Where Angels Tread (16 page)

Shane laughed, a deep rumbling laugh that made Heidi’s hairs stand on end. He offered her his arm, which she took, and he led her outside. When they reached his car, he pulled the door open for her and waited until she had tucked her dress around her before closing it softly and crossing over to the driver’s side. As he settled into his seat, he turned to her and studied her face. “I’ve been so looking forward to tonight,” he said with sincerity.

“So have I,” Heidi admitted. “Where are we going?”

Shane turned the key in the engine and winked at her. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Heidi sighed happily and leaned back against the seat. She had to admit that it felt wonderful to be taken care of again; she couldn’t wait to see what Shane had planned for their date. Enjoying the comfortable silence that had settled between the two of them, she gazed out of the window as they drove through the winding hills, every now and then passing a quaint farmhouse surrounded by acres and acres of bright green grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. These days, Heidi rarely had a chance to enjoy the beautiful Santa Ynez countryside; her schedule was always jam-packed with a to-do list that never quite seemed to be finished.

Before long, Shane exited the highway and navigated the car onto a wide dirt road that led up a steep hill. At the end of the road, Heidi could make out the shadow outline of a building. “I hope you like Italian food,” Shane said, reaching across the seat and resting his hand gently on Heidi’s.

“That sounds amazing,” she murmured. “Is this a restaurant?” As they approached the building, Heidi realized that it was completely deserted; she twisted around to look for a parking lot, but there wasn’t a car in sight.

Shane smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze, then pulled up right in front of the building, which Heidi could now see was an intimate Mediterranean style villa surrounded by lush plants that were blooming in spectacular colors. A dark haired man dressed in a tuxedo hurried toward the car and opened Heidi’s door; she took the hand he offered her and stepped outside, gazing up at the dozens of strands of twinkling lights framing the doorway to the restaurant. Above the door hung an elaborate sign with Ristorante Rossi scrawled in elegant gold letters.

When the man saw Shane emerging from the car, he rushed to greet him, pulling him into a bear hug that Shane enthusiastically returned. “We haven’t seen you in so long,” the man said. “How are you? Cody told us you were coming.”

“It’s so nice to see you, Mario. I’m better than ever.” He gestured toward Heidi. “This is the beautiful Heidi Griffin. I spoke to Cody about all of the details, so I’m assuming everything is in order?”

“Absolutely. Follow me and I’ll take you to your table.”

Shane rested his hand lightly against the small of Heidi’s back, and they followed Mario through the doors and into the foyer of the restaurant. It was, Heidi thought as she gazed around at the black marble floors and arched doorways, nothing short of spectacular.

Shane’s eyes were on Heidi as they walked around the front area of the restaurant, taking in the floor-to-ceiling tapestries and elegant white drapes that hung from the ceiling. He rested his hand lightly on her back, every so often stroking the soft material of her dress with his fingers. She looked stunning tonight, he thought for what must have been the twentieth time since he rang her doorbell. Her long hair was curled around her shoulders and pinned back from her face with a gold clip. Her legs were long and lean, accentuated by the dainty shoes she was wearing. And that dress. Shane could barely take his eyes away from the way it made her skin shimmer in the soft lighting.

From the back of the restaurant, Shane could see Cody grinning and giving him the thumbs up. Shane smiled back at him, then beckoned for his brother to join them in the foyer. “Heidi,” he said as Cody walked toward them, straightening his white chef’s coat. “I’d like you to meet my brother, Cody Kensington. He’s the owner and executive chef of Ristorante Rossi.” Cody, the second Kensington boy, was a gentle giant who inherited his father’s unassuming nature and his mother’s sweet soul. He used to spend his weekends and summer vacations in the kitchen, watching his mother and grandmother lovingly prepare the special recipes that had been passed down through the generations. It was no surprise to any of them when Cody announced a few years ago that he planned to open an Italian restaurant, serving his mother’s famous dishes to hoards of happy customers.

When Shane sat down to plan his date with Heidi, he knew that he wanted to take her somewhere intimate and romantic. He made reservations for dinner at one of the most popular vineyards in town with beautiful views of the Santa Ynez Valley, but then an idea struck him. All he needed was for Cody to be on board, and luckily, his brother had been more than happy to help.

“A pleasure to meet you,” Cody said, drawing Heidi’s hand to his lips. “Welcome to Ristorante Rossi. You are our special guests tonight. We’ve prepared a sumptuous Italian feast that I hope you will enjoy. Mario, will you please show Shane and Ms. Griffin to their table?”

As he led Heidi through the restaurant, Shane heard her draw in a breath. Cody had arranged for the restaurant to close early that evening, so Shane and Heidi were the only diners. The table, the best in the house, sat near the window overlooking the sprawling hills and valley beneath them. Shane had arranged for his sister Lana, a high-end florist, to send over a lush bouquet of exotic flowers, which glistened in the light of the votive candles flickering on the white tablecloth.

Once they were settled in their chairs, Mario spread their napkins on their laps and uncorked a bottle of red wine. “Dinner this evening will start with a hazelnut and butter lettuce salad, followed by a hand-rolled ravioli with a rich Bolognese sauce. You will finish with a light tiramisu and dessert wine selection.”

“Thank you, Mario,” Shane said, offering a smile to the man who had been his brother’s second in command since he opened the restaurant. Mario bowed slightly and shuffled away from the table. Out of the corner of his eye, Shane could see the strolling violinist he had hired to accompany them while they ate unpacking his instrument in the front hallway.

