“No, not when it’s this busy. If they give you a hassle, let me know.”
I glanced toward the crowd Jordan was referring to and recognized one of the guys at the far end of the table. When Caterina had walked outside, he’d openly eye fucked her. The possessive idiot in me hoped he’d get rowdy, so I’d have an excuse to throw him out.
“Are you all right, Joe?” Jill asked me from where she sat at the bar, studying me with a confused gaze. We’d dated for a couple of months before we decided we were better off as friends. She managed one of the newer hotels along the beach, and we had a mutually beneficial business relationship that I was thankful I hadn’t fucked up. She was a good friend, but, every once in a while, I’d catch a flash of regret in her green eyes.
“I’m fine.” I turned my gaze back to hers. “Busy, new staff starting tonight. It’s a good stressful, but you know how it is.”
“I do.” She nodded, her fingers drumming on the bar. “But you thrive on busy. Ever since you rushed outside, you’ve been like a different person.”
“I’m not …” I started but trailed off. Jill knew me well enough to see through my hollow denial. “It’s stupid. I’m a big boy.” I shot her a grin. “I’ll get over it.”
“For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never looked at anyone the way you’re looking at that brunette over there.” She regarded me with a wistful smile that never made it to her eyes. “She’s lucky.”
“She’s not interested.” I attempted to cover my disappointment with a shrug. “What we had was short if it was even anything. She’s only here on vacation.”
“Seriously? The poor thing is going to give herself neck cramps if she keeps turning her head this way. I don’t know her, but I’d bet she’s very interested. The kind of tension I’m sensing between the two of you doesn’t come from indifference.”
I stilled and grabbed the edge of the bar, hating the defeated tone in her words. This was why I didn’t date. I didn’t have much in me to give, and I always ended up disappointing someone. Jill was a good person, and she deserved better than what I had to offer, which was nothing at the time. But with Caterina, it was already different.Iwas already different. She wasn’t an afterthought. Hell, lately, she was myonlythought. But right now, I had no choice but to walk away.
“Joe?” Maureen, one of the new waitresses, asked me from behind Jill, “do we have the right to cut customers off? They’re on their fifth bottle of wine, and they’re getting a little loud, but they’re insisting on more.” She grimaced and motioned to another loud table near the back door.
Jill laughed at my defeated sigh.
“I’ll be right there.”
Maureen exhaled in relief before heading to the kitchen.
“Gotta love tourists. Bake in the sun all day, and drink all night.” Jill turned to the drunken table in question and shook her head.
“I should take care of this.” I leaned over the bar to kiss her cheek. “I’m sor—”
“Stop. We were always better off as friends. There’s no need for sorry. I’m happy.” She dropped a hand to my forearm. “And I really hope you are, too. Or that you will be.”
14
Caterina
“Talk. Now.”Megan pointed to my chair when I came back to the table.
I didn’t want to go through it all and become upset in front of Joe, but I knew when I returned to two sets of saucer-wide eyes, I wouldn’t have a choice.
I sucked in a long breath before I unloaded it all, starting with the welcome home I’d gotten on Thursday.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” The heads of everyone at the table next to us whipped around to Claire’s outburst. “In your apartment, knowing you were coming home?”
“Ah, but he didn’t knowwhenI was getting home.” I picked up my wineglass, zoning out at the whirl of red liquid as I swished my glass around. “I’ve been averaging getting home between eight and eight-thirty during the week, and this was just before seven.” I coughed out a sad laugh. At least Trent had paid enough attention to me and my schedule to learn to work around it.
“So,that’swhat made you leave in such a rush.” Megan squeezed my arm. “I’m sorry, Cat. I totally get why you couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.”
“Me too,” Claire agreed, her voice much softer. “I hope you got here and jumped into bed with the first hot guy you saw.” She elbowed Megan’s side, and they both shared a “like that would ever happen” laugh. Their smiles faded quickly when I shrugged in response.
“You didnot,” Megan whispered before her jaw dropped.
“Oh, I did.” I took a bite out of one of the sliders while searching their gazes for a reaction. Their strong surprise, or, more accurately, the utter shock, triggered an unexpected laugh to slip out of me. This entire trip had been an adventure outside of my comfort zone, and sleeping with a gorgeous stranger was about as far outside of my normal as you could get.
Despite myself, I looked back toward the bar and caught Joe’s gaze. His eyes locked with mine as if he were issuing a challenge. Too bad I was too much of a coward to accept.
“Wait, was it sex-on-a-stick back at the bar who keeps staring over here?” Claire’s eyes sparkled as she looked over my shoulder.
