Dinner with the devil
1159 Words
Natasha’s POV
My eyes grew wide when we walked into the restaurant. It was one of those high-end restaurants that Eliana would never shut up about.
Personally, I didn’t think she had ever gotten in, but I wouldn’t put it past her to gloat about places she hadn’t been to.
One of the waiters showed us to a private room.
This time, I couldn’t stop my mouth from hanging wide open.
A glass table with two elegant chairs stood in the center of the room, accompanied by a glistening chandelier overhead.
The view from the room gave a glimpse of what the ocean looked like on a cool evening. I slipped into my seat pretending not to notice Devin's gaze on me while I fumbled with the menu.
My eyes scanned the menu. Everything looked like gibberish. The only familiar thing to me was steak.
I stole a glance and saw he had already dropped the menu. Of course, he was at ease; this was his world.
I placed mine down and glanced at the waitress.
“What would you have, ma’am?” she smiled sweetly.
I cleared my throat “I’ll have whatever he’s having.”
She nodded, writing it in her small notepad.
“Italian or Scottish? Red or sparkling wine?”
“Uhhh… red,” I said, praying I didn't just order the wrong thing.
“Alright.” She turned and left the room, leaving us alone.
We sat in comfortable silence for what seemed like a few minutes.
The only sound I heard was the tap of his fingers as they flew over his keyboard.
I studied him without meaning to, how his eyebrows lined his face, how they creased when he focused.
The neatly trimmed edges of his rough stubble…
My gaze drifted lower landing on his lips, how they were perfectly shaped and distracting.
Heat rushed to my face when I realized I had been ogling him.
I jerked my gaze away.
What was I doing? I caught myself before I could even complete the thought.
I didn’t even know the man, and I was already memorizing his looks.
The truth was, I followed him here so we could discuss the matter more privately.
I figured nothing good ever came from provoking a rich man. So maybe, after dinner, I could convince him that I’d pay and we could forget about this nonsense marriage talk.
The reflection from the ring glistened as I stared at it. My fingers touched the expensive diamond, and my heart did an uncomfortable squeeze.
What if I just agreed to this?
“I could get you more if you like it.” His voice rang out. He was willing to get me more?
A blush crept onto my cheeks.
“No, thank you.”
“About earlier…”
I sat up and straightened my back.
“Can we come to another agreement?”
“How so?”
Before I could reply, the waiter brought in our order.
The sweet, peppery aroma of the peppercorn sauce and grilled vegetables that accompanied the perfectly cut medium steak wafted across the room.
I bent my head when my stomach betrayed me by letting out a loud growl.
She placed the wine carefully on the table beside the food and poured it into the glass before leaving.
“What I mean is…”
Y’know, the whole getting married thing.”
I struggled to cut the steak with the knife before lifting it to my mouth.
I almost groaned in response. “God this is amazing.”
I had never tasted something so good.
His soft chuckle filled my ears.
“I take it that you like it.”
“It tastes great.” I gave him a thumbs-up before using my hand to cover my mouth as I chewed.
“I’m glad you like it.”
He went back to enjoying his food.
Tension had lightened in the room, the weight of the earlier conversation still hung in the air.
I took a sip of the wine, borrowing a bit of confidence from the alcohol.
“Can we not get married? I’ll find a way to pay you back, I promise,” I finally blurted out.
He studied me for a moment with unnerving stillness.
“I want to marry you.”
“But I barely know you!” I snapped my head up, my voice rising higher than I intended.
“Doesn’t matter.” He took a sip of wine.
“It does. I don’t want to get married to an asshole.”
The words left my mouth before I realized.
I could’ve sworn a flicker of hurt passed through his eyes, but it was gone almost instantly.
His cool indifference returned almost immediately.
“I gave you two options, and you made your pick.”
“You gave me two ridiculous options. Marry you or get arrested?” I sighed in exasperation.
“Who does that?”
He shrugged.
“You made your pick.”
The food in my mouth tasted like gravel now that I knew he was serious.
My chest felt heavier than before.
Ugh, I hated this.
Hated not being in control.
All my life, it’s always felt like that, with my dad, with my stepmom and sister, and now this.
Tears threatened to fall, but I blinked them back.
“Why?”
My voice was hoarse, my voice raw and gaze fixed on him.
“Why me? You can have anyone you want. Why me?”
His lips formed into a slow and dangerous smirk
“Because I always get what I want.”
“Tell you what,” he continued.
I didn’t know if it was because he was touched by the expression on my face or if this was his plan all along.
But his next words were…
“Marry me for two years. We’ll sign a contract, and after that, you can leave if you want.”
His fingers trailed across mine slowly on the table.
“But you know what I bet?”
He leaned closer.
“I bet… that you won't want to leave.”
His fingers never stopped, his touch setting each place it passed on fire.
I swallowed hard and tried to concentrate on his words, but I was failing.
“You’d be too smitten to even want to leave.”
His eyes never left mine.
I snatched my hand from his grasp, the place where his fingers touched still tingling, my chest rising and falling.
My ears burned.
I wasn’t sure if it was from his touch or the embarrassment I felt that a perfect stranger could make my chest rise and fall.
He couldn’t be having an effect on me.
I placed my hand over the spot where his hand had been.
“You can either choose to sign the contract or not. But either way, we’re getting married.”
His voice carried a tone of finality.
- Writer
