[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

enjoying the fact he was in control and there was nothing Cain
could do about it.  It s all quite wonderful. But I have a feeling the
best is yet to come. Hmm?
 It is? Parker queried.  What did you order for your entrée?
 The filet de boeuf with asparagus. It sounds totally delicious.
 It s certainly one of our more popular dishes, Cain agreed as
he tried to regain possession of his knee without upsetting the table
or drawing attention to himself.  Now, if you ll excuse me,
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gentlemen.
Noel relaxed his grasp, and Cain made his escape, wondering if
Noel would call tonight after the restaurant closed. Or did he plan
to ratchet up the tension even more by making him wait until
tomorrow?
As he passed by his brother s table, Leo grabbed his arm.  Hey,
who s the dude with Parker?
 His lawyer, why?
 What s the deal?
Cain raised his eyebrows.  The deal?
 Yeah, you know what I mean. Poor guy can t take his eyes off
you. I ve been sitting here watching him track you like a hawk.
 Maybe he s got the hots for me, Cain murmured, resisting the
urge to say more.
 No maybe about it, kid. At a guess, I d say he s got it really
bad.
Yeah, me, too.
Determined to change the subject, he turned to his sister-in-
law. Blue-eyed, blonde-haired Joanne lived next door when he and
Leo were growing up, and she d been another of his staunch
supporters through school. Mess with Joanne s friends and you
messed with her. As the daughter of a kickboxing instructor, she
knew how to earn respect whenever the situation demanded it.
 What did you think of the raspberry and blue cheese salad,
Joanne?
 It was good. A keeper, in my opinion.
 Thanks. I ll have to tell Gino. It s one of his new creations.
You guys having the beef filet?
 I am, Leo admitted.  Joanne wants to try the pork tenderloin
in red wine. Is that new, too?
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LOVE MATTERS
 Fairly new. It s something Steve came up with, and Gino
perfected. It s also very good. And make sure you both leave
enough room for a slice of birthday cake and a glass of
champagne, okay?
For the rest of the evening, Cain kept one eye on the guests and
the other on his watch, interspersed with the occasional glance
over at the table by the fire. Shortly before ten, Parker called for
the check. A few minutes later, he and Noel were heading for the
exit.
 Great food, as always, Parker said, as Cain helped him on
with coat.  And the new Italian dessert wine is quite delicious. I ll
have to remember the name. What did you think, Noel?
Noel looked at Cain, narrowed his gaze and touched his upper
lip with the tip of his tongue. As far as Cain was concerned, Noel s
message was clear and his nerves immediately tightened.
 Everything was totally fabulous. The ambiance, the food, the
wine, and the company, of course, he said, smiling at Parker.  I
can t wait to come here again.
 Anytime. I m glad to know you had a good evening. Cain
started to assist Noel with his coat, only to regret the move as Noel
managed to grope him rather effectively by, or so he said, getting
his hand somehow caught in the lining.
After Noel and Parker left, Cain was wound up tighter than an
old-fashioned alarm clock. Again, he wondered how long he d
have to wait for Noel s call. Would he call shortly to find out what
time Cain would be free? Or would he wait until he figured the
restaurant was about to close for the night?
He also wondered if Noel and Parker had driven here together
or separately. If separately, was Noel sitting out there in the
parking lot, just waiting?
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LOVE MATTERS
The possibility set his heart racing and tied his nerves in knots.
He could barely breathe, he was so excited& at the thought of
being alone with Noel, being touched and
  Night, bro, Leo said, breaking into Cain s reverie and giving
him a rib-crushing bear hug.  Don t forget you re having dinner
with us next Sunday. Jo s making one of her famous roasts, okay?
 Sounds good. The usual time?
 Yeah, around seven.
As Cain walked Leo and Joanne out of the restaurant, he
grabbed the opportunity for a quick check of the lot next door
where his customers usually parked. He saw at least a dozen or
more vehicles there, and, with the lot being city-owned, they could
belong to anyone. However, if Noel was waiting in one of them, it
was too dark for Cain to see.
He went back inside and fidgeted for a few minutes, aligning
the stack of business cards in the dish, straightening the empty
hangers on the rail, and constantly checking his watch. The Peony
usually closed around eleven or a little after. Give the staff half an
hour or so to grab a coffee, finish what was left of the birthday
cake and be on their way. By midnight, everything should be
locked up tight.
Actually, it was closer to twelve-thirty when Steve finally stuck
his head in the office to say everyone had gone and to ask if should
he set the alarm on his way out.
 No, I ll be leaving myself in a few minutes. I ll do it. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]