Read Online Unworthy Heart: The Donnellys, Book 1 by Dorothy F. Shaw - Free Book Online Page B

front of the car, placed his hand on the small of her back and led them to the door. “Good. A first for both of us then.”
    The front door was solid dark wood, adorned with intricate carvings. Ryan held the door open and she stepped inside. She looked around in awe. The dark paneled walls of the hall were elegant, hosting black-and-white headshots of historical movie stars such as Grace Kelly, John Wayne and several others. “This is beautiful.”
    “I agree.” He paused when she did to study a group photo of actors she didn’t recognize. “It’s supposed to have the best filet in town.”
    “Oh, no, really? I’m a vegetarian.” She raised her brows.
    He stopped and turned to her. “Are you kidding me?”
    “Maybe.” She walked on ahead. He was damn fun to tease and too adorable.
    He grunted and he caught her under the arm. “Woman.”
    “You’re just too easy, Ryan.” She smirked, doing nothing to hide her pleasure at teasing him.
    He swatted her ass, not hard, but enough to make her jump and squeal. “Quiet, woman. This is a classy joint. There’ll be no squealing.”
    She rolled her eyes and snorted. Ryan circled her wrist in his palm and then wrapped her arm behind her back. Holding it tight with one hand, he kissed her. With her breasts pressed flush against his chest, Maiya melted. And her legs turned to jelly…right about the time the maître d’ cleared his throat. Busted. She couldn’t contain her giggles and her cheeks flushed hot. Such a strange reaction for her. She never got embarrassed. To this day, the only person who could embarrass Maiya was her mother.
    His arm slid down around her waist, pinning her to his side. “Ah, yes. Excuse us. We have a reservation for two under Donnelly.”
    A thousand tingles shot over her skin at the possessiveness of his touch, and she smiled. She couldn’t help it.
    The restaurant housed a series of different rooms, all lined with elaborate décor and the sounds of classical piano echoed throughout the restaurant. She held Ryan’s hand and they followed the man in the penguin suit to their table. Her eyes widened when they entered their room. Dark, navy-blue carpet blanketed the floor and several small tables, covered in white linens, were set about in the sizeable space. The back wall housed an enormous mahogany wine rack filled with assorted bottles. The whole room gave off a refined and warm vibe. Gorgeous.
    The maître d’ pulled out her chair for her. She sat and then he slid her seat in. “Thank you.”
    “Your server will be Evelyn this evening. Enjoy your meal.” He placed a menu in front of each of them and disappeared from the table with an annoyed look.
    “I don’t think he likes us.” She wrinkled her nose and draped the cloth napkin on her lap.
    “Did you see his scowl?”
    “Yep. It’s a rule in L.A. to have one of those, right?”
    “You may be right. I forgot.” He slapped his forehead and sighed, and then mimicked the maître d’s expression.
    Maiya laughed and opened the menu. Holy shit, this place was pricey! Forty bucks for the New York strip and fifty for the bacon-wrapped filet. Oh boy. How much did he earn at the firm, anyway? Probably more than her since he’d only been hired last year. If she changed companies she’d earn more money, but staying with Amaryllis was a better option for her. Also, a sad but true fact of industry and life, women still weren’t paid equal to men. “What looks good to you?” She sipped from the cool water glass.
    “Aside from the filet, I heard the New York strip is phenomenal too.” He continued eyeing his menu.
    “Does it include a salad?”
    “I doubt it. These places are always a la carte.”
    “Hmm. All righty then. They have garlic five-cheese mashed potatoes. Those look good. Ooh, and asparagus.” She continued to peruse the menu. When she looked up, he was staring at her. “What?”
    “Just watching you.” He sipped his water. “I like the faces you make when you