Always (With Bonus Material) (Always & Forever Book 1) Page 2

No matter what the outside thermometer read.

  He tossed his scarf around his neck and tucked the ends inside his overcoat before he ran his hands through his thick blond hair, pushing one stray piece back in place. No more sunny beaches for him. No more surfing or weekends spent sunning on his boat. Soon, his deep tan would fade and that seemed okay too.

  Avery ducked out his front door, bypassed the elevator, and took the stairs down to the main level. Once outside, he let the crisp night breeze take his breath away. He had reservations at La Bella Luna, an Italian restaurant just down the street. It was part of the "be seen" phase of his political run, and apparently La Bella Luna was the current place in town to be seen.

  The biting cold had Avery jogging the short distance to the restaurant after deciding a cab might be too girly of a move for the short walk, only a block or so away. A young, good-looking man met him at the front doors. He pushed them open before Avery reached the first step. Recognition hit the man's face, so did the big grin.

  "Good evening, Mr. Adams. Can I take your coat?" Avery almost denied him, still freezing from his short stint outside, but the guy was worth the extra minute.

  "Thank you, it's still so cold outside," Avery said, accepting the small ticket and giving the greeter a genuine grin as he ran his hands up and down his arms.

  "Yes, sir. It'll be another month before we see a real warm up. The maître d' is to your right. I believe you're right on time for your reservation. We didn't know if the name was a coincidence or not. I promise the restaurant's warm and toasty. They placed you close to the fireplace." As the man spoke, he gave off some of those telltale signs he might be interested. The hint was something in the way the guy stared straight back at him, not in any overt mannerism. Just a casual indication, which was the way Avery liked best. He liked his men to be subtly direct.

  All of the sudden, this night out was taking a turn in a positive direction. Avery would need to be discreet. Although running in Minnesota was a safe bet, no one in the Democratic Party knew for sure how this would go with Avery being unmarried and his sexuality in question. Hell, it wasn't in question for him. He was gay. But the days of the beach volleyball tournaments turning into all night sexual conquests were over. The new trends in nationwide mass media coverage required his sexual encounters be discreet or be plastered all over the news.

  Yet, this greeter, built like a small brick house, was two buildings over from his condo. Why couldn't hot-greeter-guy make a quick stop by Avery's place after he got off work tonight? A quick in and out kind of thing, all under the cover of complete darkness. Avery could see no reason why that wouldn't work just fine for both of them. As the front door opened behind him, Avery gave a knowing wink and moved on to the maître d'. He'd have this all worked out before he left the restaurant tonight, of that he was certain.

  Avery looked back over his shoulder as he was taken to his table. The greeter stood there watching him walk away. Good step forward in closing this deal. They made brief eye contact and Avery grinned. A good Italian meal and some hot sex afterward…damn, this was turning out to be a good night after all.

  "We're turning people away, boss," DeWayne, the maître d' said, pivoting on his heels as Kane passed by with a handful of dirty plates.

  "No room anywhere? Are you certain?" Kane whispered back. He never stopped moving toward the kitchen. DeWayne reached out to push open the swinging doors, letting Kane go through first.

  "Absolutely." DeWayne stood there as a busboy hurriedly relieved Kane of the dishes.

  "Our guests must be lingering. I'll get them moving. What else?" Kane asked, already on the move back out into the restaurant's dining room.

  "Just that and the Adams reservation is the real deal." DeWayne grinned at that one, extending his hand for their customary "give 'em five" hand slap. He'd been with the restaurant from the beginning. Now, only a few short years later, they were officially serving the most upper-crust clientele this community had to offer. No one got much higher than the current guest at table thirty-four.

  "You're positive?" Kane questioned, coming to a complete stop, letting the door swing back closed in front of him. He only then lifted his hand for a halfhearted slap.

  "Abso-fucking-lutely!" DeWayne was former military from the Bronx. It had taken years to break him of the accent, which still came back with full force when they were behind closed doors.

