Page 121 of Lured By Shadows

I tilted my head at him.

“You can be quiet sometimes, but I don’t think you’re boring, Culv. You can hold a conversation even if it’s mostly teasing, and you’re good at keeping me entertained.” My hand drifted up his chest, feeling the solidness beneath my fingers. “So no, I don’t think you’re boring.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “And should I ask you the same question? How long will that last?”

His earlier words flickered back into my mind. The thought annoyed me enough that I puffed my cheeks out while letting my hand trail higher against him.

“If I was gonna get bored of you,” I muttered, “I would’ve already done that…”

“And I am the same.” He took my hand and raised it to his chilled cheek. “Are you ready to enjoy our date?”

My eyes finally drifted away from him long enough to take in our surroundings.

We stood outside a restaurant. A fancy restaurant.

Somewhere in the city, I assumed, though I still barely knew where I was half the time. Everything screamed polished perfection, from the glowing entrance to the expensive cars lined neatly along the curb.

“I guess it’s a good thing I’m wearing a dress.” I backed away from Culver, straightening it and quickly removing my sweater.

I’d picked the dress that morning because I was exhausted from squeezing into jeans and leggings every day and wanted something that felt more put together without all the effort. But the second the sweater came off, the cold hit me hard, and my hair had already turned into a tangled mess.

I frantically tried taming it with my fingers while feeling his gaze on me the entire time.

His arms folded across his chest as he leaned casually against the car. “Almost ready?”

I glared at him, smoothing my hair down again.

“You’re lucky I’m actually wearing something nice. What if I’d shown up in leggings to a restaurant like this?”

I hugged the sweater tighter around myself, clinging to it for warmth.

He moved away from the car, took my hand, and gently brushed some strands of hair back into place. “Whatever you wear… it is always enticing. You are beautiful, Ira.”

My cheeks flamed as I stared up at him, fully aware that showing up here in leggings and a ratty shirt would’ve made me stick out horribly.

“But you do know wearing anything else wouldn’t have been appropriate!”

“This ivory color looks beautiful on you,” he hummed, sliding his hand along my collarbone before gliding it up around my neck and pulling me closer. “Is this also something from Golden Valor?”

“My whole closet is practically your company’s clothes,” I muttered, instantly imagining Culver’s hand tightening around my throat.

The thought sent a thrill through me, the image of his fingers tightening just enough to make my pulse race beneath his touch.

“I shall send you more,” he said, backing away slightly, his fingers gliding across my arm in a tingling trail before catching my hand in his. “Monopolizing your wardrobe.”

I scoffed, allowing him to tug me along.

“That makes me wanna wear literally anything except your clothing brand, by the way.”

“Has anyone ever called you a brat?” he questioned as we approached the door.

“Maybe…” I rolled my eyes, smiling despite myself. “Once or twice.”

“They may have been the only ones to have been honest with you.”

Culver opened the door for me, revealing a grand dining room beneath a massive chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.

The space was lavish in a way that almost didn’t feel real, with deep burgundy walls trimmed in gold and low amber lighting casting everything in a warm, honeyed glow. Private rooms lined the edges behind arched doorways and velvet curtains, giving the restaurant an intimate hush despite its size. Only a few people sat in the main dining area, scattered far enough apart that their conversations blended into soft murmurs beneath the faint clink of crystal glasses and polished silverware.