Susan blinked, her anger momentarily displaced by confusion. "What?"
He gave a slight, almost teasing smile. "You said I interrupted your date. And I have to say, you look... breathtaking. It'd be a shame to let all that effort go to waste, wouldn't it?"
Susan opened her mouth to respond, but no words came. The intensity of his stare was overwhelming, clouding her thoughts, and she felt herself wavering.
"Let's make a deal," Leo murmured, his voice dropping. "You let me take you to dinner, and I'll consider your proposal. How does that sound?"
Her mind was a whirl. His closeness, his scent, the magnetic pull she couldn't escape—it was all too much. She took a deep breath, feeling her resolve falter as his words sank in.
"You will?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, but she couldn't look away.
"Cross my heart," he said, smiling, his gaze steady and unwavering.
After a moment, Susan nodded, barely trusting herself as she answered. "Fine."
_________
Susan sat in Leo's sleek black car, her gaze flitting to the city lights streaking past. She had no idea where he was taking her, but something told her it would be a place unlike anywhere she'd been before.
"Relax, Suzy," Leo said after a few minutes of stealing glances at her and observing how tense she looked, "I promise I won't bite…. Unless you ask me to,"
Susan gave him a look, "Comments like that are not helpful at all," she told him.
Leo laughed then, and Susan wondered what the hell she was doing with this man, and why the hell wasn't she scared. She should be afraid right now…Although she was anxious, she wasn't afraid, and she wondered if something was wrong with her. What if Samuel saw her now? What would he say? What would he think of her?
They drove through a private gate that led to a towering building, subtly luxurious and dimly lit from the outside. Leo parked in a private garage beneath the building, and with a slight smirk, he led her inside to a private elevator. No buttons, no floor numbers—just Leo swiping a card and the elevator humming to life. It ascended smoothly, and soon the doors slid open to reveal an exclusive rooftop restaurant, glowing softly with amber lights.
The space was breathtaking. They were high enough to see the city sprawled beneath them, lights flickering like stars in the distance. Strings of dim lights lined the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow over each private table, nestled in quiet alcoves for privacy. A canopy of soft, transparent drapes was placed around each table, creating an intimate setting where one could easily forget the rest of the world. Only a few tables were occupied, and waiters moved with careful grace, their footsteps nearly silent on the polished floor.
Leo pulled out a chair for her, and as she sank into the plush seat, she felt a wave of tension and excitement rise in her. Here, in the quiet elegance of this rooftop haven, she felt as if she was seeing a new side of him, one he'd reserved only for her… at least tonight.
"You didn't have to go this far," she murmured, taking in the grandeur around her.
"I thought you deserved something memorable," Leo replied, his eyes lingering on her before he took his own seat. His gaze was intense, yet softened by the candlelight flickering between them. "I ruined your date like you said after all. This is my way of making it up to you,"
"I thought you weren't sorry for that," said Susan, recalling his statement earlier at the club.
Leo grinned at her, "I'm not," he said simply, "You wouldn't be here with me if I didn't interrupt, but I still want to do something to make it up to you,"
"And why do you care?" Susan couldn't stop herself from asking.
Leo studied her for a while before he replied, "Maybe I don't." he said, "Maybe I'm doing this for my own selfish reasons. I'm not a good guy, remember?"
Susan gave him another look, but she decided not to push it any further.
They ordered food, and Leo, with a surprising ease, guided her through a list of dishes she wouldn't normally try. They settled on delicate seared scallops to start, a main course of rosemary-crusted lamb, and a fine glass of wine Leo assured her would "enhance the experience."
As they waited for their meals, they slipped into a conversation that felt oddly natural.
"So, tell me… Apart from the interrupted date, how did your day go? What's a day like in the life of Susan? Do you just work all the time and have no… Extracurricular activities,"
Susan watched him for a moment. Did he really want to know more about her, or was he just asking because they were on a date? She wondered why. Could she really classify this as a real date? "There isn't usually time for a lot of extracurricular activities," she replied, "But I make out some time for the gym during the weekend,"
"Hmmm, you don't strike me as the gym type," Leo said with a teasing smile,
"Wow, thanks," Susan laughed. "But you're not wrong—I only joined because I thought I could burn off some stress." She hesitated, watching his expression shift slightly. "Stress from... everything that's happened," she added quietly. "but I'm starting to like it,"
He leaned back, studying her. "I suppose you are referring to everything that has happened since you met me," he said. It wasn't a question. It was more of a statement.
"I guess," Susan replied, knowing there was no point to lie about it, "It hasn't really been easy for me. Meeting you… I mean… This has been a huge change in my life and it's been a bit hard to adjust"
She wondered if her comment had upset him when he didn't say anything for a while, but then he gave her one of those smiles that did weird things to her stomach.
"Then I'd say it's good we're here. A night without any… business," he said, his voice low, "should help with that."
Susan couldn't help but notice the way Leo looked at her—a look that went beyond simple interest. She took a sip of her wine, trying to calm the fluttering in her stomach, wondering why she felt so drawn to this dangerous man. She thought of Jeremy for a brief second, of how safe he'd seemed, but as her eyes met Leo's across the table, she found herself thinking she might never have this feeling with Jeremy…