goes back to stacking containers on the worktop.
“If you are going to be a sexual goddess like you were tonight, I didn’t buy nearly enough to refuel myself.”
I blush. Furiously.
Which makes him laugh.
I clear my throat. “What did you get?”
“A four-course Italian meal.”
My eyes widen in delight. “Really?”
“I would have taken you to this restaurant tonight if I could have,” Xander says, his voice laced with regret. “It’s from a top restaurant in Mayfair.”
I immediately move close to him, winding my arms around his back. “I’m happier here with you.”
Then I draw his mouth to mine and give him a slow, lingering kiss.
“Mm,” he murmurs sexily against my mouth. “Are you sure you want dinner? I’m rethinking this idea.”
I laugh against his lips and break the kiss. “No, I’ve never had a four-course meal. You wouldn’t deny me that pleasure, would you?”
Xander cocks an eyebrow at me. “I wouldn’t deny you any pleasure, my Sunshine.”
Ooh!
“But if you have never had a four-course meal, tonight is your night,” Xander says. “Let me show you.” He removes the lid off one container. “This is a charcuterie board for two.”
I look down into the container and see a lovely arrangement of meats and cheeses.
“Fennel pollen salami, Parma ham, and smoked burrata for the first course,” Xander explains.
I stare down at the meats. Hunger pangs kick in.
“Go on, tuck in, this isn’t formal eating,” he says, nudging my arm with his.
I don’t need any more of an invitation. I pick up a plate and put a little bit of everything on it. Oh, my. The salami is studded with flavour! I could eat that alone and be happy.
“Now, sit down, and I’ll bring you the next course,” Xander says.
I smile and take a seat at the island, setting my plate and wine in front of me. I watch as Xander pops the second course into the microwave. Once it’s started, he takes a moment to eat some of the Parma ham.
“That’s good,” he says, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“I know, so good,” I agree.
Before I know it, we’re tucking into tagliatelle with truffles. Roasted chicken with a red wine sauce, polenta, and sautéed greens. Finally, Xander brings me dessert—a decadent tiramisu, which he insisted on serving alongside a slice of my banoffee chocolate cake. I can’t help but notice Xander put a big slice of my cake on his plate and just a spoonful of tiramisu.
“Your cake is by far superior,” Xander insists, pausing to drop a sweet kiss on my lips.
Mm. I taste chocolate and cream on his lush mouth, and I resist falling into another kiss with him.
Otherwise, I might never leave, and I have to decorate three custom cake orders tomorrow.
I finish my wine, and a happy little buzz is humming through my body. I’m still warm, not merely from the drink, but from the intoxicating night I’ve spent with this man sitting next to me.
“I suppose I should go home,” I say. “It’s nearly eleven.”
Xander frowns. My stomach flips with delight at the fact that he doesn’t want me to leave.
“I suppose. Let me get that sorted. But you’d better pack a bag for this weekend. I’ve got nothing scheduled in my diary except for making you one very satisfied woman.”
Heat shoots through every inch of me. “And I will make you one satisfied man.”
“You already do,” Xander says gently.
How can this man bring me so much joy in one evening? How?
Xander gets up and calls a black cab, then talks to one of his PPOs, who will meet us in fifteen minutes.
I gather my things, slipping back into my coat, and Xander walks me to the door. I turn and look up at him, and he drops a sweet kiss on my lips.
“Thank you for tonight. For not letting me shove you away,” he says, caressing my hair in his hands.
“You protect people,” I say, placing my hands on his chest. “But I will never let you protect me away from you.”
“Good. I can be maddening when it comes to protecting people I care about. And I care about you.”
I feel dizzy with joy. “I care about you, too.”
I reach for his hand and squeeze it. He squeezes it back.
“All right, the part I don’t like,” Xander says, putting his hand on the doorknob. “That is sending you home.”
I smile as he opens the door. We step into the night, but as soon as I’m on the path, I stop dead in my tracks. My heart tumbles into