He slipped the phone into his back pocket then traipsed after Thor. Chains was looking forward to that night. Since he’d told her that Bret had called off the wedding, he had gotten to know Autumn better as a person and was able to look past her sexy curves. That didn’t mean Chains still wouldn’t check her out or fantasize about her riding his cock—after all, he was a red-blooded man, but he genuinely thought of her as a womananda friend. Never did he imagine he’d be able to have a platonic relationship with a chick, especially one as pretty and hot as Autumn. It just went to show that life was full of surprises.
When it came down to it, Chains was pretty damn cocky about the control he exercised whenever he was around her. After the divorce from Krystal, he’d made a vow to never get involved with another citizen, and he was keeping to that promise. Once Autumn got through all the shit his brother had caused, she and Chains would go their separate ways. Very civilized and modern—that’s what he’d say about their relationship.
Thor stood by a patch of brown grass, sniffing, and when Chains snapped his fingers, the dog raised his head and looked at him.
“Time to go, buddy,” Chains said.
Thor’s ears pricked up and he barked a few times before dashing in the direction of the clubhouse.
***
Chianti’s was afamily-owned restaurant that had charm and a homey feel to it. Boasting a bar that could rival any big-city restaurant, customers gladly waited for their tables around the hand-carved cherry wood counter, sipping liqueurs and brandies from around the world.
Watercolors of windswept shores of Capri and enchanted evenings in Rome covered the eatery’s brick walls.
“It smells awesome in here,” Autumn said as they squeezed into a spot at the bar. She cocked her head and smiled at Chains. “Good selection.”
Her eyes sparkled and her smile warmed him. The urge to kiss her deep and hard irked him. Autumn was melting the ice wall he’d put around his heart, and he didn’t like that.
“Wait ’til you taste the food. It’s the best in the county. What do you wanna drink?”
“I’ll have a white wine spritzer.”
A guy with curly hair and glasses pushed his way to the bar, a credit card dangling from his fingers. Autumn scooted toward Chains, filling the small space between them.
“It’s so crowded,” she said.
He could feel her breath on his cheek. “It’s always like that here.”
As more people came up to the bar to place their orders, Autumn stood right next to him, her arm pressed against his. She was so close that he could smell the honey-almond scent of her hair and feel the heat of her body.
“What’re you drinking?” the ruddy-faced bartender asked as he slapped two cocktail napkins down on the counter.
“White wine spritzer and a double Jack,” Chains said.
The man nodded before rushing away.
“I’m glad I decided to meet you for dinner,” Autumn said, those mesmerizing eyes gazing up at him.
Chains shifted a bit, so instead of their arms touching, her rounded tits pressed against his chest.Yeah… that’s a lot better.His dick stirred. “Me too. It’s good to get away from your thoughts once in a while.”
“You do that when you ride.”
“Yeah.” He held her gaze—there was no way he could turn away—until the bartender put their drinks down on the small napkins.
“That’ll be fifteen dollars,” the man said before taking an order from another patron.
Autumn laughed. “We’re packed in here like sardines. I can’t get my purse open.”
Chains laid a twenty on the bar. “When you’re with me, you don’t need to open your purse for anything. I got it.”
“I owe you one.”
He shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“Okay… thank you. And for your information, at some point, a womanalwayshas to open her purse. I may want to freshen up my lipstick.”
His gaze slid down to her mouth. “Your lips look good to me.”