Angel (Fallen Angel, #3)(27)

I tugged the cuffs of my suit jacket down and looked myself over in the mirror. I didn’t know where we were going, only that Viper had suggested I wear something nice, which I took to mean a suit. I supposed “nice” could’ve meant no clothes at all, but since we were going out in public, I nixed that idea.

My phone chimed, Viper’s text that he’d arrived lighting up the screen. I did one last once-over, making sure I looked okay, and then grabbed my phone and my wallet, shoving them both in my pocket as I headed down the stairs of my apartment building. I didn’t stay here much anymore, and while most of the reason was because I hated sleeping without Viper beside me, another reason was because of what I knew would be waiting outside when I opened my building’s front door.

“Halo, how’s the tour coming?” one of the paparazzi stationed on the sidewalk said, as camera flashes lit up the dark night.

“Good, thanks,” I said, making my way to the SUV idling by the curb, but I stopped when I saw a few fans clustered on the outskirts, Sharpies and photos in hand. I walked over and smiled as they jumped up and down. I quickly signed their items—the Rolling Stone cover and the Corruption CD insert. “Will we see you on tour?”

“Yes!” one of them squealed. “We’ve already gotten our tickets for the show at MetLife.”

“Hell yeah.” I leaned in so they could take a couple of selfies with their phones. “See you guys soon.”

I walked off to a chorus of “Thank you, Halo” and “We love you!” but before I could reach the SUV Viper was waiting in, another couple of paparazzi jumped in front of me.

“All dressed up tonight,” one of them said. “You got plans?”

“Yup,” I said.

“Care to tell us about them?”

I grinned. “Nope.”

The door to the SUV opened, and Viper stuck his head out. “It’s fuckin’ date night. Bugger off.”

As the paparazzi turned to get a picture of Viper, I moved past them, rounding the back of the SUV to get in on the other side. Once I was inside, Viper slammed the door shut, and I laughed.

“‘Bugger off’? What are you, British now?”

“I like to know how to say ‘fuck off’ in every country. I should’ve thrown in a ‘wanker,’ too.”

I shook my head as Viper reached for my hand and tugged.

“You’re too far away.”

When I scooted closer, he put his hand on my thigh and inclined his head toward mine. His breath was a whisper on my lips as he said, “You look devastating.” Then his mouth was on me, and I opened immediately, savoring the slow, thorough way his tongue explored every inch of me as if he’d never kissed me before. When I shivered from the contact, Viper pulled away long enough to say, “I love that,” before he took my lips again.

I let myself get lost in him, in the way his mouth moved against mine and the way he cupped my neck, holding me to him like I was a valuable he couldn’t bear to part with.

“Damn. You have a way with welcomes,” I said, when I finally pulled away to catch my breath.

Viper grinned and ran his thumb over my swollen lips. “I plan on giving you one hell of a finale later.”

“I hope so. You think I got all dressed up for you not to put out?”

With a laugh, Viper laced his fingers with mine, and as the car came to a stop, I peered out the darkened window, trying to see where he was taking me. Wherever it was, there wasn’t a paparazzo in sight.

Aria sat at the top of a five-star hotel with a prime view of the Empire State Building, lit up tonight in various shades of blue. As we entered the spacious room, the first thing I noticed—other than the stunning view—was that the restaurant was entirely…empty.

“It’s a pleasure to have you join us tonight, gentlemen,” a fastidiously dressed man said as we walked inside. “We hope that you’ll have a pleasant dining experience at Aria. Please follow me.”

As the man led us down the stairs to one of the tables situated in the center of the restaurant by the windows, I whispered, “Did you rent this whole place out, or did they have an outbreak of food poisoning that’s keeping people away?”

“Angel, do you really think I’d let anything dangerous get past those lips of yours?” Then he seemed to think that over. “Well, except for me.”

I chuckled and took a seat across from Viper. Menus were already laid out in front of us, along with a bottle of white wine chilling.

“This evening, we’d like to offer you our signature experience, a ten-course meal accompanied by our finest wine pairings.”

I glanced over the menu, willing my stomach not to growl at all the delicious food mentioned. Viper looked at me, a question in his eyes, and I nodded.

“Sounds good,” he said, handing the host our menus, and as he walked off, a waiter approached to open the bottle of wine for us. Once he left, I raised a brow at Viper.

“Feeling fancy tonight, are we? Suits, wine, a killer view at a starred restaurant. If I wasn’t yours already, I’d think you were harboring a pretty serious crush.”

“I am.”

“But you already have me.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll never stop trying to win you over, Angel. Not ever.” Viper’s eyes darkened, the look on his face one that always made my pulse race. It was the knowledge that someone so tempting, so confident, so sexy, was infatuated—and in love—with…me. How could Viper, someone so resistant to falling in love—hell, so resistant to a second date—do such an about-face? It was as if once he’d made up his mind, once he proclaimed his feelings in front of everyone the night of the prerelease party, he’d never had a second of doubt, not about me or us or what anyone else thought.