bill, which Elias promptly pays sending her away with cash instead of a credit card so we don’t have to wait.
“Come to my place. I can pull out the guitar, play you some songs.” His azure eyes are bright, excited. His body emits confidence and power as he holds out his hand to help me from the booth. He doesn’t want this night to end any more than I do.
“Sure, it’s still early enough. I do have to work tomorrow though.” There’s a deep, almost painful need to clarify that I won’t be spending the night. He hasn’t even broached the subject, but I don’t know how these things usually go. I haven’t been on a date in over three years.
“Don’t worry. I won’t keep you all night,” he teases, linking his fingers through mine once again and towing me from the restaurant. He leads me to his truck, and before opening my door, he backs me up against it, holding me still. His muscular body to my soft body, his hands drifting to settle on my waist.
I lift my gaze his eyes,