Angel (Fallen Angel, #3)(28)
I reached across the table for his hand and squeezed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know. I’d find you.”
With a laugh, I lifted my glass, tapping it lightly against his before taking a sip. In the periphery, the lights of New York glittered, but the only thing I had my eyes on was the man in front of me. He wasn’t in all black tonight—a shocker—but wore a fitted navy suit, though he’d left off a tie and had undone the first few buttons of his shirt. His dark hair was tucked behind his ear, showing off the strong cheekbones and the stubbled jaw I loved to brush my lips across. Viper was so beautiful to look at that it hurt sometimes, and it made me wonder why, out of everyone in the world, he’d chosen me. Because that was definitely the way it’d gone. I sure as hell wouldn’t have been brave enough to choose him first.
Viper hooked his foot behind mine, his lips quirking, though he didn’t call me out on staring at him. He was staring right back.
“This is nice,” I said, and took another sip of the slightly fruity wine. “What’s the special occasion?”
“The special occasion is I’ve fucking missed spending time with you without the others around all the damn time.”
“You sure it’s not that you wanted to see me all dressed up?”
“As good as you look in that suit, Angel, that’s definitely not the reason. I can’t wait to take it the fuck off you.”
My cock throbbed, making me shift in my chair as Viper’s grin widened.
“So why not just have dinner at your place? We could be naked…”
Viper growled, and then his eyes fell behind me and he quickly placed a napkin in his lap, trying to hide the way his dick obviously was having the same reaction to me as mine was to him. As the waiter approached with our first round of food, Viper said, “You’ll see.”
“I’ll see? You mean there’s more than this?”
Viper shrugged and sipped his wine. I didn’t get a chance to ask him any more, because then the waiter launched into details about our first course, and we focused our attention on the mouth-watering food in front of us.
What else did my insane—but gorgeous—boyfriend have up his sleeve?
Nineteen
Viper
DAMN, THE ANGEL looked fine tonight. Not that I’d expected anything less. But sitting across from me with the candlelight between us and the lights twinkling from the bustling city outside, Halo looked like a million fucking dollars. No. Scratch that. He looked better than any amount of money ever could.
Earlier this week when I’d gotten the call that Halo’s piano was complete, I’d set into motion the perfect dinner, place, and night for my man. I wanted this to be a moment in Halo’s life that he would never forget, one that blew every other night so far out of the water. And so far, so good.
We were about halfway through the elaborate ten-course meal, and when the waiter brought out the elk tenderloin and set it down in front of us, Halo grinned at me and shook his head. His eyes were sparkling, his cheeks were slightly flushed from the wine, and when the sommelier brought out the next bottle to fill new glasses for this particular pairing, Halo leaned over the table and said, “I’m going to be lucky if I can stand after this if they keep filling my glass.”
I chuckled and reached across the table, loving when he automatically met me halfway, interlacing our fingers. “I’d be more than happy to carry you if you need some help, Angel.”
“Good to know,” Halo said, and when the sommelier finished, he cleared his throat.
“I— Sorry,” he said, and offered up a shy smile as he looked between the two of us. “I don’t mean to intrude on such a lovely evening, but I’m about to switch out with a colleague of mine, and before I go, I just wanted to say congratulations to you both on Corruption hitting, and staying at, number one for so long. You must be thrilled.”
Halo aimed that winning smile in the man’s direction, and because I didn’t want to seem like a rude fucker, I did the same. But figured mine probably looked more like a semi-scowl than a smile.
“We are,” Halo said, as he sat back in his seat and looked at the name on the man’s badge. “Thanks, Edward.”
“Yeah, thanks, man,” I said with a tilt of my chin, and as Edward took a step back, he bumped into the empty table behind him.
“Oh, whoops. Sorry. And you’re welcome. Anyway, I hope you have a great night.”
Halo waved, but couldn’t help his chuckle as he said, “You too, Edward.”
As Edward hurried off, Halo looked back at me, that same genuine smile on his face. Always so damn polite, and sweet. The angel’s approachable disposition was something his fans were falling in love with as much as his music and gorgeous face, and I couldn’t blame them. They were all the same reasons I’d fallen in love with him too. I was just lucky enough that I’d had him to myself first.
“Charmer,” I said as I picked up my glass, and Halo did the same.
“Me?”
As we clinked and took a sip, I kept my eyes on his and nodded. “Mhmm. Poor Eddie practically fell at your feet just now.”
Halo scoffed as he put his glass down and inspected the meal in front of him. “I don’t know about that. I highly doubt meeting me is going to make anyone fall at my feet.”