Page 16 of Full House

He’d been to the restaurant enough times to know what he wanted, but she’d backed herself into a corner. She’d flipped her way to the back of the menu, which held nothing but desserts and beverages. He chuckled again.

“What’s so funny?” She still refused to look at him.

He tapped her menu with his index finger. “It’s okay to flip back. I won’t hold it against you.”

Finally, he got her eyes. “Maybe I want to eat dessert for dinner.”

“You’re already sweet enough. You need real food.”

She rolled her eyes. “Are you trying to sweet talk me?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “That depends on if it’s working.”

“I’m not the one withholding sex in this relationship. You don’t need to butter me up.”

He zeroed in on her word choice. “Relationship? Are you admitting we’re in one now?”

“I’m not admitting anything.” She turned back to face the menu. “You know what I meant.”

He plucked the menu from her fingers, setting it to the side before draping his arm on the table in front of her. With his other arm still at her back, he had her caged in. She still didn’t scoot away. He liked that. A lot.

He placed his lips close to her ear. “Admit it. You like me.”

Her back stiffened. “I just said, I wasn’t admitting to anything.” She turned her head to face him, and he backed his up, giving her space. “But if I did—"

“Are you ready to order?”

Fuck. Nate turned heated eyes to their waiter, hating he’d interrupted when Victoria was about to tell him something important.

Nate watched his Adam’s apple bob. “Or I can give you a few more minutes.”

Sighing at the ruined moment, he forced himself to relax his expression and moved his arm back to his side of the table. “No, it’s okay. I think we’re ready.” Lowering his voice, he asked Victoria, “Do you know what you want?”

Her lips tipped up, and her eyes sparkled with mirth as she conceded, “I didn’t get a good look at the menu. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“Are you sure you trust my judgment?”

Then she said something that had the organ in the center of his chest beating a little faster. “I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t.”

“You don’t like it,” Nate accused, glaring down at Victoria’s barely touched plate. He’d ordered his usual, thinking she would like it. For such a snobby place, they really made a great burger. “I know you’re not a vegetarian, you ordered bacon at the deli, and yesterday, I saw you eating a turkey sandwich for lunch.”

She nabbed a fry from the pile she’d been picking at, taking a nibble off the tip. “I’m eating.”

Nate pushed his plate—with its own half-eaten burger on it—away before leaning forward to place his forearms on the table. “What’s wrong? You’ve been acting funny since our food arrived. Do you want me to order you something else?”

She pushed her own plate away and leaned into him speaking softly. “Doesn’t it bother you at all?”

He furrowed his brow. “Doesn’t what bother me?”

She spoke barely moving her lips, “All the people staring at you.” She widened her eyes and darted them about the room, presumably silently pointing them out.

Nate casually glanced around and noticed several pairs of eyes on them.

“I noticed it when we first got here, but it didn’t really bother me until I tried to eat,” she continued. “I’m not usually so self-conscious, but the thought of biting into that burger and dripping guacamole down my dress is making me internally cringe. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Honestly, I never pay attention to it anymore. If I did, I’d never get anything done.” He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “I’m sure at least half of them are making a mess while eating. But if it makes you feel better, I promise, if you spill guacamole down your top, I’ll spill some down mine, too.”

That made her laugh, her eyes lighting as her smile grew. She was beautiful. “Deal.”

“Do we need to shake on it?” he asked in a serious tone though he fought a lip twitch.

She held up her little finger. “I accept nothing short of a pinky promise.”

Entwining his pinky with hers, he said, “I suppose now would be a bad time to tell you, you have ketchup on your chin.”

She almost fell for it. Her hand raised halfway to her chin before she stopped and smirked. “I wasn’t eating ketchup with my fries.”

He grinned back before pulling his own plate back toward himself, happy to see she did the same. Then nudging her with his shoulder, he told her to eat.

---