Laura stared at the menu for a bit, overwhelmed with how amazing everything sounded. “I'm not even sure where to start.”
“Take your time,” Ethan said. “Pick whatever you like. The chef is prepared to make all three options.”
She looked up from the menu. “Wait, you mean I could order all three?”
Ethan shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
“In that case, I think I might want to order everything,” she said, her face beaming. “Then we can try them all.”
He grinned. “I like it. Let's do it.”
Daryl came back out with the drinks a moment later. “Have you two decided?”
“Yes,” Ethan said, as he handed the menus back to Daryl. “Bring us one of everything.”
“Everything?” Daryl said, raising a single eyebrow, but otherwise showing no emotion at the request.
Ethan nodded. “Yes, please. We'll take it all.” Then he glanced at her. “Are you okay with sharing? It's a lot of food.”
“You mean so that the two of us can eat three meals instead of six?” she said, with a smile. “Yeah, I think I'm okay with that.”
“Very well,” Daryl said, with a polite nod. “You two relax and enjoy the drinks. I'll be back soon with your meal. In the meantime, don't hesitate to get me if you need anything at all. I'll be in the kitchen.”
“Thank you so much,” Laura said.
“You're quite welcome, dear,” he said, then shuffled back into the house.
Never in her life had Laura been exposed to something so romantic. They had privacy on the porch, and it felt so cozy with the heaters. The only light that filled the area came from the candles and the moon, giving it a beautiful ambiance. As she gazed across the table, she realized that she had the best view of all time. It wasn't just the backdrop of Denver that had her memorized either. It was the handsome man in front of her, with his dark hair and sexy smile, that really had her attention.
“I really like your tie,” Laura said, after a moment of gawking. “It brings out the color of your eyes.”
Ethan smiled and brought a hand to his tie, smoothing it down against his chest. “Thank you. It's new. I normally wouldn't have worn a green tie, but Craig suggested that I wear it tonight. He said that green is a good color on dates with beautiful women.”
Laura chuckled. “So wait, Craig is not only your security but also your personal stylist as well?”
He nodded. “Apparently so. To be fair, though, I don't know him all that well. I had to leave my personal entourage in California. I'm making do, though.”
“Where is Craig anyway?” Laura asked. “I haven't seen him since we got here. Is he somewhere in the woods, fending off bad guys?”
Ethan's smiled faded. “Actually, no. He's in the trunk of the Lamborghini right now.”
“Very funny,” she said. His face didn’t move, but he bit his lip like he was afraid of being judged. “Seriously?” she asked.
His face relaxed once again, and he started laughing.
“Almost had you,” he said.
“You're right,” she admitted. “I actually did almost believe you.”
“No, he's not in the trunk of the car.” Ethan took a quick sip of his drink, then continued. “I'm sure he's around here somewhere. He came up here earlier, before you and I got here, to make sure the place was secure. My guess is that he's just making his rounds. Pretty standard protocol.”
“That makes sense,” she said. She sipped at her drink and leaned forward. “I've got to ask, what is it like having someone watching over you all the time? I think it would drive me crazy. I'd feel like I didn't have any privacy whatsoever.”
Ethan shrugged. “You know, it's not as bad as you'd think. These guys that work as bodyguards, they don't care what you do with your time. They're really good at just doing their jobs and staying out of your business. I've never really felt like it has invaded my privacy. To be honest, I feel like I have much more privacy because of them. They keep the public away, which is something I could never do on my own. At this point, I think I'd feel weird if I didn't have security somewhere nearby. I'd be pretty vulnerable.”
Laura parted her lips to respond, but before she could utter a sound, Daryl came stepping out of the door and onto the deck. He was balancing two trays, one in each hand. As soon as he set the dishes down onto the table, the smell of the amazing food entered Laura's nostrils.
Her mouth watered as she looked at the plates. Ahi tuna, caviar, and lobster. There was a beautiful spread on the table, with just about every color of the rainbow in the form of food. And this was just the first course.