“Is it yours, or did you rent it to drive up to Christiana?” I ask. Nathan has his eyes on the road, but I keep mine on him. He’s just so gorgeous I can’t help it, and the best part about it is that he doesn’t seem to notice how fine he is. He isn’t putting any effort into being sexy, he just is, and there’s a confidence about him that glows like an aura.

“It’s mine,” he replies. “Luckily, I live close enough to Christiana and Dover to be able to drive my own cars from my house in Smyrna. It’s why I chose to do a signing in this area. I like being close to home.”

“Makes sense. You don’t do a lot of signings in general though. Do you not like them?”

“It’s not the signings I don’t like … I just get busy,” Nathan answers, but his face stiffens and he doesn’t elaborate, so I choose not to press him for more. At least not right now.

“So, where are we going?” I ask.

“You’ll see,” he says, grinning. “We’re almost there.”

Nathan pauses at a stoplight before turning into the packed parking lot of a restaurant I’ve only eaten at once in my adult life because of how expensive it is. I do a double take when I see it, because there’s no way he’s really about to bring me here.

“Janae Michelle’s?” I say with raised eyebrows.

“That’s right,” he replies, parking in a spot in front of the building bearing a sign that says valet. “You ever been here?”

“Only once. My friends and I came when my girlfriend, Shay, got a promotion. We spent ten minutes losing our minds about the nine hundred-dollar bill.”

“Yeah, it can be a little pricey, but the food and service is immaculate, and after a successful book signing, I want to splurge a little bit. Let’s go.”

Nathan and I are greeted by tall men wearing white shirts with red vests as they open our doors for us and we step out. I know it’s just a restaurant, but I feel like we’re hitting the red carpet of a big event as the bright lights from the entrance shine down on us, and everyone outside is dressed to impress. Nathan hands his keys to the valet who carefully slides into the driver’s seat and pulls away, and Nathan steps onto the curb to meet me. When he reaches me, he smiles and places his hands on my hips, giving them a gentle squeeze that sends goosebumps up my arms and into my neck.

I want both of those hands on my throat. Squeeze harder—much, much harder.

“You good?” he asks, looking me directly in the eyes.