11
1250 Words
Nia’s Pov
He gave a small shrug. “Home. Unless you’d rather grab dinner first.”
I shot him a look. “Dinner? With you?”
He smiled, eyes still fixed on the road. “Don’t sound so shocked. It’s just food. I promise not to bite.”
“Funny,” I muttered. “Considering you actually could.”
That earned me another laugh, low, amused, and slightly dangerous. “Careful, Princess. Keep talking like that, and I might think you’re flirting.”
“I’m not.”
“Sure, you’re not.”
The smugness in his voice made me want to hit him, but deep down, I knew the irritation wasn’t real. It was a shield. Because if I didn’t keep it up, I’d have to face the real problem, the way his presence made me feel unsteady, pulled in, trapped between wanting to run and wanting to stay.
The car slowed as we reached a quieter part of town, where the lights dimmed and the road stretched open. Rowan finally looked at me again, his gaze steady, unreadable.
“So,” he said softly, “how was your first day?”
I exhaled, leaning my head back against the seat. “Exhausting. Everyone kept staring at me like I was some kind of rare animal on display.”
“That’s because you are,” he said simply. “A human in a senior position? That doesn’t happen here. They’re curious.”
“Curious, judgmental. Same thing.”
His lips twitched. “Don’t let it bother you. They’ll get used to you eventually.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then they’ll have to answer to me.”
I looked at him, really looked at him then. His tone had changed, still calm, but there was steel underneath it. Protective. Dangerous.
For some reason, that only made my heartbeat faster.
I turned away before he could notice. “You don’t have to protect me, Rowan. I can handle myself.”
“I know you can,” he said, voice quieter now. “Doesn’t mean I won’t look out for you.”
For a few seconds, the car was quiet again. His words lingered in the air between us, soft, heavy, unsettling. I could still hear them echoing in my head. Doesn’t mean I won’t look out for you.
Why did that sound so… intimate?
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. Rowan’s face was calm, focused on the road ahead, but there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, the kind that said he knew exactly what he was doing.
Before I could say anything, he broke the silence with that deep, teasing voice of his. “You know what,” he said, glancing my way briefly, “for surviving your first day without getting eaten by wolves, I think you honestly need that dinner.”
I blinked, half-laughing, half-sighing. “Why do I feel like we were heading for dinner either way?”
Rowan chuckled, a low, warm sound that made something stir in my stomach. “You’re catching on fast.”
“Meaning?” I asked suspiciously.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming under the faint streetlight glow. “Meaning I was never planning to drop you home without feeding you first. You look too tense. Hungry, too, if I’m guessing right.”
I crossed my arms, pretending to be unimpressed even though he wasn’t entirely wrong. “So you planned this.”
“Planned? No.” He gave a lazy shrug, one hand still on the wheel. “Consider it… a spontaneous act of kindness.”
“Kindness,” I repeated flatly. “Right. From you.”
He smirked. “Don’t sound so doubtful. I can be nice when I want to be.”
“I haven’t seen any proof of that so far.”
“You’re seeing it now.” His voice was smooth, confident, too confident. “Besides, I did just rescue you from a long, lonely evening of microwaved leftovers, didn’t I?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You don’t even know what I eat.”
“I can guess.” He threw me a playful side glance. “Something sad and small. Like salad.”
“Excuse me?”
He grinned. “You’ve got that salad energy.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “What?”
He laughed again, a deep rumble that filled the car and somehow made it warmer. “You look cute when you are pretend to be angry.”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. I hated that he had this effect on me, that no matter how annoying or smug he was, he always managed to make me laugh. It was infuriating.
As the car turned into a narrow street lined with cozy lights and small restaurants, I realised just how quickly everything between us seemed to shift, one moment tense, the next light and easy. It was confusing. Dangerous even.
Because for someone I was supposed to be keeping at arm’s length, he had a way of making it feel like there was no distance at all.
Rowan pulled the car smoothly to a stop in front of a restaurant that looked far too elegant for the way I was dressed. Warm golden lights glowed from the windows, spilling over the cobbled street. The scent of grilled food and herbs drifted through the air, making my stomach twist in equal parts hunger and nervousness.
He turned to me with a teasing grin. “Here we are, princess.”
I blinked at him, then at the restaurant’s polished glass doors. “You’re joking, right? This place looks expensive.”
Rowan only chuckled, unbothered. “Good thing I’m the one paying then.”
Before I could protest, he got out of the car and walked around to my side. The cool night air rushed in when he opened my door, and I could feel the weight of a few curious glances from passersby.
“Your carriage awaits,” he said, slightly bowing as he gestured toward the door.
I rolled my eyes, but there was a small, reluctant smile tugging at my lips. “I don’t exactly think my outfit fits this restaurant,” I said quietly, glancing down at myself. I was still in my work clothes, smart but plain, definitely not dinner-date fancy.
“You’ll be surprised to know that no one cares,” he replied easily, his tone warm and certain. “And you look great. Really.”
For a moment, I just looked at him, trying to decide if he was being polite or honest. But Rowan didn’t look away, and the sincerity in his eyes made my chest tighten unexpectedly.
The air inside was soft and filled with quiet chatter. Warm lighting glowed over wooden tables and polished floors. To my relief, most people were dressed like us, work clothes, jackets draped over chairs, a few loosened ties here and there. Not a single evening gown or tuxedo in sight.
I exhaled slowly to myself. “Okay… maybe I overreacted.”
A waiter appeared almost instantly, smiling as he led us through the softly lit space to a table near the window. The city lights shimmered faintly beyond the glass.
“Here you are,” the waiter said, placing two menus in front of us. “Would you like to start with something to drink while you decide?”
- Writer
