Page 13 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

Catherine waved at her plate. “Delicious food.”

“Mmhmm.”

Before he could think better of it, Cross reached across the table and grabbed Catherine’s hand. The dozens of bangles on her wrist jingled against the tabletop. He found her skin was still soft, warm, and all his. He squeezed her hand and ran the pad of his thumb across her knuckles. Her fingers trembled just a second before she tugged her hand away.

“Don’t do that, Cross,” Catherine said.

She didn’t want him to see the way she hid her hands from his sight. It was too late; he couldn’t possibly miss it. Only once in their long relationship had Cross truly missed something Catherine wanted to hide from him, and it had been their ruin.

He was never going to make that mistake again.

“Still as stubborn as ever, I see.”

“You liked it,” she retorted, unable to stop her grin.

“I might still.”

Catherine’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“What are you doing this weekend?”

No.

Stupid.

Bad.

He was going to get his ass shot.

He had been warned.

Cross didn’t drop his gaze, or move an inch.

“Uh …”

“Go out with me,” he said.

Catherine didn’t blink. “Um.”

“Come on, Catty, you always had a quick response for everything I or anyone else ever said. Don’t disappoint me now.”

“Cross—”

“Catherine, hey.” A man wearing a chef’s jacket that Cross didn’t recognize—and didn’t fucking care to—strolled up to their table. He wore a cocked eyebrow and an irritating smile. Cross considered stabbing the man with the knife on the table just because he interrupted. That shit was rude. “Andino was asking if you were still here. He wants you to head back to the office for a few.”

Catherine blinked up at the man, clearly recognizing him. Cross certainly didn’t like the way the man looked at Catherine like the two were … familiar.

Were they?

He didn’t know.

Cross would bet the man certainly wouldn’t want to know what he would do to him if he did know.

“Who is this, Catherine?” the guy asked. “You haven’t mentioned having a friend.”

Cross didn’t miss the man’s resentment in his words. Definitely something there, he thought. He met the man’s gaze for a brief second, and then dropped it just as fast. Whoever the fuck he was, the guy wasn’t important to Cross.

At all.