More Than Friends (Kingsley #4) (26 page)

Michael grinned, nodding politely to the server who stepped up to lead them to their seats
.“
I
t’
s a good thing you suggested this then
,
” he murmured to Renee, following as she fell into step behind their waitress.

It didn't take long for Michael and Renee to find a sense of ease, once they had settled in at their table. Michael watched, smiling as Renee dunked a cube of roasted chicken into the simmering cauldron of beer, cheese, and sausage they had ordered for their first course. She closed her eyes in bliss, her lips curving upward in a smile as her mouth closed over the cheesy morsel
.“
I do
n’
t let myself eat this kind of thing often
,
” she murmured around the bite of food
.“
I mean, I come here all the time with Chelsea or Cass, but we always just get veggies. Mmm. God, this is good
.
”

“
I thought you said you come here all the time
,
” Michael said, still watching her.
“
How can you still be so thrilled with it
?
”

“
I do come here all the time. But I do
n’
t usually let myself sit here and chow down onbeer cheese
,
” Renee answered, laughing
.“
I
t’
s good, but you really do
n’
t want to know what the nutrition label would say
.
” She shrugged, meeting his eyes briefly as she reached for her drink
.“
I
t’
s much more healthy without the meaty-cheesy stuff
.
”

Arching an eyebrow, Michael speared a bite-sized cube of steak and swept it through the fondue mixture still simmering in the middle of their table
.“
Yo
u’
re right, I
do
n’
t
want to know.So do
n’
t tell me, okay
?
” He grinned, popping the bite into his mouth and chewing slowly.
“
But we could have gotten veggies if yo
u’
d wante
d
– theyhave a sauce tha
t’
s got more broth and stuff in it, I think. Less fat and stuff
.
” Michael shuddered, forcing the words out as he dragged a cube of chicken through the thick cheese mixture between them.

Rene shook her head in mock disgust, snatching a carrot spear from the side of the vegetable platter.
 “
Tha
t’
s just not fair. I bet you could eat here every day and it would
n’
t change your body at all. I can eat here just once and I have to buy bigger bras and change my dress size
.
” As she spoke, she poked the carrot spear into the center of another bite of chicken, dunking it carefully into the cheese before snapping the bite off between straight, white teeth.

“
Oh yeah, that would be terrible
,
” Michael teased
.“
So
I’
ll meet you here tomorrow, right? Same table, same time
?
”

Rolling her eyes, Renee swallowed, washing the bite of chicken down with a sip of her wine
.“
Clown
.
”

“
This is fun though, you gotta admit
.
” Michael signaled the server who was hanging in the shadows several feet away from their table; at his wave, the server stepped forward quietly and filled Rene
e’
s glass
.“
Makes you wanna second-guess the dumping me part, does
n’
t it
?
” Winking in response to Rene
e’
s exasperated eye roll, he raised his glass in a toast
.“
To cheese boobs
.
”

“
Cheese boobs
,
” Renee responded, giggling. But she raised her glass too, and sipped quietly, watching him over the rim
.“
Tell me something
.
”

“
Uhmm
,
” Michael responded
,“
I still hate green beans
?
”

“
Why do you think we came here for me to dump you
?
”

Michael shrugged
.“
Did
n’
t we
?
”

“
If you think that, then wh
y’
d you come
?
”

Winking again, smiling to mask the fear he was sure she could see in his eyes, Michael speared another bite of steak and held it under the fondue, fishing for a bit of sausage. He took his time, stretching seconds until Renee raised her eyebrows, watching him impatiently
.“
Because
,
” he said
.“
I hoped the man food would make me feel better while I plied you with wine, and that the girly service would soften you upso yo
u’
d change your mind
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s not true
.
” Rolling her eyes, Renee shrugged her shoulders and reached for her purse
.“
But alright, if you wo
n’
t take this seriously,
I’
ll just leave you to it and
I’
ll call you tomorrow
.
”

Surprised, he dropped the drenched bit of meat off the end of his fondue fork, and as a puddle of cheese slowly spread out around the uneaten morsel, Michael reached out to catch her by the wrist
.“
Yo
u’
d just walk out on me like that
?
”

