At no time did Jason catch sight of anyone looking remotely suspicious, although he realized he needed a picture of her brother if he was going to recognize anyone stalking the premises. He checked in with the PI Gabe had given him and the man said he hadn’t found any hint of Colton in the city. He’d tracked his movements in his hometown up to a week ago, after which he’d disappeared. But the man was still searching.

Finally, the end of the day came, and since Faith closed up at six during the week, only staying open later on the weekends, they could go home. He helped her clean up and close the store in silence. He understood she was still flustered by the kiss. Clearly she wasn’t one of his more experienced women, and he both liked and appreciated that about her. She was unique, special, and got under his skin. And if her brother came near her, he’d have to answer to Jason.

They were settled in his car when he turned to her. They hadn’t eaten since lunch and he was starving. “How about Italian for dinner?” he asked.

Her eyes lit up at the thought of food. “Sure.”

“I know a great little place we can go. The owner is a friend of my cousin’s. He introduced me to him when I moved to town and you’ll love the food.”

“Oh! You want to go out and not order in?” she asked, sounding surprised.

He chuckled. He wanted to talk to her in a setting where she couldn’t escape to her room, make sure she understood that kiss had meant something.

“You owe me a date, sweetness.”

Her face flushed and she turned to him. “Did I ever actually agree to go out with you?”

He reached over, because they were at a stoplight, and ran his knuckles down her cheek. “By moving in with me, it was implied that we’d have dinner together.”

He drove them to a parking garage, left the car with the attendant, and strolled, his hand on the small of her back, to an old-fashioned northern Italian restaurant.

The owner, Gino, greeted him as they walked in the door. “Jason Dare, it’s been too long! Rosa! Jason is here!”

A robust woman came out of the kitchen, rushing over to greet them. “Jason! Did you bring Gabriel?” she asked, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“He’s home with his family,” Jason said. “But I did bring a friend. Faith, this is Rosa Bianci and her husband, Gino. She makes the best pasta in the city. This place is a hidden gem.”

Rosa, an attractive older woman with dark hair, smiled at Faith. “Oh, what a pretty young lady. You finally brought a girl here to meet us!” She grasped Faith’s cheeks and held her face in her hands. “So nice to have you here.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Faith said, finally getting a word in. She shot Jason an amused glance, and he was pleased she wasn’t put off by Rosa’s friendliness.