  "Get Markie right on him. Have someone take his other tables. I want thirty-four watched closely. We want him to come back. His presence is excellent for business." Kane's heart hammered in his chest with excitement, but the outward calm slid back in place. Always the professional, he diverted from his intended path of the wine cellar and flipped around, heading back toward the kitchen to alert the staff. An Adams in his restaurant! How cool was that?

  "Yes, sir!" Dewayne called out, letting the door swing in his wake.

  Since the restaurant was booked up tight, Kane now had two immediate objectives. One, get the diners who were finished, up and out the door to free the table space. And two, personally greet table thirty-four.

  "Paulie, thirty-four is extreme VIP," Kane shouted, ducking his head inside the second set of swinging doors. They were now tucked deep inside the restaurant, preventing anyone in the dining room from hearing all the noise coming from the kitchen. With intense efficiency, the entire kitchen staff was in full work mode. Paulie ran a tight ship, and everyone toed the line, working together to process each meal as quickly as possible to La Bella Luna's exacting standards.

  "Got it!" Paulie's scratchy old voice boomed, but he never looked up from the chocolate design he currently piped on top of his signature terra mousse dessert.

  "We're turning people away," Markie said from somewhere behind him.

  "I'm aware. Did DeWayne tell you about thirty-four?" Kane asked, letting those kitchen doors swing shut—he didn't want to interrupt their established flow more than necessary—and turned to Markie.

  "Yes, sir! He ordered Brunello di Montalcino."

  "I'll have it at the bar, waiting," Kane said, pivoting on his heel, making his way toward the wine cellar for the special request. La Bella Luna had the largest selection of Italian wines in the United States. If the wine was available on the market, Kane stocked it.

  The behind the scenes hustle and bustle died away as Kane took the stairs down, two at a time, to the wine cellar below the restaurant. The idea of turning business away gnawed at him. He couldn't spend too much time reveling in the accomplishment of getting an Adams in the restaurant. He needed to focus on the table turnover. That would require finesse to convince the diners it was their idea to leave so quickly after they finished their meal. Lingering was a lovely problem to have, unless you were the one waiting for a reserved table.

  A small smile crossed his lips. His little restaurant was booked up tight and turned people away. What a better problem to have than having empty tables every night, and quite an achievement for a smalltown boy from Alabama. Kane absently worked the keypad, opening the cellar, before scanning the rows of wine, looking for the requested brand.

  "Sir, you asked me to let you know when Mr. Adams arrived. He's here and greeted," Rodney, his bartender, said from behind him as he continued to scan the bottles. He and Paulie were the only other ones who were allowed access to the wine cellar.

  "I've been told. Here, take this up. It's for Markie. He's working thirty-four tonight," Kane said, carefully handing the bottle of wine to the bartender before turning back to find his next selection.

  "Ten-four, boss." Just like DeWayne, Rodney was ex-military. Both of their jobs in the restaurant were Paulie's doing. He always hired any veteran that came looking for a job. It didn't matter if they had a position open or not. Paulie took them in, worked with them personally until any hard accents and rough edges were hidden, and refined manners were in place. For the success of the restaurant, those were critical balances to achieve. The La Bella Luna clientele required a gentle, sophisticated atm
osphere.

  "Thank you," Kane said absently and grabbed the next bottle before following Rodney back upstairs. A quick stop by the bar had Kane uncorking the special bottle of Merlot, and he decided to serve the wine himself. The local chief of police celebrated his thirty year wedding anniversary tonight. Kane wound his way to their table, going through all the steps of proper wine serving protocol, until the bottle was accepted. Kane poured both glasses, the entire time discreetly keeping an eye on table thirty-four.

  Markie was on his game, staying attentive yet subtle, but for some reason, the menu was still on the table. Enough time had passed that the dinner order should have been taken. He was certain Paulie would be in the kitchen, waiting, probably having a fit by now that the order hadn't come through. Kane squared his shoulders and relaxed his stance, as he headed back toward to the bar. He did a quick scan of his reflection in a back mirror, making sure his suit lay just right and his close-cropped hair wasn't out of place.

  "You look fine, Kane," Rodney said, only glancing over his shoulder as he worked his drink orders.

