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Hayden popped the shrimp into his mouth, the flavor bursting on his tongue. Lana was being modest. The video clip he’d seen wasn’t a commercial. Someone had snuck a video of Lana helping to build a home. She was pounding nails alongside the other volunteers. “Looked like you did more than just a photo shoot.”
She waved his comment away. “Not really. I just stayed and helped a bit after the shoot.”
“Well, that was really kind of you. You didn’t have to do that.”
Lana pointed her fork at his plate. “Do you mind if I try your rice? It looks good.”
He chuckled and slid his plate closer to her. He should’ve offered her some from the start. He knew she liked rice. “Go ahead. It’s got a nice lemon flavor.”
As they ate, they slipped into a comfortable conversation. It felt like old times. Several times he caught Lana staring at him with almost a wistful expression. He raised one eyebrow but didn’t ask her about it until after they’d ordered dessert and she once again looked at him that way.
“What are you thinking?”
She blinked, her face sinking into a frown. “Why did you break up with me?”
Goodness. That’s what she’d been thinking? He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He’d broken up with her to save her career, because when the public found out about them, they’d been upset she wasn’t dating the current heartthrob that she was co-starring with. Because there had been rumors. And no one liked the truth. He wasn’t famous. He was just…average. But he didn’t want to tell her that. “It’s complicated.”
Something flashed in her eyes, and he knew she wasn’t going to let him get away with that. “I’m a big girl. I can understand complicated things.”
He clenched his teeth, trying to think of what he could say that wouldn’t totally ruin the evening. He’d had such a wonderful day with Lana. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed her, or how much he needed her back in his life. The thought made emotion swell in his throat. “It was a mistake,” he blurted out.
Seconds passed before she reacted. “What?” Lana said, her voice almost a whisper.
He struggled to get himself under control. “I shouldn’t have broken up with you. I should have talked things out with you. It was all my fault.” He reached across the table and took her gloved hand. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t understand. What was there to talk about?”
Embarrassed about how things had gone, he shook his head, not wanting to tell her what had happened. “I was having some issues. But I did the wrong thing. I see that now.”
She withdrew her hand, which was not a good sign. He sat there, not breathing, until she said something.
“Let’s talk about this after we finish our dessert.”
Hayden didn’t know what that meant. Was she pleased? Or upset with him? Did she regret spending the day with him? A million other questions ran through his mind as he struggled to calmly eat his strawberry cheesecake.
A weight settled in his gut, cold and hard like a lead ball. After they finished, he paid the check, and they left the restaurant. He didn’t know how to start that conversation back up again, but it turned out he didn’t need to. Lana spoke first, as they walked along the sidewalk toward the resort.
“I don’t know what happened five years ago, but I’m ready to move on from it.” She exhaled, as if that had been hard to say.
“Okay.” He wasn’t quite sure what that meant. Did she want to move on from their relationship? Or was she ready to explore what they’d shared today? He felt something between them. Was it all in his head?
She stopped and turned to him. The sun had set as they ate dinner, but a streetlamp provided enough light so he could see the tiny golden flecks in her deep brown eyes. “Do you mean it? Are you also ready to move on?”
His heart raced as he looked at her face. She was lovely, her hair highlighted by the moonlight. He didn’t want to move on from her. He wanted to pick up right where they’d left off. He wanted to date her, get married, and have twin girls that looked just like her. But he didn’t want to scare her away.
Despite being worried about coming on too strong, he couldn’t hold himself back. He gently reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb grazing over her skin. It was so soft and warm, just as he remembered. He took a step closer to her. “I can’t move on.”
“You can’t?” she asked, her voice sounding a bit breathless.
“No. I want this. I want…you.” He brushed his lips across hers. He’d forgotten how it felt to kiss Lana and was surprised when the sensation made his knees weak. His nerve endings came alive as his lips danced with hers.
Everything about Lana was desirable to him and kissing her only heightened this. She looked lovely in her sixties-style dress, but even in his frumpy sweatpants, she’d been gorgeous. And being this close to her made his heart do a funny dance in his chest.
Her hands slid up his arms and came around his neck. He broke the kiss, taking in a breath. Her touch was feathery light, but it ignited a fire in him. He kissed her again, more thoroughly this time, pulling her close. She melted into his arms.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered against her lips.
“I’ve missed you, too.”
