Page 29 of Waste of Worth

Well, he hadn’t been expecting that.

“I don’t do it very often,” he admitted.

“You should do it more.”

With her, he doubted she would give him much of a choice in that matter.

He didn’t mind all that much.

Sipping from her coffee, Karen moved closer into his side, letting him wrap an arm around her waist. It was difficult to ignore how his laughter had gained the attention of several people in the small coffee shop, but it was made easier by having her close.

He could focus on her, not them.

Dino’s whole life had been an attempt to stay out of the limelight.

“Not for last night,” Dino said, chuckling quietly.

“But we’re definitely going to be working on a repeat.” Karen winked up at him as her lips curved into a sensual smile around the rim of her coffee cup. “Right?”

How was he supposed to say no?

“Hell yeah.”

Karen nudged him with her arm. “Go on—you’re thanking me.”

“Yes.” Dino cleared his throat, feeling awkward for the first time since they’d fixed themselves up and climbed back into the front seat of his car. “For my mother’s grave. You said you went back, and thank you for that.”

Her gaze lowered, smile fading. “I intruded on something for you. I felt bad that you didn’t want to come back.”

“That was the problem,” Dino muttered.

“What?”

“The problem—I did want to come back. I did hope you would be there.”

Karen’s brow furrowed. “But you didn’t.”

“I didn’t,” he echoed.

Karen didn’t press him for why.

Dino was grateful.

He wasn’t sure that he could properly explain it if she did ask, or if she would even understand.

It reminded him all over again that his life was a complete mess.

Dino had no idea what he was even doing being there with Karen.

Except he liked it.

So he knew damn well that it wasn’t going to end anytime soon.

CHINESE. My place. Tonight.

Three sentences.

Four simple words.