  "He's a big one, the town's buzzing about him being back home. Keep his glass full and make sure we get him a ride if he drinks too much," Kane said.

  "Like you aren't gonna be monitoring that yourself," Rodney shot back with a smirk, keeping his voice low and out of earshot of other guests. Kane chuckled, Rodney was right, he would definitely be monitoring the Adams table tonight. Like so many times before, he wound his way from the back of the restaurant into the dining room to greet their very important guest.

  Kane scanned each table as he passed by. He nodded in greeting, making sure not to interrupt anyone as he made eye contact with the various regulars. He stopped a couple of waitstaff as he went and quietly gave instructions to fill drink glasses or remove empty plates. He continued that pace until his eyes landed on the corner booth, the one with a blond head sticking over the top of the bench seat.

  Mr. Adams faced away from the room with his eyes focused on the front door. Kane mentally willed himself to remember if this was a dinner reservation for one or two. The best he could recall, the reservation was a party of one, but things changed. Perhaps that accounted for the delay in taking the dinner order. Kane looked up quickly toward the front, didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and turned his gaze down to the table. He saw a half-filled glass of wine and watched as Markie arrived again to take the dinner order. Good. Kane slowed his pace, letting the man give the waiter his order before he approached the table.

  Chapter 3

  The restaurant was packed, but not as thoroughly as Avery expected for such a prime piece of downtown property. The restaurant easily took up two, if not three, full lease spaces, with no table set close to another. Three of the inside walls were filled with luxury, oversized booth-style seating. Each was plush, covered in the softest leather and could easily seat a party of six, yet more than cozy enough to fit a lone patron. Large planters and hanging lanterns separated each booth with measurable space. The tables in the middle of the restaurant were situated in much the same way. They were easily ten feet apart. Plants, wine racks, and Italian décor had been placed strategically around the fine room, making sure every person encountered the same bit of privacy.

  He could see why La Bella Luna had done so well. It wasn't the cattle call, serve as many as you could kind of establishment. Each guest experienced fine dining of a magnitude Avery had become accustomed to in other parts of the world, but had never chanced upon here in Minnesota.

  By the looks of the price-less menu, this would be an expensive meal. Avery figured he'd be dropping a hundred dollars on his meal and bottle of wine, but if the food was anywhere close to the magic of the ambiance, it may be worth the cost. Honestly though, for Avery's taste, high-end elegance didn't hold much appeal. However, the view at the front door was a different story and easily held most of his interest.

  Focusing on the greeter probably wasn't the best move for his see and be seen instruction. But the hot-greeter-guy would open the front doors to the restaurant every time anyone walked up, making himself a slide show of broad, beefy chest and then nice firm ass. Avery would hold his gaze in between those greeting responsibilities. They smiled at one another, winked, and as every minute passed, he was closer to sealing the deal for later this evening.

  It sure seemed like a safe bet he'd be having greeter-guy sex in the next few hours. Perhaps if he worked things right, sex might even happen sooner. Avery loved the idea of being discreetly tucked away somewhere in this restaurant, getting to know the greeter a little more intimately. The chance of getting caught always added a bit of intensity, making the sex slightly frantic. He liked it hard and fast, and this place had more than enough darkened corners to pull something like that off.

  His waiter popped into his line of sight, again rambling off several specials for the night. Avery figured he'd stalled long enough; they were ready for his order. He paid closer attention this time, and as the waiter spoke, Avery guessed Italian might actually be his second language. If not, he was trained well. Avery picked one of the three specials, easily letting the dish's name slide off his lips. After he finished ordering, he inclined his head, his eyes returning to the front door. Greeter-guy had vanished while he gave his order. That left Avery staring at an oak door with nothing else between his table and the entryway to occupy him as the waiter slid quietly away. Now the error of sitting in this direction sank in. This wasn't the best move for a man who sat alone.

  More importantly, Avery's conscience finally made its presence known. He had to scold himself. Damn, he hated putting the reins on his good time, but United States senator wannabes, who already had a questionable past, sure didn't sneak off and have bathroom sex in a public restaurant. That came after he was elected, certainly not before.