Amused now, Renee settled her purse beside her thigh again and sat back, twisting her wrist to force Michae
l’
s grip to loosen. She did
n’
t pull away though, she only drew her arm back enough to allow Michae
l’
s hand to slip into hers as she watched him from the other side of the table, a challenge in her eyes
.“
Is
n’
t that what yo
u’
re accusing me of doing
?
”

“
Alright, I deserve that
.
” Michael dropped his eyes to their joined hands, watching the dark pad of his scarred thumb tracing circles over the fine, translucent skin of her wrist
.“
Simply put, I came because I wanted to be here. With you.Specifically
.
” Now that they were down to their reason for being there, down to the subject of the dinner, he felt his stomach curdle around the few bites he had eaten. He fought to stay outwardly calm, but his nerves were like live electrical wires, sending jolts of anxiety through his body as he waited to see what she would say next.

“
Tha
t’
s honest; i
t’
s a start. So then, tell me why you think we came here for me to dump you
.
”

Shrugging, Michael looked away. On the other side of the dining room, a young pregnant woman working earnestly to quiet an increasingly impatient toddler. She looked exhaustedly toward the man across from her, who Michael assumed must be her husband, the childre
n’
s father, but the father was disengaged, busily clicking away on his cell phone. Michael shook his head and brought his eyes back to the issue at hand. Hard as it was for him to vocalize what he was feeling, he was just going to have to suck it up
.“
Ther
e’
s a couple over there
,
” he said quietly to Renee
.“
A man and woman. Sh
e’
s pregnant, all swollen and tired and unhappy-looking. Maybe sh
e’
s near the end of her time;sh
e’
s pretty big
.
” He watched emotions flicker over her face as she listened, trying to figure out what he was really saying, and he went on
.“
I guess the man there is the father, and sh
e’
s trying to get his attention so h
e’
ll help with the kid
.
”

“
Oka
y
…” she was still watching him raptly, but she dipped her eyes then and peeked over her own shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the table he was talking about without being obvious
.“
I ca
n’
t see
,
” she said finally, shaking her head
.“
Wha
t’
s the point
?
”

Michael smiled softly, tearing his eyes away from the frustrated young mother on the other side of the room
.“
You know, i
t’
s crazy because I want everything he has, but I do
n’
t want to be that
.
” He watched her face soften as she watched him talk, her mouth pursing sexily as she took in his words
.“
I built my business early, working hard even when all I was working for was myself. And I worked hard when I got married too, but I put my heart into my marriage, Renee. I worked on my business, and I tried hard to grow the shop so I could support Nicolette and the kids we always talked about. But I gave my heart to her. Sure, I worked at work, but I gave my everything to her. And to lose it al
l
… it hurt to lose that. It hurt
.
”

“
I know it did. I could see it when I met you, and it was
n’
t long after your divorce, right
?
”

“
Yeah, just a little while. Maybe a year or so, when we met while Drew and Cass were planning their wedding. I
t’
s crazy, it had been a year already.
I’
d slept around, spent more time drunk than sober. I was fine, everybody thought I was fine. I told them I was. Bu
t
… I was wrecked
.
”

“
Wha
t’
s that have to do with the family behind us? Or us, for that matter?Or why you thought I wanted to break up
?
”

“
Well, you said you did
n’
t want to feel like you have to compete with the past, right
?
”

Warily, she nodded
.“
Ye-es
.
”

He nodded, reaching out to take her hand again
.“
I want you to understand why, even though the past matter
s
– and I wo
n’
t deny that it does, because I tried that and you saw through me like a new window
,
” he said, smiling back as she grinned at his words
.“
Renee,you are
n’
t in a competition. I want you to be able to get what
I’
m feelin
g
… and I do
n’
t want you guessing, because I do
n’
t ever want a woman to leave me guessing again
.
”

“
Alright
.
”

“
And I do
n’
t want you thinking somehow you can let me down like she did, by not being whatever you think I want you to be. I want you to know that this is what I want. This, right here
.
” He could feel the ferocity in his expression, could feel the waves of tension rolling down her arm and into her hand, through his palm and up into his own body. Closing his eyes, he turned away from Renee and glanced back at the family across the room; the little girl was content again, her hand completely covered by her mothe
r’
s larger hand, guiding her as she ate. Her father glanced up briefly and then went back to his phone, hardly noticing his daughte
r’
s pride as she managed to bring her food to her mouth without dripping.