Read Secret North: Book 4 of The Wishes Series for Free Online

the harder it was to keep a straight face.
    “One word, Ryan,” he warned. “Say one word and –”
    I held both hands up. “I’m not saying a thing ... except that you really need to work on your time management skills.”
    The door closed in my face and I chuckled my way back to the elevator.
    ***
    I’d arranged for the driver to take Bente to Nellie’s. The look on her face as she walked in led me to think she was disappointed by my choice of venue. Her outfit screamed disappointment too. She’d changed out of her jeans and was now wearing a silky red dress that perfectly matched the colour of her lips.
    My heart sank a little. She’d reiterated her need to keep things casual at least ten times. Maybe I got it wrong.
    I met her at the door. “Everything okay?” I asked.
    She forced a smile. “Fine.”
    I knew enough about women to know that fine didn’t mean fine. I also knew that calling her out on it wasn’t smart, so I said nothing. I took her hand instead and led her to a small table near the kitchen door. It wasn’t an ideal spot. In fact, it was probably the worst table in the whole place, but the others were occupied and I wasn’t a big enough jerk to move anyone.
    I pulled out her chair and Bente sat down, scanning the room with her eyes. “Business is obviously booming,” she noted. “It’s a full house tonight.”
    The kitchen doors crashed open, making us jump. A server rushed past, carrying four plates.
    “Business is good,” I awkwardly confirmed.
    “This wasn’t quite what I was expecting when you suggested a change in venue, Ryan.”
    “No?”
    She shook her head and almost smiled.
    I leaned back and busied my hands by fussing with the edge of the tablecloth. I’m not a fidgety person but I was having trouble looking her in the eye. Bente is easily irritated. I usually loved that about her, but in this instance it worried me. She was probably fighting the urge to slap me.
    “You were the one who insisted on keeping it casual. Nellie’s is low key.”
    “Ginger’s was low key too,” she retorted.
    The kitchen doors crashed open again, but neither of us reacted.
    “You’re sending mixed signals, Bente.” I frowned at the tablecloth. “I thought you’d be happier here. We don’t serve salmonella and the floor is clean. So if you’re unhappy enough to take a leaf out of Animal’s book and hurl yourself on the floor, your pretty dress will stay clean.”
    Her glare gave way to a look of disbelief. “You call my niece Animal?”
    My insults were usually intentional but not this one. “I said that out loud?”
    She huffed out a sharp laugh. “Totally out loud.”
    “I don’t mean it in a bad way,” I lied. “She reminds me of Animal, the Muppet.” Even I knew the hole was getting deeper. “The drummer Muppet. He’s quite talented.”
    “Just stop talking, Ryan.”
    I nodded, and dropped my head to hide my smile. When I glanced up for a second, I saw she was doing the same thing.
    Neither of us spoke for a long time. The silence was excruciating but Bente finally put me out of my misery. “She is a bit like Animal,” she conceded, rolling the stem of her glass between her fingers.
    I didn’t agree, because I’m not a total idiot. I changed the subject instead. “We can go to Billet-doux if you want,” I offered. “Or somewhere completely different. Your call.”
    “I’m not sure what I want,” she mumbled. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”
    At least I wasn’t the only one out of my depth. I’d never put so much effort into trying to win over a date in my life.
    I’d dated a lot of women – too many to admit to a number. The way I operated hadn’t changed since my teens. I chase, I conquer and I release, usually the next morning. When it came to conquering and keeping, I was clueless. And I’d known from the first minute I’d laid eyes on Bente that she was a keeper. I just hadn’t been ready for her before.
    I thought quickly, trying to come up