Page 25 of Demon On Deck

I shake my head and grab my purse off the side table by the door. “Ready.”

He extends his hand, and I clasp it, threading my small fingers through his much larger one. He opens the door to his car and helps me inside. He takes my hand again once he’s in the car and it’s in gear.

“You look handsome,” I say when we pull out of the driveway.

“I look like a pauper next to the queen,” he says in his deep, seductive baritone.

I scoff, and he growls, which makes me laugh. It only takes us a few minutes to reach the restaurant. Just like on the cruise, we walk to the host stand and are seated immediately when Evren gives his name.

“Lemon drop martini?” He asks as the waiter drops off our menus.

“Please.”

Drinks and appetizers ordered, Evren reaches across the table and takes my hand, gently brushing his thumbs across my knuckles.

“How have you been post-cruise? I know it’s only been a few weeks, but it feelslike an eternity since I last saw you.”

I smile and giggle, “You saw me two days ago.”

He raises my hand to place a kiss. “Like I said, an eternity.”

Gods, writers could use this demon as a template for male characters on how to woo a woman.

”I’ve been ok. Catching up with all the shop things I missed while I was gone. A few weddings were booked for spring, so I’ve been meeting with brides to start their client portfolios and get a head start on that.”

“The weddings are in the spring, but you’re meeting now?” He asked, perplexed.

I nod my head as the waitress drops off our drinks and a plate of fried mushrooms. Reaching forward, I grab my drink and take a sip.

“Seems early, right?”

“It does,” he says, releasing my hand and plating each of us some of the mushrooms and sauce.

“The sooner I can get a portfolio going, the easier the process is. Brides tend to have an initial vision, but change it midway through or even a few months before. I have a questionnaire that could rival that of any dating company to get the most well-rounded impression of the bride. That way, I can keep an eye on prices for flowers that they love as well as others that may become the new favorite closer to the date.”

As I explain the bridal portfolios, Evren doesn’t interrupt. He just watches me with that same focused intensity I remember from the cruise. The kind of attention that makes me feel seen and has me coming undone at the same time.

Evren pops a mushroom into his mouth, contemplating my statement. I snag one as well and enjoy the well-balanced flavor. We had fried mushrooms on a few occasions at one of the restaurants on the cruise that were incredible. These are tasty, but not cruise-tasty.

“How often do they change last minute?”

I puff out a breath. “More often than I would prefer. And with social media being what it is and trends changing faster than a runway model, it’s becoming even more common.”

He nods his head. “That I can understand. There are a number of viral accounts that give investment advice. Don’t get me wrong, some of it is great, but a lot of it is garbage. Even so, I get clients who swear that they got an inside scoop from some social media guru and demand we make adjustments to their accounts.”

“Can you tell them no?”

“I can advise against it, but in the end, it’s their account. If they choose to ignore my advice and it goes poorly, that was their call.”

“This is how I feel about brides who want to try crazy gravity-defying floral arrangements. Can I make it? Yes. Is it going to be successful? I can’t guarantee it. But if that’s what they really want, I’m gonna do it.” I shrug before sipping my drink.

The waitress comes back, and we order our meals. From there, we slip right back into things as they were when we were on the cruise. Laughter and easy conversation. When plates are cleared, the waitress stops by once more.

“Can I interest you two in dessert?”

I snag a dessert menu and do a quick perusal. “What do you think?” I ask Evren. When I look up, his eyes are blazing.

“We’ll take something to go,” he says in a deep rumble that has my nipples pebbling.