Page 35 of A Little More

“You didn’t seem to have a problem finishing the last one you ate.” He winked. She looked down at her lap, but a little smile appeared.

Charlie’s jaw dropped open. Maybe it broke a few of his uptown rules. If he could get Lexi to willingly break one or two, his day was made. Watching her loosen up was remarkable. He reached over and picked up the other half of the burger and took a large bite.

Her eyes fixated on his lips a moment before flicking up to meet his.

Heat shot through his blood. A side of him had worried that spending this much time apart would have caused her to come up with dozens of reasons they shouldn’t date. Looks like it might have helped pull her closer because she was looking at him the same way she’d looked eating the cheeseburger back in Statem.

Those brown eyes, when aimed his way, were lethal in every good way possible. He loved it.

“Excuse me, but don’t you think it’s rather rude to interrupt someone’s lunch this way? And eat their food?”

They both turned and looked at Charlie. Poor guy. He’d missed out on a great thing with Lexi and probably didn’t even realize it.

“You’re right.” Lexi pushed back from the table. “I’ll have Nash drive me back to the office. Thank you for the company, Charlie. I’ll talk to you later.”

“What?” He stood, although his jaw looked to have landed on the table. “You can’t walk out. We haven’t discussed our future.”

Her shoulders straightened, and she took a deep breath. “It was a mistake to accept this date. I’m so, so sorry. You’re a great guy, but I don’t think we will work out.”

“But we have so much in common. I don’t think you’ve given this a fair shot.”

Nash sipped Lexi’s water, hating to see another man blubber this way over a woman, but he wouldn’t even begin to change her mind. Leaving without her wasn’t an option at this point. They might only have a short time together, but if she gave him the green light, it’d be just them for as long as they lasted. Until either distance pulled them apart or the fire died.

He didn’t share well with others.

The waiter walked up, holding two receipts in his hand. “I saw you might be ready to leave. I split the check like you requested, sir.” He handed one to Charlie and the other he motioned between Lexi and Nash. “Not sure who to give this to.”

Lexi reached in her purse and pulled out her wallet.

And Charlie didn’t say a word.

When she pulled out a ten, Nash stepped in. He took the receipt from the waiter. “Put your money up, Lexi.” He pulled out a twenty.

“Nash—”

“Please,” he said without much pleading.

Her chin kicked out.

He raised his eyebrows. He didn’t like being told what to do any more than she did, but she could chew his ear off in the car about being a pushy, prehistoric male or whatever she’d called him. As long as it was away from Charlie.

“Since when do you take orders from a client?” Charlie’s question seemed to grab Lexi’s attention.

Lexi shoved her wallet in her purse with a little grunt of annoyance. “Since a gentleman offered to buy me lunch.”

Charlie smirked. “I never knew you to be gullible. I can tell you right now, this man has more on his mind than being a gentleman.”

She leaned closer to Charlie, irritation flashing in her eyes. “Says the man that has yet to open a door for any woman. Since when do you know how a gentleman acts?” She snapped around and stomped toward Nash’s truck.

Nash ran a hand over his face, wiping away a smile. She’d nailed Charlie based on the shocked look on his face. Nash might not want a relationship with every woman he bought a meal for, his best friends knew he’d buy their meals or movie tickets without an argument when he invited them to go out, but he’d damn sure fork out the money on a woman he did want a relationship with.

“It won’t last.” Charlie crossed his arms over his chest, looking way too smug for having a woman walk away from a date. “She’ll figure out that she wants something more than what a simple farmer can give her. Women like her are out of your league.”

Nash patted Charlie on the shoulder. The poor guy didn’t even get it. “Good luck in life, Charlie.”

“Good luck? I think you’ll need it more than I do to even have a chance with her.”

Watching the way Lexi tapped her impatient foot, waiting at the passenger side of his truck brought a grin to his face. “And that right there is your problem, Charlie. Luck isn’t what you need to catch a girl like Lexi Caden.”

---