Bow Down(8)

“Okay,” I said. “Dinner tomorrow night.”

“Good.”

“Just dinner.”

“So you say now.” I could practically hear his grin.

“I’ll meet you in the lobby of your hotel tomorrow.”

“How do you know which one?”

“I’m resourceful myself, Wyatt.”

“I look forward to finding out exactly how resourceful you really are.” He hung up the phone.

I bit my lip as I tossed my phone aside. I sat there for a second, letting the excitement ring through my body as I slowly took deep breaths, calming myself.

It was just dinner. He was a useful asset, and I needed to get him on our side. I didn’t have to sleep with him, and I wasn’t going to. I was going to convince him to help back my organization, and I was going to bribe him if I had to.

That was all this was. Just business.

I stood and headed out of my room, down to talk to the girls. In the back of my mind, I knew I was just lying to myself, and that this dinner was about much, much more than just business.





5





Wyatt





I’d been on plenty of dates in my life. I’d met with some of the most powerful politicians and richest men in America. Never once did I feel nervous.

As I got dressed, I couldn’t help but have nerves. It was crazy; Louisa was just a woman, though maybe she was much more than that. Ethan had done a lot of research on her, because he was convinced that the name and information we had was all fake.

That had turned up some very, very interesting things.

That was the best part about Ethan. He could be very resourceful when he needed to be, and in the case of Louisa, he had gone above and beyond. The man was skilled, and I valued him very, very highly.

But the truth about Louisa changed things. As I stood in front of the mirror, inspecting my suit to make sure that it was perfect, I couldn’t help but wonder for a moment if this was a setup.

I took a deep breath. It didn’t matter either way. I could handle whatever came at me and then some. Besides, I was too interested in this woman to pass up this chance to see her again.

I headed out into the main room. Ethan was on his computer, as always. He looked up. “Sharp,” he said.

“I’m sure she’ll be impressed.”

He laughed. “I doubt she’s easily impressed.”

“What do you think of this date?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What’s your gut telling you?”

He stared at me blankly. “It says I’m hungry.”

“Order room service.” I walked over to the door. “Wish me luck.”

“You never need it.”

I grinned. He was right. I made my own luck.

I stepped out of the door and headed down the hall. I rode the elevator downstairs and spotted her immediately standing at the bar.

She looked incredible, better than she had before. Her dress was simple and conservative, and yet still somehow sexy beyond belief. She didn’t need to show a lot of skin to make herself look incredible. She needed only to hint at what was beneath her clothes, and that was enough to get me hard.

I walked over to her, smiling. “You showed up.”

“It would have been rude not to.”

“You care a lot about being polite?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “Where are you taking me tonight?”

“I have something special for you.”

“What is it?”

I offered her my arm. She took it and we walked outside together.

“You’ll see.”

My driver was waiting for us already. We climbed into the back of the black town car and pulled out, heading downtown. We went maybe two blocks before the car pulled over.

“We’re here,” I said, grinning.

She laughed. “We could have walked.”

“Maybe. But this was more fun.” I got out, opened her door, and helped her out.

We walked up to the restaurant’s front door. It was shut and locked, so I knocked twice. A minute later, Jean-Luc Brossard answered.

“Jean-Luc,” I said. “Good to see you.”

“Wyatt!” He hugged me. “And this must be your date.”

“Louisa.”

“Come in. We’re all set.”

She cocked her head at me as we stepped inside. I just smiled at her.

Jean-Luc was a Michelin Star restaurant owner and chef, one of the best in the city. His restaurant, The Salty Cod, was a highly sought-after place, and reservations were impossible to get.

We had the whole place to ourselves. There was a single table with a candle burning in the center as we entered. Louisa smiled at me as we were seated and Jean-Luc went into the back to prepare the meal. It was a fixed menu, since I knew better than to question Jean-Luc on food. When the wine was served, Louisa shook her head.