Page 30 of Desolation

I laugh as I look at her surprised face. “Mari, come on. It will be fun. And if you think it sucks then you can leave.”

“In the middle of dinner?” she asks, her brows raised high.

I take a bite of my sandwich to keep from laughing. It had to have been a long time since this woman was on a date. I swallow before answering. “So you agree to dinner then?”

She looks flabbergasted. Her mouth opens and closes multiple times. “I never… I can’t.”

I smirk at her. “You said you would walk out in the middle of dinner if I bored you.”

“I didn’t mean I would go out with you,” she snaps. She looks between me and Mr. Cartwell before she pushes away from the table and grabs her purse. “It was nice speaking with you Henry but I forgot I had an appointment.”

She walks away, dodging people as she tries to leave the dining room.

“You just going to let her leave?” Mr. Cartwell asks me.

I flip my gaze to him. “Why does she get to call you Henry?”

He shrugs and bites into his sandwich.

“Dammit,” I mutter as I grab her untouched sub off the table and chase after her. Again.

She must hear my footsteps because she slows down before turning around, propping a hand on her hip. “Are you seriously going to follow me every time I leave?”

I hold the sandwich out to her. “I just thought you might want to eat before our dinner on Saturday night.”

She rolls her eyes, her voice exasperated, “Landon…”

“Mari, I am not asking to marry you. I’m not even asking for a relationship. I’m asking you to have dinner with me. As friends.”

She glares at me. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I just… I’m ma—can’t.”

I want to know what she was going to say. I’ve looked at her ring finger more times than I can count. There are no rings. So she couldn’t have been ready to say she is married. I don’t know what else she could have possibly said. “Alright, fine. You are the one missing out.”

“I doubt it.”

I smirk. “You sure about that?”

“Positive,” she answers, crossing her arms over her chest.

I lean in closer to her so no one can hear me but her. “Your body seemed to have a different response last night.”

She grits her jaw as she spits out, “Don’t make me slap you again.”

I rub my hand over my jaw and refrain from saying that I’ll be doing the slapping next time because I am sure it won’t go over well. Although I would do just about anything to palm that perfect ass of hers.

She reaches toward me and grabs the sandwich. “But I will take lunch.”

“You want to stay and eat?”

She shakes her head. “In your dreams.”

“You’re already in them, princess.”

She spins around without a word. I watch that perfect ass walk away and wonder when I will see her again.

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