Page 52 of L.O.V.E

“You know, ’cause they’re … ” She made a circle with her index finger and thumb on one hand, and pistoned her other index finger through the hole, making a funny face.

What a dork. What a gorgeous, delightful, perfect dork.

I laughed. She laughed. Her shoulders relaxed.

I’d never wanted to kiss someone so bad in my life. “What’ll you have to drink?” I asked as the waitress came our way with my Johnnie Walker.

“Oh. I probably shouldn’t.”

“We’re celebrating.”

She snorted. “You know what? You’re right.” She lifted her chin, shifted in her seat, then said to the waitress, “I’ll have what he’s having.”

The waitress nodded. “Are you ready to order?”

“Give us a few minutes,” I responded.

“Of course.” She dipped her chin and backed away.

Natalie lifted her menu, hiding that gorgeous glow, giving me time to pull my fucking shit together, steel my spine against her unconscious attack on my morality, shoot a quick prayer to the Man Upstairs to strengthen my resolve.

She lowered the menu only enough to peek over the top. “I don’t know what any of this is.”

Although no longer hungry, I used my own menu as a barrier and pretended to consider my dining options, but caught myself studying Natalie instead.

Her dress blended perfectly with the pink, cream, and gold tones of the room. When she smiled, laughed, blinked, breathed, or just existed, I wanted nothing more than to claim her, make her mine, throw her on top of the table and show my appreciation for everything that she was.

I wanted to punish her for showing me everything that I wasn’t.

She was not safe in our private dining room. Neither was I.

“You know what?” I stood, pulled out my money clip. “What do you say we get out of here? Go someplace more—”

“I’d kill for a cheeseburger right about now.” Her menu hit the table with a smack, and she was on her feet. She finished my drink in one long swallow. “Come on. I know the perfect place.”

Fuck. I was so fucked. A gentleman would’ve taken her arm and escorted her through the busy restaurant. I shoved my hands into my pockets and wrapped my fingers around Cadence’s cross.

“I’ll try Lacey and Ellis again. See if they want to meet us.”

“Let’s go by your room, get Martin off his drunk ass,” she suggested, fiddling with the tie around her neck.

I dropped enough cash on the table to cover our failed dinner. When I looked up, our gazes locked, hers tormented, dropping to my mouth and then to the floor. “You should try Victoria again, too. She might be hungry by now.”

Good play, bringing my fiancée into the conversation. Smart woman, dropping that bucket of ice water over my faltering integrity.

I followed her toward the exit, and only by accident noticed the sway of her ass in that dress, only briefly appreciated the shape of her legs, only for one moment considered placing my hand on the small of her back.

While we waited for the car, keeping a safe distance between us, I asked, “They have drinks where you’re taking me?”

Martin must’ve caught his second wind. He was MIA. Victoria refused the invite, but made me promise to meet her and her girlfriends later.

Ellis and Lacey had worked up an appetite, thank fuck, and joined us on our trek to In-N-Out Burger, which did not, unfortunately, serve drinks. Lucky for me, I’d made sure the car was stocked with a wide variety of libations.

I was currently on my fourth? Fifth? Aw fuck, what did it matter? Ellis and I enjoyed a killer bottle of bourbon with a bag of burgers between us while we sat on the trunk of the town car. Lacey and Natalie sat on a blanket they’d spread in the grass and shared fries while they whispered and laughed, staring at the view.

Jeremy, our driver, had taken us to a “top-secret” location, a closed park that boasted the best view of the city skyline. That man had earned himself one killer tip because he had been right—the view was unreal.

The burgers were the bomb. The company was perfect. And I enjoyed a mind-numbing buzz. I only accidentally ogled Natalie twice.

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