Gabe and the redhead pile into the booth, making for very close quarters. I could move a bit, but I don’t, because I’m a fucking idiot.
Gabe introduces the woman next to him as Mandy, but before we can engage them in conversation, they immediately start talking. Their flirtation is in full swing.
Gwen smiles at Cat and me. “It’s settled then. Next Friday. Seven o’clock. At the restaurant.”
“Looking forward to it,” I lie. Not that eating a meal prepared by two top chefs isn’t something I’ll enjoy, but an intimate evening with Cat sounds a little like playing with fire.
“Be brutal,” Gwen says.
“Always,” Cat responds as she shifts away from me.
Jackson whispers something in Gwen’s ear, and she turns to him. Then the two couples are deep in conversation, leaving a tension-filled silence for Cat and me.
She plays with her bottle of beer, and I remember last week, when the two of us were easy together—the attraction between us present but unspoken.
She glances at me, her eyes unsure, and when she speaks, her voice is low and soft. “I can get someone else. You don’t have to be forced to eat with me.”
She bites her lower lip, and I track the movement. For a second I get lost in the kiss we shared in the office—the press of her lips against mine, the feel of her tongue, the heat of her breath.
I grit my teeth, shoving the memory back where it belongs: as something that should never have happened.
I shake my head. “It will be fine.”
“I know you don’t want to, so don’t.” She looks at Gwen and Jackson, then shrugs a bit. “I’ll show up with someone else.”
“I want to.” The words are clipped and sharp, just not for the reason she thinks.
She’s shaking her head. “No, you don’t. It’s fine. I can take care of it.”
Her femaleness in this moment irritates me, and after being good for so long, I snap. “I fucking want to, Cat. That’s the problem.”
That’s the trouble with being good. It wears on you until you give in to being bad.
A quick intake of air. “Not as much as you want to stay away from me.”
“I can’t stay away from you. I work for you.”
Her brow furrows, like maybe she’s confused, but then her expression clears. “Of course. But you’re not required to eat with me, so I’ll get someone else.”
I meet her eyes. “I said I’ll do it, and I will.”
“But—”
I cut her off. “Will you just shut up?”
The fine cords of her throat work as she swallows. “No.”
I sigh. “You want another drink then?”
She shakes her head. “Actually, I think I’m going to leave.”
“How are you getting home?”
“I’ve got my car.” Cat turns to the table and feigns a loud yawn. “I’m beat, so I’m going to take off.” She turns to Gabe, who finally tears himself away from Mandy the redhead. “I trust you can find a way home.”
Mandy doesn’t miss a beat. “I can take him.”
“Great.” Cat gestures toward the seat. “Can you let me out?”