"It's really not my fault that you're screaming out your thoughts. You need to tune it down." He winked, and I growled.
"Whatever."
Grinning, he concentrated on driving while I looked out the window as we drove through the lively city. After a few minutes of looking at the bright neon signs of different establishments, I turned my focus on my vampire lover. He looked so handsome when he was concentrating on something.
I really didn't think he could ever look sexier than he did while working, but he proved me wrong. Nyx driving should be banned.
"If you keep looking at me like that, ma biche, we might not make it to dinner."
"Promises, promises," I teased, though my cheeks warmed at the thought.
He turned onto a cobblestone street I didn't recognise, and slowed to a stop outside a building with no sign. It just had a wrought-iron gate.
"Where are we?" I asked, unbuckling my seatbelt.
I expected him to take me to those five-star restaurants with bright lights and servers who seemed only to know how to smile as they took orders.
Nyx killed the engine and turned to face me. "I thought I would wow you by bringing you to a place that doesn't have reservations. They only open when they feel like it, and they felt like it tonight."
He came around to my side and offered his hand. I took it and smiled.
"I really hope I get wowed by it."
He smirked. "You will, mon amour. You will."
Inside, the restaurant was intimate to the point of secrecy. There were maybe ten tables, and velvet curtains and potted olive trees separated each of them.
A woman in a charcoal dress led us to the back, where a single table sat beneath a skylight open to the sky. She left us the moment she gestured at the table.
Nyx pulled a chair out for me, and I sat down, looking around the surprisingly cosy and beautiful space. You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
"There's no menu," Nyx said as he settled across from me. "They'll bring what we need."
"Oh."
A waiter appeared with a bottle of wine. He poured some into our glasses before he disappeared once more.
"How did you find this place?" I lifted my glass and took a sip while waiting for his response.
"Guess."
"Jax told you about it?"
"Nah." He took a sip of his wine. "I found it while on a walk last week."
"Oh." I took another sip of my drink. "How confident are you about their food?"
"They have good ratings from humans."
I chuckled at the innocent expression on his face. "So, you really can't vouch for them?"
"You'll be the judge of that."
I groaned. "What I do for my boss."
We both burst into laughter, and would have continued laughing if we hadn't gotten interrupted by the waiter who brought in the first course. It was oysters on a bed of crushed ice. I started eating at once, only to pause when I noticed he was watching me with a smirk.
"What?" I asked, setting down my fork.
"I enjoy watching you eat, Qīn'ài de. I get full just from it." He reached across the table and brushed a stray crumb from the corner of my mouth.
"Aren't you just a creep?"
He smirked. "At least you're not disgusted by this creep."
The main course was a duck confit that fell apart at the touch of my knife. They served it with figs that burst with honeyed sweetness. We talked, but it was mostly about work, as that was one thing we both had a solid standing on.
I didn't know him more than what he supplied, even though he knew more about me than I told him.
When dessert came, a chocolate tart so dark it was nearly black, topped with a single gold leaf, Nyx declined his portion. He, instead, reached across the table and offered me his hand.
"Come here," he whispered.
I stood, confused, as he drew me around to his side of the table. He pulled me into his lap and arranged me against his chest with an arm firm around my waist. With his free hand, he broke off a corner of the tart and lifted it to my lips.
"Nyx—"
"Open."
I did. The chocolate was bitter and intense. It melted in my mouth instantly. Before I could swallow, his mouth was on mine as he tasted the sweetness and stole my breath along with it. His hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head back just enough to deepen the kiss, and I felt the sharp edge of his fangs brush my lower lip.
When we broke apart, my heart was hammering against my ribs. His eyes had gone fully red.
"Take me home," I whispered.
"In a moment." He rested his forehead against mine, breathing me in. For a few seconds, we didn't say a word. He stared at me before lifting his lips and pressing a kiss to my temple. "Let's go home, mon trésor. Before I forget my manners entirely."
He settled the bill with a wordless nod to the waiter and led me back to the car with his hand at the small of my back.
The drive home was quieter. I leaned on the seat, with my eyes partially closed. I was drowsy with wine. I didn't even know I took too much until we left the place.
With one hand on the steering wheel, he placed the other one on my thighs. His fingers traced lazy patterns against my knee as he drove.
"Rex?"
"Hmm?"
"If you skip lunch again tomorrow, I'll have Clara lock your office door from the outside."
I laughed. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
I smiled as I looked up at him. "I think I'm starting to fall for you, vampire," I confessed before my mind caught up with my mouth.
He stilled under me. For a few seconds, he didn't say a word. He continued driving and kept his face forward.
"Nyx?"
"Go to sleep, Kuschelbär. I'll wake you when we get home."