He heaved out a sigh. “I’ve messed this date up completely, haven’t I?” He hated that sad, confused look in her eyes.
“This is a date?” she asked, looking surprised.
“Well, I was hoping it was.” He still held onto her hand. “But if you’re not interested in me like that, it can just be two friends sharing a meal.”
She gazed away from him. “It’s not that I’m not interested. I am. You’re gorgeous. But I . . .” She cleared her throat and he frowned slightly wondering what she’d been about to say about herself. He got the feeling he wouldn’t have liked it. “But my life is a bit of a mess right now. I’m not sure I can offer you anything.”
“All right, then we’ll be two friends sharing a meal. Of course, you actually have to eat for that to be the case.”
Disappointment filled him, but he forced himself to push it deep. This wasn’t rejection. She said she wanted more. That things were complicated.
He just needed to remove all the complications.
“Anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head. “No, but thank you.”
“Come on, eat something for me. Here.” He picked up a fry and held it to her lips. She opened her mouth and took it. Something moved inside him. A possessive beast that wanted to claim her.
Mine.
Christ, slow down, man.
Her tongue came out and licked the salt from her lips. He nearly groaned.
“Are you okay?” she asked him.
He grinned at her. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m sorry if I got a bit intense just now.”
“It’s okay, I understand. I’m just not used to anyone, well, caring about me I guess.” She shrugged as if it was no big deal. But it hurt him to think of no one caring for this girl.
“I care, Mari.”
She liked the nickname. It made her feel special.
She wasn’t sure why he cared when he barely knew her, but it filled her with warmth. She turned back to her food to hide her confusion. Even though she wasn’t hungry, she knew she had to eat. She drank some sweet tea, barely holding in a grimace at the taste.
“Don’t you like sweet tea?” he asked.
“Umm.” What to say? He’d just told her not to lie. She sighed. “Not really.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Then why’d you order it?”
“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I guess because you did. I get flustered sometimes. Say the wrong thing.”
“Okay, so what would you like to drink?”
“Diet coke.”
He raised his hand to the waitress.
“Oh, but she’s so busy. It’s okay, I’ll drink it.” She reached out again for the sweet tea.
“Mari, put the sweet tea down and back away.” It was said jokingly but there was an undercurrent of command in his voice.
She slid her hand back under the table as he ordered a diet coke. Reaching out, he slid a few strands of hair behind her ear. “From now on, if you’re given or accidentally order something you don’t like then tell me, yeah?”
She couldn’t imagine this situation coming up again but she nodded in reply.