He let his gaze wander over the entrée options. Everything sounded good. “I’m not sure. You?”
Uneasiness seemed to crawl up her spine. He could feel the disquiet reach out and take ahold of him as if it were a tangible thing. “I think I might try the truffle mac and cheese? I’ve never had truffles before.”
Why did her statement sound like a question? And why did she look at him like so much rode on his response?
“Oh, the truffle mac and cheese does sound delicious.” Keri nodded at Mackenzie, which made her shoulders relax.
The server came and took their orders, refilling waters and dropping off a bread basket with some dipping oil and herbs.
Alejandro offered the basket to Keri first but addressed Mackenzie. “I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for coming tonight.”
Mackenzie gathered her long hair and draped it over her shoulder. “It’s no problem.” Color rose up her neck.
Keri passed the bread back to Alejandro, who held the basket out to Mackenzie. She selected a crusted slice of baguette and set it on her white porcelain plate.
“Without you, this guy would probably be microwaving leftovers and wasting away in front of the TV.”
Mackenzie shifted in her seat. Her gaze darted to Jeremy then away.
“Yes,” Jeremy drawled. “Thank you for having mercy on my poor, miserable soul. For truly, without you, I’d have to listen to this guy’s heartsick complaining over missing the opportunity to see if Keri is the woman he’s always waited for.”
Alejandro laughed as he turned toward Keri. “It’s true. You make my heart beat at a rhythm it’s never felt before.”
Keri rolled her eyes, but the glow about her belied the expression of exasperation. She knew Alejandro exaggerated and at the same time fell under the spell of his charm. Their bodies faced each other, their conversation dropping in volume, their worlds shrinking for the moment to a population of two.
Mackenzie mumbled something, but the only word Jeremy could decipher wasrescue.
“What’s that?” he asked, hoping she’d repeat herself.
She looked away, guilt framing her eyes. “Oh, nothing.”
“Tell me,” he urged. “I heard you say rescue?” He adopted his bad medieval knight impersonation. “If milady doth need rescuing, pray, let thy humble servant attend thee.”
She snickered but shook her head. “It’s nothing. Really.”
“Please.” He didn’t know why he pressed except he could see capitulation behind her eyes.
She sighed and smoothed an invisible wrinkle in the table linen. “If you hadn’t noticed, I’m not the most, shall we say,giftedperson when it comes to conversations.”
He did his mock gasp again. “Say it isn’t so.”
Her lips quirked. “Shut up,” she said without any bite.
He grinned back at her.
She moved her hair away from her face. Jeremy tracked the movement, wishing the next time that strand of hair fell to the corner of her eye that he could be the one to tuck it behind her ear.
“Anyway,” she continued, “Keri assured me she’d step in and rescue me if my awkwardness became too palpable.”
Jeremy tilted his head and looked at her. He wanted to reassureher that he’d be her rescuer if she’d let him, but even as he considered that thought, he rejected it.
Tentatively, he reached his hand across the table and let his fingers trace her knuckles. He didn’t want her to just hear the words he was about to say. He wanted her to feel them. All the way down to her core.
“You are not awkward, Mackenzie Graham.” His hand stilled, and he waited until she looked into his eyes before continuing. “You, milady, are unescapably endearing.”
Her grin went lopsided. “As endearing as a baby giraffe?”
He leaned forward, gaze intent. “Didn’t you know? Giraffes are my favorite animal of all time.”
