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“Brad mentioned you had your own boutique in Sweet Water,” Ava said, my name calling me back to the present as she spoke to Luna.
“I do,” she said, beaming with pride. “It’s one of the loves of my life.”
Ava smiled, her eyes flashing to me. “I can guess the other.”
Luna’s eyes flared wide for a second before she returned her grin. “You’d be right,” she said, shocking the hell out of me.
Fuck, did she mean that? I mean, I knew she loved me as a friend, that had never been a question. But was she still playing the role or was she being genuine? I hated that I didn’t know. I really needed to remember that I was a damn adult and just ask her, but it felt unfair to do that with all she’d been through in the last few weeks.
“And a clothing line too?” Ezra asked.
“Yes,” she said, flashing me a bashful look. “I’m planning on launching it soon.”
“That’s wonderful,” Ezra said. “Let me know if you want to partner with our app. Brad showed me some of your designs. They’re magnificent.”
Her lips parted in shock, but I just shrugged. I loved talking about her and her work.
“Yes,” Ava said. “Let me know when you launch the site. I’m dying to snag the leather jacket Brad showed me.”
A beautiful flush raked over Luna’s skin, but she nodded, and slipped her hand on my thigh beneath the table, squeezing it in what I assumed was a silent thank you.
“She made this suit too,” I said, leaning back in my chair to better show it off.
“Brad,” she quietly chided me.
“I love it,” Ava said. “The blues and grays go so well with his eyes.”
“Marla crochets,” Craig said from my left. “She makes balloon animals out of them.”
“That’s fun,” I said. “I donate to a local children’s hospital in Charleston regularly. You’ll have to give me your info so I can order some.”
“Definitely,” Marla said, a genuine smile on her face. It wasn’t often Craig brought her into the conversation, so it was nice to see him acknowledge her without somehow making it about the pitch.
“We’re a family of entrepreneurs,” Craig said, eyes on Ezra. “And I’m all about growth. I think we could put you on a global level.”
And there it was. Poor guy. His pushiness was making him look as desperate as he sounded.
“As you said yesterday,” Ezra said before turning and ordering from the waiter.
Luna and I placed our orders as well, sharing a private look that was a barely contained laugh at how intense Craig was being. Ezra had heard most of our goals by now, and was doing his own research on who we were as people. There wouldn’t be much more business that would sway him, but Craig didn’t seem to pick up on that.
I laid my hand over Luna’s beneath the table, interlocking our fingers just because I could. I drew her hand up to my mouth, kissing the back of it before settling it back in my lap.
She smiled, and her chest rose and fell just a little faster, her cleavage on display in the sleeveless dress. And just like that, I was ready for dinner to be over.
A little while later, the waiter brought our orders and we fell into small talk while eating.
“You should come see her boutique sometime,” I said after we’d finished eating.
Luna had been pretty much the sole focus as far as my conversation additives went, and I wasn’t sorry for it. I couldn’t help it, I was beaming with pride over all the hard work she’d done, and honestly, I never missed a chance to humbly brag about how damn amazing she was. Hell, I did that even before we’d fallen into…whatever it is we were now.
“We’d love to,” Ava said. “I’ve always wanted to visit the smaller local towns. Sweet Water sounds like a slice of heaven.”
“It is,” I said, looking at Luna when I answered.
She bit her lip, barely containing her grin. God, this was too easy with her. Effortless and wonderful and I didn’t want it to end. I always wanted to be the man putting that glow on her skin, that smile on her plump lips, that hint of desire in her eyes.
I kissed her hand again before excusing myself from the table, heading to the bathroom. Once I was finished, I washed my hands at the sink, only to find Craig there looking like he was waiting for me. He had a shit-eating grin on his face too.
“What is it?” I finally asked as I dried my hands.
“You’re making this way too easy on me,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
He shrugged. “When I heard it was the great Brad Washbrook I was up against, I thought you’d at least be a challenge.”
“I’m not following you, Craig.”