  "Good evening. I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Kane Dalton, owner of La Bella Luna. I wanted to personally thank you for stopping in tonight. Please let me know if there is anything you need." Avery looked up to see one of the best-looking men he'd ever laid eyes on standing before him. Fuck! He lost his breath, his heart slammed against his chest. He should shake the offered hand, but he couldn't move. All he could do was stare stupidly as the man continued to speak. He had never expected to find this restaurant's owner so young and handsome. For some reason, he'd pictured a much older, portly gentleman, maybe a transplant to the region. God, had he been wrong.

  Kane Dalton was masculine, yet incredibly refined. Long and lean and very well groomed, not a strand of his dark hair out of place. His face held a strong chiseled jaw, high angular cheekbones with a smooth, clear complexion all leading to a perfect nose and extraordinarily kissable lips. Kane's eyes were downcast; he'd withdrawn his hand and was working something at the table now. Avery felt denied with those eyes not on him as he stared openly at Kane, taking in all that he could of the gorgeous restaurateur.

  He could see hints of a fine sculpted body underneath a suit that looked handmade just for him. He should say something; maybe compliment him on his fine establishment and the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. What he really wanted to do was learn more about this man who just completely captivated him. Kane had stunned him. So much so Avery paused again; his words wouldn't come. He spoke to people all day long, every day. But for the first time in his life, the easy flow of conversation eluded him.

  He stared openly at the exquisite man who seemed to rip his soul wide open without so much as trying.

  Avery watched as Kane took the bottle of wine from the bucket, never looking his way. Kane continued to speak with hints of a cultured Southern accent. His hands worked the bottle with care, gently wrapping a linen napkin around the base before he reached out and poured the wine. His movements were precise yet tender. Every part of this man showed a poised, sophisticated gentleman, and Avery immediately wanted those strong hands to caress him, to touch him with that exact same care.

  Avery's breath hitched as he looked up, his ey
es colliding with a sky blue gaze, and he stopped breathing altogether while his heart drummed violently in his chest. He was having a moment like he'd never experienced in his life. He couldn't think, he couldn't speak, all he could do was stare, and Kane seemed as unaffected as Avery was affected.

  Avery could see Kane registered his lack of response. Kane nodded, giving a polite smile as he carefully placed the wine bottle back inside the bucket. Avery tracked every movement, willing himself to breathe before he passed out in the booth and embarrassed himself even more.

  "Avery Adams, is that you? I can't believe it!" the shrill voice echoed, and a bubbly woman came straight to the table, almost pushing Kane out of the way. Avery was forced to look over at the woman he could not recall ever seeing before, and his gaze slid back to Kane.

  "If you'll excuse me," Kane said with another polite almost bow. He never again made eye contact with Avery. From the angle Avery had chosen to sit, he couldn't continue watching Kane without being overtly obvious, but after a second of losing Kane's image, Avery decided obvious was better than not watching the man at all. He twisted in his seat to turn his head fully around and stared at Kane's retreating form. He noticed the small roll of Kane's shoulders, a universal sign of loosening himself up. The material of Kane's fine suit stretched over his back, and Avery realized his poised elegant Kane was indeed hiding a hard, tight body underneath all those clothes.

  It took a full minute for Avery to remember the woman standing at the front of his table. He recovered enough to paste the grin back on his face as he extended a hand. He didn't even try to place her. He just needed her to move on so he could find a way to get the owner back over to the table. "How are you?"

  "Well, I'm just fine. I can't see how you would possibly remember me. I'm Sadie, my parents own the land right next to yours. We played some together during the summers when we were younger. I heard you were coming back home. I just wanted to stop by, say hello. My husband and I would love to have you over for dinner sometime soon." The woman spoke, all smiles and moving hands. She pointed to a table across the restaurant, and for the first time since she'd shown up, he wanted to hug her. It gave him the perfect excuse to move across the booth and face the man sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant who awkwardly lifted a hand in his direction. Avery did the same.