Hostile Takeover

Chapter Eighteen

Quinn practically skipped along beside Gray as they left his office twenty minutes later. They sailed past Simon who hadn't been at the reception desk when they had first arrived back from their therapy session together. He hadn't seen them come in so he didn't actually know it was her beneath that wig. He looked at the pair of them open-mouthed.

"Evening, Mr. Holloway."

Simon simply nodded in her direction as they swept into the elevator that would take them down to the basement carpark. Once the doors had closed behind them they erupted into laughter. Gray pulled her against him and she could feel his chuckles reverberating through his body.

"If Simon couldn't recognise you then no one will," he said. "I told you this would be fun."

Half an hour later they were seated at Otto Ristorante. Of course Gray managed to secure the table they used to sit at as husband and wife without any booking at all. They sat next to each other on the booth seat so that they could cuddle together. Gray took her hand in his and held onto it while they gazed into each other's eyes and looked totally in love with each other. Which wasn't hard, she was totally in love with Gray and right now, he was looking at her in the same way.

"Make sure you smile for the cameras," Gray whispered, leaning in close to say it into her ear.

She smiled coyly at him. "You were right, this is fun."

"Told you."

He played with a strand of her long blonde hair while she looked up at him from beneath her fringe.

"By the way, I hate your transformation even more than when you had a beard."

Gray grinned. "Some women are so hard to please."

"Oh, I'm not hard to please, I just don't think your seventies porno moustache suits you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Not a fan?"

"No way. Just promise you'll remove it later."

"After I have some fun first. Now, would you like a cocktail to drink? Or maybe some wine?"

"Champagne, please."

He smiled at her indulgently. "An excellent suggestion." He snapped his gaze from hers and spoke to someone at her back.

"A bottle of Bollinger."

Quinn looked about at the waitress behind them who smiled politely just as she caught a glimpse of her.

"I didn't even know she was there," Quinn said. "I was too busy looking at you."

"I have that effect on a lot of women," he drawled.

"That's half of our problem," she said and shuffled in her seat.

But Gray took her chin in his thumb and index finger so that she couldn't look away. "Don't."

She bit her lip and looked down. "Okay."

"We've had such a good day together, the best in a long time, let's just have fun."

"I am," she whispered and smiled.

"Me too."

He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips, but didn't linger too long because they were both aware that every move they made would have an audience. Sure enough, Quinn saw a flash of light coming from one corner of the restaurant.

The champagne was brought to their table by the sommelier and the first waitress who was pouring them water and arranging their cutlery.

"Would you like to me to tell you about the specials for the evening?" she asked as their champagne was poured.