31
Joe
“Ready?”I called down my short hallway. I’d tried to plan the perfect last night for us, but, now, I wished we’d just stayed in my apartment under the covers. We weren’t over, but I didn’t know when she’d be in my bed again. That made me never want to let her out of it, but I wanted to do something special for her tonight, for us, to make tomorrow less awful.
“Well …” Her heels clicked closer on the wood floor. “If I knew where I was going, I could get ready faster.” I held back a laugh at her frustration. It would have been easy to just tell her, but watching her get so flustered as she attempted to figure it out was half the fun.
When she came into view, my greedy eyes drank up every perfect inch: her strapless black dress and matching heels, cherry red lips, and,fuck me,those glasses. I ran my hand along my jaw as my eyes shamelessly roamed her body.
Her glare softened as she climbed onto my lap. “I’m guessing this is okay?”
“You’re so gorgeous, it hurts.” That wasn’t an exaggeration. My heart seized in my chest at how beautiful she was.
“You aren’t so bad, either,” she whispered before brushing her lips against my cheek. “I like you in a button-down.” She pinched one of the buttons between her fingers. “You look like the hot businessman you are.” She tilted her head, still circling the button with the pad of her thumb. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble just because I leave tomorrow. I would have been thrilled with the Shrimp Scampi from the pub and staying in for the rest of the night.”
“I’m not taking you out because you’re leaving. We’re celebrating the best almost two weeks I’ve ever had.” I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “And because it’s a beginning, not an end. Understand?” I lifted a brow.
Her mouth flattened before she nodded. I still hated to see her go, but I meant every word I said. Even though she was leaving, we were only getting started.
Madeline’s was the closest thing Ocean Cove had to an upscale restaurant and was known for the best seafood on the South shore. Since Caterina loved anything raised from the sea, I thought it would be perfect.
“Would you split oysters with me?” she pleaded when she lifted her gaze from the menu. “No one usually likes them but me, but I’m sure they’re amazing here.”
“I’ll split them with you, but you know what they say about oysters.” I took a long pull from my IPA.
She shook her head. “That’s a myth.”
“You’d better hope so. We’re already one scream away from someone calling the cops.” The corner of my mouth tipped into a smirk when I spied the twitch of her lips.
“Is it weird being in a restaurant when you own one?” She leaned her elbows onto the table and rested her head on her hand. “I would think it would be hard to just enjoy it.”
“Not really.” I swept my gaze around the room. “This place is about as different from the pub as you can get. We’re pretty strict with kitchen hygiene, so I can spot when things are off easier, which, yes, I hate. But overall, I can detach. It’s always been good whenever I come here.”
“You mean your dates usually went well here?” Caterina teased as her eyebrows shot up.
“I’ve never been on a date here. This is where you take a girlfriend, and I never officially had one of those.” I scooted my chair closer to the table and draped my hand over hers, sliding my thumb back and forth along the top of her wrist. “You have me in a way no one else ever has. You should know that by now.”
“I do.” She turned her hand over and laced our fingers together. “I haven’t been myself since I arrived here. I’m different, and I like who I am when I’m with you. You have me in a way no one else ever has, too.”
Things had been so natural with Caterina from the beginning. From the second we’d met, I’d had this odd urge to know everything about her and for her to know me. It wasn’t just the insane chemistry, although we had plenty of that. After spending my entire life holding in or hiding what I thought made me weak, I could tellher. I couldshowher. Instead of the embarrassment I thought I’d feel, she’d lifted the weight off my chest enough for me to breathe. I was different around her, too. And I liked this better version of myself.
After dinner, we went for a walk around the restaurant. The dining area was surrounded by a large patio. There was an outdoor party with a DJ, and the closer we came, the louder the pulse of the base was under our feet. We couldn’t talk much over the music, but I didn’t mind the silence. I held her hand and led her around like we’d been a couple for years, not weeks.
The tempo slowed with the next song, and I stopped. Caterina turned to me with a wrinkled brow.
“What’s wrong?”
“Dance with me.”
“Here?” She scanned the area around us. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
I pulled her by the waist and grabbed her hand, threading our fingers before I brought our joined hands to my chest. We swayed back and forth to oddly poignant lyrics about fighting and not giving up. Whenever I wanted something, I didn’t stop until I got it. And I’d never wanted anything or anyone more than the woman in my arms. I didn’t doubt things were about to get complicated, and I’d have to fight, but I wouldn’t give up. I couldn’t.
“Doesn’t matter where we are, Caterina.” I ran a finger along her jaw. “Remember that.”
32
Caterina
