It’s got to be a survival mechanism, the way I fall so completely in love with the steak. The food itself tugs at my heartstrings, and every bite that hits my tongue is a revelation. I never thought I’d say that about meat, yet here we are. My total focus on the meat and the duet its playing with the sauce—the sauce, oh god, the sauce, can they send some home with me?—is keeping me from overthinking what just happened.

“I took a guess on the steak.” I pause mid-bite to look up at Roman, totally confused. The first thing to catch my eye is his lips. The lips I, Jenny London, was kissing mere moments ago. In the context of the vastness of time, the kiss is still happening.

“A guess that I would eat steak?” This seems like an obvious guess, since my third day on the job Roman sent out for burgers and I ate one in plain sight. I’d venture to guess there are not many people who can appreciate a good burger but not a next-level steak. I shake my head as if this is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. “Of course. Who could turn this down?”

He gives me a smile that’s pure indulgence. “How you like it cooked.”

“You nailed it.”

Roman beams at the praise, and I can’t imagine this is the first time someone has complimented him on one of his decisions. That has to be what his entire life has been about, up to now. “And the rest of the evening?”

My breath catches in my throat. The rest of the evening hasn’t happened yet, but it has been irrevocably altered by the fact that he kissed me. Oh, my god, he kissed me. And before he kissed me he made me tell him that I wanted it. He plays this game so well that I have to remind myself once again that it is a game he’s playing with me and nothing more.

How the gamer becomes the gamee.

I have to say something.

“The rest of the evening...” I take another look around at the room like there’s a secret checklist I’m going over in my mind. “...has been beautiful.”

The waiter steps in to refill our glasses. I’ve downed a glass and a half of red wine despite my true feelings about it. The wine! I’m not high. I’m buzzed. There was the champagne before this, and paired with the kiss...

This is a situation that calls for caution. Even more than the rest of the evening. I’m still on heightened alert for things to escalate, since most of me would, in fact, like for things to escalate to more kissing.