His Jaguar Tattoo

First Date

Drew still wasn't dressed when Zuri strolled down the hall and knocked on his door. His half-buttoned white dress shirt was tucked into black slacks which brushed against a pair of tan Oxfords. The black tie hanging haphazardly around his collar completed the messy, bad boy look.

Zuri pinched herself to stop staring. What is wrong with me?

"You're ready?" he asked. "That was quick."

"I'm a simple girl, what can I say?" She crossed her arms. "How much longer are you going to be?"

"Only a minute. Come sit down."

Reluctantly, she followed him into his bedroom. The last time she'd been in here had been the night when he'd kissed her forehead, treating her like a babydoll under his enslavement. At the time she'd been too distracted to look at everything. This time she did.

His bed was enormous, certainly larger than any other she'd ever seen. A black comforter spilled over the sides and nearly brushed the polished wood floor. The walls were painted a deep crimson and the deep mahogany dresser and bedside tables finished the masculine appeal. Unlike the rest of the house, this room breathed personality and life.

"You can sit on the bed," Drew told her.

Ignoring him, she drifted to the farthest wall where a massive window revealed the forest. She could imagine watching the sunset and the moon rise through it. The scene would be epic.

"Okay, I'm done. Come on."

Zuri turned around, surprised to find Drew already put together. The tie was in place, every button fastened, and not a hint of carelessness to be found. The man had style, if nothing else.

"Ready?" he asked, growing impatient.

"Yes."

They left the house together, side-by-side. Zuri's stomach was in an uproar of anxious butterflies, though she didn't know why. He'd offered to take her out to dinner and she'd eagerly accepted. She'd been dying to get out of the house.

Drew opened the passenger door of his Audi for her, taking her by surprise. Is he actually being a gentleman? What is the world coming to? Once she was in, he rounded the hood to the driver door and slid in.

Conversation was basically nonexistent for the entirety of the fifteen minute drive. Zuri was occupied staring out the window, watching as the forest turned into suburbs and as suburbs turned into commercial properties. The town wasn't small by any standard, though it wasn't a bustling city either. It was somewhere in between.

Drew pulled into the lot of an expensive-looking Italian eatery. A male valet stepped out from behind a booth while their car slowed to a stop under the pavilion. He opened Zuri's door and helped her out. She stood to the side to watch Drew hand over his keys.

"Be careful with it," he warned the man.

"Of course, sir," the man replied with a quick smile and sharp nod.

Grabbing her hand, Drew led Zuri inside the restaurant. Everything about the place oozed wealth. Marble pillars rose up throughout the space, adding an extravagant feel. A hostess led the couple to the very back of the restaurant where a few booths were isolated behind privacy curtains.

Zuri eyed it suspiciously. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes. Now sit," he ordered.

The hostess handed over leather menus and rattled off a list of champagnes and wines to start with. Before Zuri could process even a single word, Drew had already ordered a bottle of something. Probably sensing the nervous energy rolling off him, the hostess rushed off to retrieve the bottle.