She took his hand and squeezed. “That sounds great.”
He made a plate for her and they ate in silence until she turned to him, her eyes wide and wonderful. “Kyle, this is so special. What made you come up with this idea?” she asked.
There was a vulnerability in the question, and he answered it with a touch, pressing a kiss to the pad of his own thumb and then stroking it along her cheek.
“We’ve been working hard, and I thought we could use the break. And also because this has always been my favorite place to come and sit to watch the sunset. It’s beautiful here.” He shrugged, feeling a bit foolish and sentimental. “I wanted to share it with you.”
Her eyes glistened, and she blinked, her teeth grazing her lower lip. Then she settled against him, her head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever done anything so romantic for me.”
He kissed the top of her head, unable to imagine that she didn’t have men falling at her feet, wantingto make her feel loved and cherished. Because right then he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would do anything,anything, to make this woman happy.
“I want you, Melissa.” He’d said the words without thinking, and now he held his breath, feeling more vulnerable than he could ever remember.
“Kyle,” she said, a teasing tone in her voice.
“No.” He took her hands, waiting until she looked into his eyes. “I wantyou.”
She got it. He could tell by the tiny bit of terror that flashed in her eyes. “Kyle, I—”
“No. I don’t care about your past. I care about our future. We’re good together.”
“Don’t do this, Kyle,” she begged. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and her expression cut his heart to shreds. “Please. You know how I feel.”
Slowly he nodded. “All right, Mel. I won’t do this tonight. But Idoknow how you feel. You’ve told me over and over. So now I’m telling you.” He took a deep breath. “I want you, Mel. And I’m giving you fair warning. I know you think you can just walk away. Well, I don’t. And I intend to do my damnedest to make you change your mind.”
She didn’t meet his eyes. “It won’t work,” she said.
“Yes,” he said, “it will.” He’d never been so sureof anything in all his life. Because it had to work. Because the truth was, he didn’t want to live without Melissa Tanner. He wanted her. She wanted him. And some way or another Kyle intended to make sure that they got each other.
* * *
THE NEXT DAY, Mel and Kyle finished the last of the reports, then headed over to Miss Emily’s for lunch. It was a break they didn’t really have time for, but they were doing this to further the Gramps-and-Emily plan, and so they’d decided to make the time.
Mel glanced at her watch. They’d already been there over an hour, and she was antsy to get back to work. The meal was slow going, though. Good, in that the molasses-like pace was the result of Gramps and Emily having a great time. Bad, in that time kept slipping away.
They’d started with salads and small talk. With the soup, Emily and Gramps had started reminiscing about the old days, laughing about various antics on the set. By the time dessert was served, the two grandparents wouldn’t have even noticed if Kyle and Mel had spontaneously combusted right there at the table.
Mel caught Kyle’s eye, then glanced meaningfully across the table toward Emily and Gramps. He nodded, his own smile amused.
They’d originally planned to meet at a restaurant for lunch, but Emily had hired a new cook and wanted the woman to get her feet wet. As it turned out, the decision was a good one. From the looks of it, Gramps and Emily weren’t going to be moving from the table anytime soon.
Melissa dipped her fork into the chocolate cake, then brought it to her lips. “This is fabulous,” she said.
“Thank you,” Miss Emily said. “I’ll pass your compliment along to the kitchen.”
Mel smiled, then took Kyle’s hand. The idea was for them to try to look like a happily dating couple, all the better to get their grandparents in the spirit of the thing. In truth, she wasn’t sure either Gramps or Emily needed the encouragement, but since she was more than happy to hold Kyle’s hand, she wasn’t about to split hairs.
“Can I try a bite?” he asked.
She lifted an eyebrow. “You said you were passing on dessert.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Oh, sure,” she said. “Make me give up some of my chocolate.”
“The sacrifices you make once you enter the dating jungle.”
She rolled her eyes, then chanced a glance towardEmily and Gramps. Both looked delighted—in each other and in the banter between Mel and Kyle.
