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He glanced away, not wanting to venture into that conversation. Right now didn’t seem like the best time to ask her to join him at his parents tonight. Although, yesterday didn’t seem like a good time either. Nor the night before that. Would there ever be a good time?
“Dane…” she whispered as she cupped his cheek and forced him to turn his head back in her direction. “I overreacted yesterday. I never should’ve asked you to leave. I hope you’re not still mad at me for what I did, going undercover at your work. I am sorry, but I’m not sorry I met you.”
He grasped the back of her head and kissed her. Hard. He couldn’t stand to hear the torment in her voice.
He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. God, she probably didn’t want to kiss him when he had terrible alcohol breath. Yet, she hadn’t shoved him away when he locked lips with her, nor was she pushing him away now.
“I’m not mad. It’s in the past. I was only…” He swallowed and strengthened his grip on the back of her head. “I was trying to protect you from more tears.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He placed another kiss upon her lips—this time, light and tender.
“So…you and Jaxson. A night on the town, huh?” She giggled as she rested her head back on his chest as he laid back down to his pillow.
“It wasn’t planned if that’s what you’re asking. I had every intention of heading to the office when I left here and found myself at The Corner Bar instead. Aptly named, by the way. They have delicious breakfast burritos, too.” He grinned, pulling her closer when she chuckled.
“I’ll have to ask Rick to make me one.”
“Who’s Rick?” She couldn’t be talking about Brick. Because he had even called him Brick and he didn’t say a word.
“He’s the owner of the bar. Big brawny dude with tattoos up and down his arms.”
Sounded like Brick.
Well, shit. He heard the guy’s name wrong, used it to his face, and he had the kindness not to correct him. He felt like a complete dumbshit.
“Why do you look like you just threw up that breakfast burrito?” she asked with a tender smile and a smooth brush against his cheek.
“I thought his name was Brick. I swear even Jaxson called him that.”
Dane didn’t even care she started laughing at him and his idiocy because anytime she smiled, it filled his heart with joy.
“Jaxson should know better.”
“Yeah, well, we were both mending broken hearts and—” And he did not mean for it to come out of his mouth like that.
Broken hearts?
Would she see how much he loved her with that simple statement? How much it had gutted him she had asked him to leave?
“And his mind was preoccupied.” Gabriella sighed. “I wish Mia would’ve never overheard him saying that. She’s content staying friends, and I know that hurts him so much.” Then she removed the frown from her face and grinned. “Continue with your story. I need details.”
He laughed, but only to loosen more of the tension that appeared when he mentioned Mia. “He found me sitting at the bar and wouldn’t leave. We had a drink, which turned into two, then three, then some shots, and somehow, I found my way here. Because that’s where I wanted to be from the beginning.”
The most gorgeous smile lit up her face. He wanted to bottle that smile so he’d have it for always. For the days he’d upset her, and she looked at him with nothing more than a frown or stern glare. For the days she came home from work with the pain etched into her irises. For the days…when he might not even have her in his life.
“Let’s have a better day. We could start by trying breakfast over like we meant to yesterday. Then a trip to see the Statue of Liberty.”
Gabriella always managed to surprise him. While he’d love to spend the day acting like a tourist and catching in the wonderful sites of the city, he couldn’t.
She bit her bottom lip and shrugged. “Or not. I suppose you need to get work done since that’s where you were headed yesterday before you got sidetracked by delicious breakfast burritos, bricks, and whatnot.”
She produced a grin with her lame attempt at laughter. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel bad.
No.
His every intention yesterday was to make her feel better. To make her forget about shooting a man.
