Charming.
He didn’t know what he was doing here, only that he couldn’t leave Anna alone. He’d seen her nervous before, like when she’d summoned him to her bed to distract herself from her exam worries, when he’d discovered her sex toy drawer, and when she’d asked if he wanted to be friends.
However, he’d never stayed long enough to experience the full effect of Anna’s nervousness. And he realized he didn’t like it.
How self-conscious she became. The way her head sank between her shoulders as if she was smaller than usual, and the way her fingertips twitched. It was as if Anna wasn’t comfortable in her own body or mind.
Shit. He already disliked the person she was supposed to meet in the seedy, backwoods bar, just because they made her feel that way. In his opinion, a person who made Anna Temple feel insecure simply shouldn’t exist. And he hated the thought that he might have been that person.
He would have stayed in the car if she’d asked him to, but when she’d pulled into the restaurant parking lot, she’d just looked at him and let out a very long sigh.
He’d freely interpreted that as an invitation.
Anna stopped directly in front of him, jutting out her chin. She rubbed her hands together and glanced at him anxiously over her shoulder.
“He…doesn’t seem to be here yet,” she murmured, checking her watch.
“Who is not here yet?”
It wasn’t a date. She wouldn’t have taken him on a date! She didn’t have a boyfriend. Everything was…fine.
So, not that he’d mind if — oh, fuck. It would have bothered him if that shitty boyfriend actually existed. He wouldn’t have done what he did with Anna in the shower if she’d been a taken woman.
The thought that within a few days of seeing someone else, Anna had not only kissed him, not only slept with him, not only moaned his name… It bothered him. It shouldn’t have, but the idea of other hands on her body…
To me, it sounds like at first sight, you fell…
No.
No, no.
He rubbed his shoulders and took a step back so he wouldn’t inhale Anna’s scent. It was obviously driving him crazy.
“Should we sit?”
Anna nodded and strolled over to one of the empty tables to her right, her gaze constantly glancing back at the entrance. She hadn’t answered his question. Overall, she’d barely spoken after their little discussion in the car.
Which, in turn, made him nervous. He hadn’t realized it until half an hour ago, but Anna had the ability to make you feel comfortable with her chatter, to feel strangely confident in her presence, as if you could hardly do anything wrong as long as you didn’t forbid her from flirting with hockey players or jumping into bed with them.
He had no problem with silence. He even encouraged it. Leon, for example, would definitely benefit from a daily dose of about eight hours of silence. Anna, however, hated silence. She had to fill every silent second with words or sounds so that it didn’t stretch into infinity and become unpleasant. He’d known that since their first evening when she’d chosen the completely wrong hockey player. So the fact that she wasn’t saying anything now…
“Talk to me, Anna,” he murmured, sinking next to her on the bench at the corner table she’d chosen, which offered the best view of the door.
“What?” Her eyes shining, she turned to him. Again and again, she tucked her curls behind her ears, which defiantly sprang forward again.
“I want you to talk to me,” he whispered. It might have been the first time he’d ever spoken those words. “Tell me what’s going on.”
She swallowed and bit the inside of her cheek. “No talking. That was the deal.”
“Yes. Talk. Please.” Because he couldn’t bear her silence. “Our deal is long over.”
She sighed and looked up as a waitress approached their table. She didn’t even glance at her, just stared at Lucas.
“What can I do for you?”
He returned her gaze darkly. He wasn't alone, so why was the waitress only looking at him?
The waitress's cheeks flushed a deep red and she quickly turned her gaze to Anna. “Would you like something to drink? Otherwise, here are our menus.” She placed a laminated menu in front of them, and Lucas was surprised to find a small smile tugging at the corners of Anna’s lips.
