Page 5 of Obsessed by My Ex's Mafia Uncle
I look back at the drink, then at him again, a small smile tugging at my lips despite myself.
“That looks better than anything I was about to order.”
His gaze flickers briefly to the glass, then back to me.
“It is.” His voice…goodness.
It just is, and somehow that’s worse. Like it expects to be listened to.
The confidence in it should annoy me.
It doesn’t.
“What is it?” I ask. “Is it as good as it looks?”
He lifts the glass, turning it slightly, the ice shifting with a soft clink.
“Should I go for it?” I push, subtly.
“Depends on whether you are the type to trust a stranger’s recommendation?”
“Huh…” I tilt my head, considering him. “Do I look like the type to?”
A hint of amusement, maybe…touches his expression.
“No,” he answers simply.
I let out a soft laugh, surprising myself. It feels… easy. Effortless in a way nothing has felt all night.
“Alright.” I nod, turning slightly toward the bartender. “I’ll have what he’s having.”
The man beside me watches that, something approving settling in his gaze.
“Bold choice,” he murmurs.
“Reckless, maybe,” I counter.
“Those two tend to blur.”
The drink arrives, placed carefully in front of me. I lift it, studying it for a second before taking a cautious sip.
The citrus hits first, before the whiskey drags in behind it. Warmth spreads instantly, smooth and layered, a slow bloom rather than a biting burn.
“Oh.” My eyes widen, before I can stop myself.
He hums softly.
“Tastes better than it looks.” I glance at him, narrowing my eyes slightly.
“I bet it does,” he agrees. Too easily.
And it’s not what he says. It’s how.
Like there’s something sitting underneath the words, something that burns me up instantly.
I laugh again, shaking my head to reshuffle my emotions.
“Do you always talk like that?”
