“Thanks. And happy birthday.”
The kid motioned for his friends to come over, and he took a selfie with them. Then he shook their hands.
“Thanks a lot, Mr. Cassidy,” the kid said.
“You’re welcome.”
The kid snapped one more photo, this time of Barrett and Harmony, before hurrying back to his table.
Barrett frowned, paused.
“Barrett,” Harmony said.
“He needs to delete that photo.”
“Why? You invited him to take the picture.”
“Not the one of you and me together.”
“Awww, it was sweet of him. And for God’s sake, sit down. Unless you intend to go sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song to the kid.”
Barrett sat, but he still wasn’t happy about that photo. He turned to Harmony. “What if that kid puts that picture of us up on social media?”
Harmony slanted a very unhappy look in his direction. “What? Are you ashamed to be seen with me in public?”
“You know better than that. But stuff like that tends to get widely circulated.”
“Oh, I see. And you haven’t told my brother about us yet, so now you’re worried.”
“Yeah.”
She took a sip of the wine the waiter had poured for her and just stared at Barrett.
“What?” he finally asked.
“Don’t you think it’s time we go public with our relationship? Because I’m damn tired of being your dirty little secret.”
He reached for her hand. She snatched it away. He pulled it back and held it with both of his. “First, you have never been my dirty little secret and you never will be. I am proud to have you by my side and you know damn well the reasons we haven’t had our relationship out in the open.”
“Okay, fine. I might have overreacted.”
Barrett picked up his glass of Jack and Coke and took two deep swallows. “Second, yes, I know. That conversation with Drake is long overdue.”
“I’m not going to argue that point. And once you talk to Drake, then maybe you can stop worrying about you and me being seen together. Providing you intend to talk to my brother.”
“I intend to talk to your brother.”
“And when might that conversation occur?”
“I’ll talk to him this week. I’ll find the right time, get him alone and I’ll tell him you and I are together.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Because I want to tell everyone that you and I are in a relationship. Providing that’s what we are.”
His lips curved. “That’s definitely what we are, babe.”
She smiled back at him, and Barrett relaxed.
But Harmony was right. He was overdue to have that conversation with Drake, because the last thing he wanted was for Drake to hear about Harmony and him from someone else.
Dinner ended up being better than he imagined. He’d had the New York strip and lobster, and Harmony had the Chilean sea bass. He’d had a taste of her fish, which was melt in your mouth good and she’d tried some of his steak and lobster.
And now he was full and ready to get out of here. He signaled for the waiter, signed the check, and led Harmony out the door to the SUV.
“I’m so full,” she said. “Thank you for dinner. It was amazing.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We should go dancing or something. I feel like I need to work off a few thousand calories.”
He looked over at her in her black silk dress. “Your body is gorgeous. And I have another idea.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Care to share said idea?”
“Not yet.”
He drove them back to his place and pulled his SUV in the garage, then went over to help her out.
“This is your idea?”
“Oh, it gets better.”
He held the door for her while she walked in, then shut it behind him.
“How’s everything in the house working out for you?” she asked as she laid her bag on the kitchen counter.
“The house is better than I could have ever imagined.” He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “You’re incredible.”
“Thank you.”
He led her into the family room. “Do you want a glass of wine?”
“Sure.”
He pulled a bottle of pinot gris out of the wine fridge, opened it and poured two glasses, carrying them over to the sofa where Harmony sat. He handed her a glass.
“Thank you.”
He pulled the table closer, where the new checkerboard set sat. He knew she’d put it on the coffee table as a decoration piece. But it had been giving him ideas ever since he moved in.
“Have I mentioned how much I love this checkerboard?”
She arched a brow. “You do? It’s a décor item I thought would fit the theme of the room.”
“It does. And now we’re going to play.”
“We are? How fun. I used to love to play checkers. Though I haven’t played in years.”
He set his wineglass down on the end table. “But this is my own special form of the game. I like to call it Naked Checkers.”
She laughed. “Naked Checkers?”
“Yes. Every time one of us jumps the other’s checker, the loser has to remove something they’re wearing.”
Her lips curved in that sexy smile that never failed to make his dick twitch.
“Oh, I see. So basically it’s strip checkers.”
“Sort of. But with a twist.”