Page 38 of The Billionaire Mismatch

“Someone New,” he answers.

“Hozier,” I say, and his eyes pull away from the road for a moment to meet mine.

“Yes,” he says.

“I love Hozier,” I say. And while he doesn’t say it back, his mouth ticks. He uses his thumb to hit the volume button on the steering wheel, turning it up three notches.

Luca finds parking in Waterfront, and as we walk a block or two, he takes my hand. No rush. No tension. The sea breeze is warm and salty, and I smile.

“Do you like oysters?” he asks as we round a corner towards a seafood restaurant.

“Not particularly,” I chuckle. Then I see the name of the restaurant we are headed to. North Current Oyster Bar. “Oh.”

“Have you been here before?” he asks.

Do I look like I’ve been here before?

“I haven’t,” I answer nicely.

“Everything on the menu is perfection,” he says as he holds the door open for me. Then, as he walks up behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back and his lips near the shell of my ear, he says, “You don’t have to order oysters.”

“Thank God,” I whisper, and I swear I feel him smile.

Our table is on the patio, right against the banister with the ocean spread out in front of us.

“This is amazing,” I tell him after we order our drinks. “I love the sea. Sometimes I forget we live near it. I’m always busy working. I forget how beautiful it is,” I say as I gaze towards the horizon where the sky kisses the waves.

“You’re beautiful,” Luca says, and my eyes dart back to his. The comment, a compliment, hits me in the chest unexpectedly, bouncing around in my nerves like a firecracker. I’m not quite sure what to do with it. So I blush and take a sip of my water.

But Luca’s eyes stay locked on me. And while he’s not smiling, I can tell he’s entertained by my reaction.

“You’re not used to being told that,” he says.

“Honestly, I don’t know that a lot of girls are,” I admit, setting my water back down and wondering where my cocktail is. If this is the tone we are going to have on date three, I am going to need the assistance of Hendrick’s to guide me through it.

“Men should say it more,” he says. “Especially when it’s true.”

And I have no response to that. His voice is factual. But the words hit heavily. A reminder of that bare minimum rule I mentioned before.

It’s part of the act, Livv. Now remember your role.

Our drinks finally make it to the table, and we order our food: a lobster roll for him and spicy ahi tacos for me. I take a sip of my muddled gin and tonic. Luca takes a sip of his bourbon, and his eyes land on me again, warm and intense.

“Tell me about your job,” he says, and I nearly choke.

“My job?” I ask.

“Yes. You’ve told me you work in communications. But I’d love to know more,” he says, swirling his glass.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details,” I smile.

“Try me,” he says, and I swallow back my nerves. I write scripts for a living. Surely I can write my way through this.

“I host a podcast,” I tell him.

“What kind of podcast?” he asks.

Fuck.