The Lion’s Den on the Romantic Dinner Out

3rd Romantic Excerpt from The Lion’s Den

I know you’ve been waiting for it, Teaser Tuesday, the third romantic excerpt from The Lion’s Den, my Action Adventure Romance due for publication in April 2015.

 In this chapter, Brad and Della have left New York City, where Della is being hunted by al Qaeda for having proof that Osama bin Laden has escaped the May 2011 assassination attempt and is still alive and well.  The US government has a stake in keeping the failed mission secret as well, as they try to close the net around him for the second time.  Della and Brad have fled to an innocuous little seaside town in Eastern Canada where they are enjoying a romantic get away, out of reach of the forces that threaten her.  (Some bits have been edited out here for adult content 🙂  

 

 

At the Algonquian Hotel, St. Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick, Canada

A sleek black limo waited at the hotel reception entrance for Della and Brad.  The chauffeur stepped out and said, “Good evening sir, madam,” and held open the door for them to board. They were whisked away to the wrought iron gates of the Kingsbrae Gardens, which had been transformed to night time elegance with the lighting of thousands of fairy lights.  The Maître d’ met them at the reception desk with menus and led them down the softly lit path to the privacy of the Rose garden.  They were seated in an arbor surrounded by climbing roses, and the Maître d’ plucked a long stemmed fuchsia colored rose from a nearby vase, and bowed formally, saying, “Please allow me to welcome you to Savour in the Garden.  The rose blushes at your beauty, mademoiselle.  Please accept it as a token of our appreciation for choosing to dine with us tonight.”

The dapper Frenchman expertly placed linen napkins in their laps and offered them menus and a wine list.  He took their drink order then made himself scarce, returning only to fill their water goblets and to ask if they would like their patio heater turned on.

It was a very warm night for October, and the crescent moon hung low in the indigo sky.  The soft glow of candles on the tables was all that lit the space, and the stars, sprinkled across the heavens numbered in the millions.  Brad took Della’s hands in his, “Are you warm enough?”

With the soft pashmina around her shoulders, Della nodded and told him that she was perfectly comfortable.

A waiter returned with their drink order and said he would be back in a little while to take their dinner order.  They perused the selections, each of which sounded more delectable than the last. Brad asked Della’s preference in wine and they settled on a nice Cabernet Sauvignon to complement their main course.

For a while they were content to sit back and enjoy the romantic ambiance.  Soft music was piped into the garden through hidden speakers, and Brad asked Della if she would like to dance.

Aching to be held in his arms again, Della smiled and nodded, and they wandered over to a pretty wooden gazebo, where another couple were enjoying a slow dance.  Brad took Della in his arms and fitted her to his hard contours. They swayed close together, the melody soft and sultry on the rose perfumed night air.  Too soon the song ended, and Brad pulled her to him and kissed her with a restrained hunger, just enough to whet their appetites.

They saw their waiter approaching with their appetizers and they sat down at their table as he expertly served the sumptuous fare.  Brad’s oysters were served on the half shell and the look on his face as they slipped down his throat, made her believe in the famed aphrodisiac quality of the delicate shellfish.  Della teased him about being careful not to crack his tooth on a pearl, and Brad couldn’t resist the opportunity to share more of his biological knowledge with her.

“You must not confuse food oysters with pearl oysters, Brad informed her, “Different bivalve altogether, although food oysters can occasionally produce pearls.  This species is most likely the Eastern American oyster, very commonly found in Atlantic waters”, he sagely said, causing Della to roll her eyes.

“You know way too much about animals,” Della said, “I don’t want to know anything about ducks or lambs.  I’d prefer to just think about meat as delicious proteins found on Styrofoam trays in my local supermarket.”

“Ah, yes, we must get back to your lessons in duck hunting when we get back to the cabin.  Ideal time for it right now with the ducks migrating south.  Can’t have you going back home to Michigan without bagging your first duck!  What would all of my customers say?  “Brad, your girlfriend can’t hit the broadside of a barn.  What are you thinking?”

“Am I your girlfriend?”  Della asked, swallowing the last delicious forkful of salad and laying her fork down on the delicate china plate.

Brad took a minute to consider his answer, not sure whether he should make light of the question, or if he would treat it as seriously as he took it to be. Deciding to be bold, he took her hand in his, and looked her deeply in the eyes, and placed  a kiss on the back of her hand and softly said ”I’d really like you to be.”

A warm smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she regarded the man who had stolen her heart, calmed her fears, and made her feel whole again.  “I’d be proud to be your girlfriend,” she said, and he closed his eyes, pressing a kiss into the palm of her hand and opening them to see in hers the promise of a love beyond all reason, without reservations, enough to last them a lifetime.

rose arbor  savour in the garden   table kingsbraestock-photo-young-couple-in-love-the-bride-and-groom-posing-in-the-arbor-under-red-roses-wedding-day-in-the-111480443
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Sigh* Don’t you just melt when you get to the part in the romance novel when the couple first confesses their feelings of love for one another?  One more Romantic excerpt left before Valentines day!  

Stay tuned for the release of the The Lion’s Den in April, when Brad and Della’s idyllic romantic interlude gets interrupted as the dark forces threatening to rip Della out of her cocoon of safety close in, and she is swept back into the world of foreign politics where nothing but terror and death await.

pink valentine norma

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speak Your Mind

*

Social Media Icons Powered by Acurax Social Profile Design Experts
Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On Pinterest