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“Lunch shouldn’t be a problem. Just tell Nolan what to order, and he’ll make sure it’s there for you.”
She blinks. “That’s it? You’re not going to try and convince me not to have lunch with Ashley?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
I tilt my head and observe her wary expression. “Do you want me to convince you not to have lunch with her?”
“No.”
I huff a laugh. “Then why are you asking?”
She purses her lips. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just used to the men in my life trying to control my every move.”
My amusement fades. “You are my equal, Catarina. I believe I’ve told you as much many times.”
She nods. “You have.”
“Then could you do me the honor of believing me?” I lean forward and rest my elbows on the table, holding her gaze. “You and I didn’t start off on the right foot, but I’ve done everything in my power since then to redeem myself. I thought we were making progress in the trust department.”
She swallows the lump in her throat. “We have made progress.”
“Then I ask you to remember that progress whenever doubts begin to creep in. I’m not trying to control you, Catarina. And I never will. Not unless your safety is at stake.”
Her eyes flicker between mine, gauging my sincerity.
The desire to reach out and grab her hand is strong. I want to wrap her in my arms and kiss her to remind her of the passionate spark that exists between us. To remind her that it doesn’t matter how she and I started, we have genuine feelings for one another. And she can trust that those feelings are real.
But I remain seated. I wait in silence as Catarina works through her thoughts.
What feels like minutes later, but is really only seconds, she releases a tiny sigh and offers me a sheepish smile. “Okay. I’ll try.”
The tension leaves my shoulders. I return her smile. “Thank you.”
She dips her head and begins to gather her dishes.
I quickly rise to my feet. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll clean up.”
“No. That’s not how this works. If you cook, I clean. We’re equals, after all.” She shoots me a timid, but flirtatious, grin before reaching across the table to take my plate. “Would you like to watch a movie after I’m done?” She bites her lip, nervous.
The truth is I have work to do, but the thought of rejecting this olive branch is out of the question.
“I’d love to watch a movie.”
Her lips lift in another breathtaking smile. “Perfect.”
Yes, you are.
I hold the words back and help Catarina carry the dishes to the kitchen, then I let her usher me out as she begins to clean.
I make my way to the living room and pick up the remote before falling onto the luxury couch in the center of the room. I turn on the T.V. and it hits me that I cannot remember the last time I’ve sat down and watched anything in this room. I manage to catch baseball games from time to time, but only in my office while I’m in the middle of working. The family business keeps me too busy to indulge in binge-watching the latest T.V. show or blockbuster film, much to Jane’s annoyance. My cousin constantly accuses me of having an unhealthy work/life balance. But those reprimands have been less frequent as of late. And I have no doubt I know what, or ratherwho, is responsible.
I’m not the only one who’s been positively affected by Catarina Furnari’s presence in my life. Her friendship with Jane is nice to see. My cousin’s been lacking a true female friend for most of her life thanks to our grandfather and his harsh expectations. I’m glad she and my future wife get along so well.
I absentmindedly scroll through the different options on my streaming app for several minutes until Catarina joins me. “Find anything good?”
She sits on the cushion next to me, folding her legs under her butt and leaning in my direction. I only have to shift a couple of inches and we’d be touching, but I keep my back straight. “No. Would you like to look?”
