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I closed the laptop and slid it back between the seats. “I’d love that. What did you have in mind?”
“I want to take you to my favorite spot.”
“Okay. Where’s that?”
“Is it weird if I say it’s a surprise?”
I shook my head. “I happen to like surprises.” In fact, Nero had been the biggest and best surprise of my life, so if he wanted to take me to his favorite spot, I completely trusted him.
“Good.” He grabbed my arm and tugged me as far across the console as he could, slamming our lips together in a tangle of teeth and tongues. The kiss was definitely a pleasant surprise, and I shifted in my seat to improve the angle. The second I thought about climbing over the console and into Nero’s lap, he pulled away, breaking the kiss and leaving me panting, breathless, and hopelessly turned on.
“That’s just unfair.” I gave him a mock pout.
He pecked a quick kiss to my stuck-out bottom lip. “That’s payback for that look earlier. I’ll make it up to you later. I promise. Hopefully, that will hold you over until after dinner.”
I readjusted in my seat, trying to ignore the fact that I was rock hard behind my zipper. “Are you calling that the appetizer?”
“I am.” He winked, then buckled his seat belt and put the car in drive. “After all, I have a bet to make good on for dessert.”
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
NERO
The Jade Cranewas my favorite Chinese restaurant in the entire Seattle area. Maybe it was because they had the best egg rolls I’d ever tasted, or maybe it was because they were far away from the bustling crowds of the International District, situated on the edge of the city near Lincoln Park tucked into a little inlet.
“Oh my God,” Felix breathed. “This looks like something out of a fairy tale.”
Or maybe it was the gorgeous Chinese garden that encircled the restaurant from the small gravel parking lot in front of the building to the water behind it.
He was out of the car and looking into the pond that had a small wooden bridge running across it. The pond was my favorite too, and I stepped up beside him. I’d had a feeling Felix would appreciate the Jade Crane as much as I did, and he hadn’t even met Mei Li yet.
As if thinking about her had somehow summoned her, she appeared at the door. She was tall and graceful, with fine features that matched her shifted crane form. Mei had been a dancer with the National Chinese Ballet, but an injury had ended her career, and love had brought her to the United States. Her husband, Tai, was a Seattle native who had been studyingabroad when they’d met in Beijing. They moved back here in the early eighties and had taken over the Jade Crane when Tai’s parents retired. Occasionally, his mom and grandmother, who had celebrated her one-hundred-and-third birthday last year, could be found bossing everyone around in the kitchen.
“Nero!” She threw open the door. “It has been too long.”
Her face was lined with age but still beautiful, and I felt Felix stiffen beside me when her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me into a tight hug.
“Hi, Mei. I’m sorry I haven’t stopped in lately. I’ve been busy.”
She laughed. “More like Cal has been out of town and you haven’t had to endure his cooking.”
My lips pulled into a smile. “That too.” I took a step back and wrapped my arm around Felix. “I want you to meet someone. Mei, this is my mate, Felix. Felix, this is Mei. She and her husband own the Jade Crane.”
Mei’s hands flew up to cover her mouth, and her eyes sparkled. After a beat, she lowered her hands and reached for Felix’s, tugging him into one of her trademark tight hugs. “I’m so happy to meet you, Felix. I am so happy you and Nero found each other.”
I’d been holding my breath, hopeful that Mei would love Felix. Her opinion had come to mean a lot to me over the years, and maybe somewhere along the line, I’d started thinking of her as a favorite aunt. She felt like family.
It was definitely Mei that made the Jade Crane my favorite.
“Come in, come in.” She linked her arm with Felix’s and led him inside. He was already under her spell.
“Wow.” Felix was staring up at the ceiling where hundreds of paper cranes hung on an invisible line from the ceiling. Some were at different heights, so it looked like they were taking off or landing or flying in groups.
Mei patted Felix’s arm. “Zhezhi has been a hobby of mine for a long time, and while the crane is typically known in its origami form, it belonged here.” Felix hadn’t taken his eyes off the ceiling, and Mei pointed to a spot in the far corner. “See that one there? The faded purple one?”
Felix squinted. “Yes.”
