“Liar!” she cried with a laugh, and if I weren’t already into her, I’d have fallen then.
At that moment, Melissa stood and excused herself. I hadn’t been paying attention to the other end of the table. She’d been talking quietly to Derek, and I couldn’t imagine he’d said anything to upset her.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I’m just not feeling well,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’ll have dinner in the room. Please stay and finish your meal.”
“You don’t have a key!” Elaine was instantly out of her chair, and my stomach dropped. My night with her could not end so soon, but of course, she had to go after her friend. Shit. Melissa hurried out, and we were all on our feet. But Derek saved my night. He touched Elaine’s arm.
“I’ll check on her,” he said. “Stay and enjoy your dinner.”
“But…” Elaine looked at him for a moment and then in the direction her friend went. Her brow pulled together and she studied him a moment. “I don’t know…”
“I’ll make sure she gets back safely.”
She nodded briefly, and he took off faster than I’d ever seen him move. I didn’t care, the only thing I wanted was for Elaine to sit down again and not worry.
“He’s retired Marine,” I said with a grin. “You know how those guys are.”
Her green eyes flickered back to mine, and her face relaxed into that beautiful smile. “Always has to be the first on the scene?”
“That’s the motto,” I said, hoping to ease her mind. “He’ll be sure she’s okay. Trust me, he’s a good guy.”
“And I’ll check on her in a few minutes,” she said, lifting her glass.
We each took another sip of cava, and she rested her cheek on her hand. “How long have you two been partners?”
“Only about a month.” I placed my arm on the back of her chair. “But my older brother was his business partner for years before me.”
She sat up straighter when our waiter appeared. I ordered a steak, and Elaine asked for whatever the spa selection was for dinner. The fellow left, and she turned back to me.
“Were you a Marine, too?” Her eyes traveled to my lips, then to my chest, and finally back to her hand resting on the table.
“National Guard.” Leaning forward, I slid my fingers under hers. “My brother was a major jarhead all during high school. He signed up the minute they let him in, but I only planned to get money for college. Of course, we both were sent overseas.”
Her laugh came as easily as her smile, and my thoughts traveled ahead to when I might have a chance to kiss her.
“What was that like?” she asked.
“It was actually a lot better than I expected. I liked the teamwork, the friendships, the rush. It can be addictive. Stuart keeps going back.”
“Are you here to stay?”
Studying her lovely face, I didn’t say definitely. “When I started with Derek, it was that or going back. But I’m ready to focus on my life here.”
Our dinner arrived, and the server put a plate with leaf salad, couscous, cashews, and what looked like beets in front of Elaine. I had a filet mignon, asparagus, and baked potato, and I caught her eyes drifting longingly to my dish.
Once the waiter was satisfied we didn’t need anything more, I leaned forward. “What the hell did you order?”
Her loud laugh was unexpected and awesome. I fell a little bit more, if that was even possible, as she quickly put her slim hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry!” she said, shaking her head. “I was thinking the same thing!”
I couldn’t help but laugh, too. “What is it?”
“I think this is what they call raw foods,” she said, finally regaining some control. “Isn’t it the worst? We’ve been getting it all week.”
“Are you on a diet?” I cut a thick slice of steak and studied her trim waist before putting it in my mouth. It was perfectly cooked, slightly salty, and had the texture of velvet.
She shook her head and stirred the couscous with her fork. “It’s part of the spa regimen. Cleansing or something.”