Chapter 283
Bacchus strode out of the office, his fingers flying across his phone screen as he fired off a text to Sophie: Got held up with a last-minute issue. I might be a little late.
Barely a second passed before Sophie replied with a voice memo, her tone playful and light. “I don’t mind waiting a little longer for a handsome guy. Take your time p>
Bacchus settled into his car, playing the sweet, melodic voice note twice. A soft smile involuntarily pulled at the corners of his mouth as he stepped on the gas, smoothly merging into the midday traffic.
Arriving at the restaurant, he immediately spotted Sophie. She was sitting at a window table, her cheek resting on her hand, an open menu and a glass of warm lemon water before her. She looked utterly captivating.
Carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers he had purposely stopped to buy on the way, Bacchus quickened his pace toward her.
“Have you been waiting long?” he asked, extending the vibrant arrangement toward her, a warm smile in his eyes. “These are for you p>
Sophie reached out to accept them, her stunning eyes sparkling with mischief as she looked up at him. “Is this an apology for being late p>
“Not an apology. I bought them specifically for you,” Bacchus said smoothly, shrugging off his jacket to drape it over the back of his chair before sitting down.
“Being late was entirely my fault. You can name a demand as a penalty, and as long as it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen p>
“The flowers are gorgeous. I love them.” Sophie traced a soft petal with her fingertip, a cunning glint flashing in her eyes.
“I get to make a demand? I’ll have to think long and hard about that p>
Bacchus nodded, his gaze lingering on her smiling face. “Take your time,” he said gently. “No rush p>
Setting the bouquet gently on the edge of the table, Sophie decided to push her luck just to tease him. “So… spending the night with me works too p>
A faint flush crept up Bacchus’s neck, but he didn’t look away. He swallowed hard before replying, his tone laced with heavy indulgence.
“I suppose I could agree to that demand. But if you try to ghost me the morning
after, wouldn’t I be getting the short end of the stick p>
“As long as you perform well, I’ll
definitely take responsibility for you,” Sophie purred. Her bold gaze swept appreciatively over his broad shoulders and handsome features. Privately, she figured a man with his commanding presence couldn’t be a
bad time in bea for that she’
actually had any real basis for
comparison.
“Are you absolutely sure that’s what you want?” Bacchus tapped the menu in front
of her, smoothly steering the conversation.
“Let’s order first. Get whatever you’re craving p>
Sophie nodded enthusiastically, forcing a facade of total confidence. “That’s exactly what I want. I’ll let you know the time and place p>
The moment the words left her mouth, her stomach did a nervous flip.
She had only meant to tease him, but the banter had escalated dangerously fast. Now she was completely backed into a corner.
She mentally hyped herself up. Don’t you dare chicken out now, Sophie!
Watching her try so hard to look brave, Bacchus let out a low chuckle. “Take your time. If you decide to back out, you can cancel whenever you want p>
Sophie immediately shoved the menu toward him, her pride taking over. “Bacchus, it sounds an awful lot like you’re the one getting cold feet p>
“I’m just worried you’ll regret it later and accuse me of taking advantage of you Baconus’s finger lazily traced down the list of entrées, but his eyes never left hers.
“We’ll see who’s taking advantage of who.” Sophie brazenly stared right back. The longer she looked at him the more appealing he became. That was the intoxicating allure of a mature, grounded man suttery composed, yet incredibly seductive.* Cóntent
Her openly heated stare was impossible to ignore. He met her gaze, amusement
dancing in his eyes. “Are you always this blunt when you check people out p>
She was looking at him like she had never seen a man before in her life.
“What?” Sophie held her ground, a hint of defiance in her tone.
“Is it a crime to look? If you were ugly, I wouldn’t waste my time. I’m staring because you’re exactly my type p>
Bacchus watched her huff and turn her head away, his smile deepening. He picked up the pitcher and topped off her glass. “Are you upset? Have some water to cool down p>