Page 54 of Mafioso's Muse

He sniffed it tentatively. ‘Ginger?’

‘Correct.’ She clinked her glass to his. ‘Cheers.’

He took a cautious sip and waited for the tangy liquid to hit his taste buds. ‘It’s actually pretty good.’

‘That’s high praise from a scotch aficionado like yourself.’

They both turned inwards slightly, sitting close but not quite touching. He watched her take a drink, then looked out at the city.

‘It’s a solid view,’ he said.

She looked out also. ‘I imagine you have a pretty good view from your apartment.’

‘It overlooks Carlton Gardens.’

‘Wow. What building is it?’

He tapped a finger on his glass, wishing he could tell her.

She nodded. ‘I guess if your number’s a secret, then your address is, too, right?’

‘The less you know about me, the safer everyone is.’

Her eyes moved over his face. ‘Safe from the people who did that to you?’

Again, he answered her with silence.

She stared at him for a long moment. ‘Can I ask you something?’

‘That depends on what it is.’

‘Is this a date?’

The question caught him off-guard. He actually had to think about his answer. ‘No.’

‘It’s not?’

‘No, it’s dinner—without scotch.’

She sighed. ‘Well, I have wine, but it’s from Aldi.’

‘I don’t care if it’s from Aldi. I care if it’s good.’

‘The bottle says “award-winning” on it.’

God, she’s funny.‘That’s not necessarily a guarantee of quality.’

She angled her head, regarding him. ‘I still think about our last non-date.’

His blood rose a few degrees at the memory of kissing her. ‘I’m sorry about that.’ Their knees brushed, which only made things worse.

She openly studied the bruises on his face. ‘WhatamI allowed to ask you about?’

He took a drink before answering her. ‘How about I ask you a question instead?’

‘I’m an open book. What do you want to know?’

He thought for a moment. ‘What age did you start dancing?’