Her pretty silver stare lifted to him.“No, I’m fine.Why?Do I not seem fine?”
“You seem totally fine.That’s why I asked.”Though it had occurred to him that maybe Schumacher’s bullshit wasn’t as big a deal to her as it was to him because she was used to dealing with it on the job.
Her lips quirked, and she went back to reading the menu.“You know me too well.But yeah, I’m good.”
He didn’t bring up Schumacher’s behavior because they had to put up with him for another twelve hours or so.And besides, he didn’t want to spoil the time he got to spend with her by talking about that shit.“I checked with Gav earlier.Nothing to report with Becca and Chase.”
“That’s good.What looks good to you?”
Her.Things that would make her want to leave the table.“I’m thinking the short rib.You?”
“I was thinking that too, but I’m leaning toward the seventy-dollar filet now, with the twelve-dollar loaded baked potato and a fifteen-dollar side of roasted asparagus.”She looked up at him again, a touch of humor making her eyes sparkle in the candlelight.“You know, since the company’s paying for it.”
“Go for it.”After putting up with Schumacher, she deserved every bit of it.
The golden, flickering light made her skin glow and painted bright highlights on her inky-black hair.She wore it slightly longer at the front and the sides than at the back.
Just long enough for him to slide his fingers into and grip the strands to kiss her.
The server arrived with their bread and butter and took their orders.Cassie immediately dove into the basket, ripping off a chunk of warm white bread and slathering it with butter.
She shoved a bite into her mouth, groaned softly.“Oh my God, you have to have some of this.It practically melts in your mouth.”She tore off a small piece, buttered it for him and held it out.
Their fingers brushed as he took it.Their gazes locked across the table.And in the flickering candlelight, he saw desire kindle in her eyes, quick like a match strike.That silent yearning she refused to acknowledge.
She pulled her hand back and lowered her gaze as she picked up her water and raised the glass to her lips.He put the bread in his mouth and chewed.
It was probably amazing bread.But he didn’t taste a thing, still stuck on what he’d seen in Cassie’s eyes, and all the visuals he’d imagined of them together that flooded his brain.Every single thing he’d imagined doing with her.To her.And her to him.
He shifted in his chair and ordered himself to stop thinking about her, struggling to hold onto his professional awareness of what was going on around them.Schumacher and his friend were deep in conversation, already digging into their meals.
Somehow, he managed to make decent, non-personal conversation with Cassie over dinner.He ate everything on his plate, then used a piece of bread to mop up the last traces of sauce and steak juices.Cassie took one final bite of her meal and set her cutlery down with a sigh, leaving some mashed potato and a few sugar snap peas.
He stared at her plate.Felt the familiar spike of anxiety at seeing the uneaten food.
He tried to ignore it.Couldn’t, that age-old apprehension coming to the surface against his will.
She laughed softly.“Go ahead, be my guest.It’s all yours.”She pushed the plate toward him.
Letting her think he was still hungry, he set the plate in front of him and methodically polished everything off in measured bites.Refusing to give into the anxiety that demanded he wolf it down in front of her before it got taken away.
When he finished and set his silverware down, he found her watching him almost fondly, her chin propped in her hands.“Good?”
He nodded, wiped his mouth with his napkin and downed the rest of his water, cursing the heat rushing to his face.“How’s the other table doing?”
Her gaze flicked beyond his shoulder.“Just finished their mains, and onto the third cocktail.Or at least, Schumacher is.”
Tristan glanced at his watch.It wasn’t that late, but the guy had been drinking all day.He was surprised Schumacher was still standing.
Hopefully Schumacher and his buddy would wrap it up soon, so he and Cassie could escort Schumacher to his room and get some sleep themselves.No matter what Cassie said, she had to be exhausted.The two of them had to be up at oh-four-hundred to check the weather reports and finalize everything with the pilot for the flight back to Portland.
The server came and dropped off their bill.Tristan put it on his room and then they sat there killing time, waiting for the others to finish.
After a few minutes of silence, Cassie leaned back in her chair and regarded him.“This is a personal question, so you don’t have to answer, but can I ask you something about your family?”
“Yeah, sure.”He was happy that she wanted to know something personal about him, and he enjoyed talking about his family.
“Were you guys always close?”