Shane raised his wine glass; Heidi followed suit. “To our first date. I am a lucky man tonight.” They drank deeply from their glasses; Shane yearned to lean across the table and lick the droplets of wine from Heidi’s lips.

“I don’t know what to say,” Heidi said, reaching across the table to grasp his hand. “This is too much. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble. I would have been happy doing anything with you.”

“I wanted tonight to be special. You deserve nothing less.” He squeezed her hand and signaled to the violinist, who began to play a haunting melody. Shane couldn’t take his eyes from Heidi’s face as she watched the violinist effortlessly slide the bow across the instrument. When the song ended, she clapped enthusiastically.

Later in the evening, as they spooned up the last bites of their tiramisu, Shane marveled over how perfectly their first date had gone. They had such a natural chemistry between them that it seemed as though they had been together for a lifetime; there were no awkward moments or uncomfortable lulls in the conversation. Shane was so enchanted by Heidi that he was very sorry to see that the night was winding down.

“You never told me what an amazing chef your brother is,” Heidi remarked as she set her spoon down and dabbed her napkin at her lips. “That was the most delicious dinner I’ve ever had.”

“He really outdid himself,” Shane agreed. “Cody used to hang around the kitchen all the time when our mother and grandmother were cooking, so none of us were the least bit surprised when he decided to open up his own restaurant. He’s a natural.”

“Your family sounds wonderful,” Heidi said, a wistful look in her eyes. “I always wanted to grow up in a big family, but I was an only child.”

“They’re pretty great. Hopefully some day you’ll have the chance to meet them.”

“I hope so, too,” she said sincerely. She glanced out of the window at the blackened sky, where just a hint of moonlight was peeking through the clouds. “I don’t want this night to end, Shane. It’s been like something out of a dream. For one night, I’ve had the chance to live someone else’s life. Heidi Griffin doesn’t get to do stuff like this.”

“I hope,” Shane said, reaching across the table to trail a finger down the soft skin of her cheek, “that this will be the first of many new experiences, for both of us.”

Heidi stared dreamily out of the car window on the drive home, lost in the memories of the wonderful evening she had just spent with Shane. It wasn’t even over yet, and she was already sorry that the night was coming to an end. He had been, as Heidi expected, a perfect gentleman, but the lengths he had gone to in order to make their first date special took her breath away.

Shane placed a warm hand in her lap and she covered it with her own, amazed at how comfortable it felt to touch him. So natural, as though they had been doing it forever. As they pulled into Heidi’s driveway, she glanced up at the window to Zachary’s room; the curtains were drawn tightly, and no light peeked out from behind them. Shane followed Heidi’s eyes to the window.

“Does he know about tonight?” he asked casually, unbuckling his seat belt. “I’d love to come in and say hello, if you think it’s okay.”

Heidi hesitated, not wanting to spoil the evening in any way. “I actually haven’t told him about us yet.” She looked at Shane with pleading eyes. “It’s nothing personal; I just didn’t want to upset him for no reason.”

Shane nodded before walking around the car and opening Heidi’s door. “It’s perfectly fine,” he said, offering her a hand. “I understand. You have to do what’s best for him.”

They walked in silence toward the front door. When they reached the porch, Heidi stopped and turned to face Shane. “Thank you again for the best evening I’ve had in a long time. It was wonderful.”

Shane laid a light hand on her bare arm, and she shivered under the warmth of his touch. He took a tentative step closer to her, his pale eyes fixed on her own. Heidi turned her chin up, her knees shaking slightly as she realized that this would be the first time their relationship became physical; there was no going back. She wondered absurdly if nosy Josie was peering out unseen through the living room curtains. Heidi decided that she didn’t really care.

Running his hands lightly down her arm, Shane took another step toward her until their noses were practically touching. Heidi could feel her heart slamming against the walls of her chest as he bent down and lightly grazed his lips against her cheek, then her jawline, and finally at the base of her neck. It was, she decided as she closed her eyes in pleasure, one of the most sensual things she had ever experienced.

He took a step back and cupped her face in his hands; Heidi could see desire stamped in every inch of his face. “Goodnight, Heidi,” he whispered, then turned and walked back down the sidewalk to his car, leaving Heidi’s hands trembling as she fumbled for her keys.

*

“Well?” Josie demanded when Heidi stepped through the door and kicked off her shoes with a sigh. “Where is he?”

“What do you mean?” Heidi rubbed the soles of her aching feet. It had been a long time since she last put on a pair of strappy heels, and her feet were less than happy with her. She unwrapped her shawl and draped it across an armchair, then settled onto the couch beside her friend.

Josie winked at her coyly. “I thought he might want to come in for a little dessert, if you know what I mean.”

Heidi laughed. “Hardly. Shane’s not the kind of guy who hops into bed with a woman on their first date.”

Josie raised her eyebrows dubiously, and then shrugged. “So, how’d it go?”

“I can’t even describe it. I had the best time. How was Zachary?” Heidi cocked her head and listened for any sound of movement coming from behind his closed bedroom door. “Did he ask any questions about where I was?”

Josie stood up from the couch and stretched her arms over her head, then hunted around for her purse and keys. “He didn’t come out of his room at all, actually. I tried enticing him with a movie, ice cream, a trip to play miniature golf. Nothing worked.”