18. Michael
I push through the kitchen metal doors in one swift movement, scaring my staff and Lexi. Gritting my teeth, I lean over the counter, hanging my head between my shoulders as I stare down at my work boots.
She is on a date.
With another fucking guy.
And it’s going to happen right before my eyes.
All night I’m going to have to look at her, so fucking beautiful, laughing and enjoying the company of one of the best guys I know.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
I can’t believe I’ve been worrying like an insane person, thinking of nothing but her and her kiss and her scent and just how fucking incredible that night was and now—
How do they even know each other? How could she just have ignored me? How can she just go out on a date after what happened? How can she—
“Michael,” Lexi breaks through my internal rage, shaking my shoulders, the tone of her voice suggesting this isn’t the first time she’s called my name.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I see the fear in her eyes; the concern that something might have happened with the potential investor sitting outside—our last shot at finding someone to help us out.
“Is it Jonathan, your friend? Did he say no? I mean, that’s impossible!
We haven’t even served him an appetizer! Was it the champ—”
“Stop,” I practically growl. “It’s not Jonathan.
He’s fine. It’s…” I sigh and shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut.
“He’s here with her.” I open my eyes and look at Lexi, hearing the hurt in my voice.
Diana is the first woman I’ve ever felt like this for, and it’s clear from her actions that she must not feel the same.
Lexi looks over her shoulder at the line cook and server we hired to help us for tonight before wrapping an arm around my shoulder. She leads me into a corner of the kitchen for some privacy.
“What do you mean he’s here with her? What are you talking about?”
“Jonathan. He’s fucking here with Diana.”
Lexi inhales sharply. “No.”
“Yes.”
“Like, on a date?”
I raise a brow. “What do you think?”
“You could be wrong,” she says, shaking her head. “Maybe they’re just friends.”
I snort and rub my eyes. “They’re not just friends.
When he asked if he could bring someone to the tasting, he mentioned a date.
Plus, she’s…” I sigh. “She dressed up—I think that’s the same outfit she wore at Barbara’s wedding.
She’s always so fucking beautiful, but tonight…
It’s more than that.” The ruby red of her silky outfit contrasts with her tan skin, her dark hair falling like a waterfall down her back in beautiful loose curls.
Diana doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, usually, and tonight is no different—save for the enticing red lipstick calling my name.
It’s clear she’s dressed to impress tonight, and she’s succeeded.
Diana looks devastatingly beautiful in a torturous, agonizing way.
My chest tightens, my hands fisting at my sides.
I’m not sure whether I want to run outside, pull her from that chair, and claim her from Jonathan, risking everything that’s on the line, or whether I want to run away and never see her again.
Neither of those options are possible, however, because the ache of the situation has made it impossible for me to breathe.
Diana hasn’t texted or called since we made out at her house, making something quite clear: “She doesn’t want me. ”
“Michael,” Lexi whispers. “That can’t be true. I saw you guys at the beach; saw how she looked at you—how you looked at each other.”
“It doesn’t matter; she’s made her choice. And now I have to watch her fucking laugh and flirt the entire night with the guy I’m counting on to give us the money for the restaurant.”
“Well, what if I host them? What if I’m the one to guide him through the menu and answer questions, and you just stay back here? I can tell him you’re the one manning the kitchen, being a total control freak, and—”
“Stop, that’s not going to work. Jonathan and I are close—it would be too weird if I avoided this dinner. And not showing up would be counterproductive. I’d rather just one thing be fucked up tonight instead of two. This dinner is too important.”
Lexi sighs and wraps her arms around me. I tense at first, but let myself lean into the hug after a few seconds, not able to recall the last time someone held me. “It’s her loss.”
Sighing, I squeeze her hard once. “Thanks, cus.”
She pulls away and smiles. “Now let’s give them the best dinner of their lives.”
I nod once. “Give me a minute, will you? I need a moment alone,” I murmur, before heading out of the kitchen, and leaning against the hallway wall.
I sigh and run my fingers through my hair, trying to control my deep disappointment.
I thought Diana and I would be something.
For the first time in my life I wanted this, and now it’s all gone.
She doesn’t like me the same way I like her, doesn’t feel the same way, and I’m just going to have to deal.
Though I don’t know how I’m supposed to last the rest of the summer with her around.
Because there’s no avoiding her, is there?
Not when Rachel has found happiness in her daughters after the worst year of her life.
No matter how much it’ll hurt to constantly see Diana, there is no way I’m going to let it affect my daughter’s emotional well-being.
I’m just going to have to work through this. I’m just going to have to—
“Michael,” Diana’s soft voice breaks through my thoughts. My spine straightens, every muscle in my body tightening, but I still can’t open my eyes. Can’t bear to see her in that fucking outfit that she wore for another man.
“No,” I tell her. “I don’t—can’t—talk to you right now.”
“I—” She sighs. “I know you hate me. I know I probably hurt you, and—”
“You didn’t hurt me,” I lie, opening my eyes and facing her head on.
And it’s a mistake. It’s a fucking mistake because she’s gorgeous and heartbreaking and, standing in front of me right now, I realize there’s nothing I want more in life right now than her.
Screw the restaurant, screw Jonathan—I’d rather have Diana.
“Um. Okay. So, maybe you’re just upset with me. Still, I want to talk to you. About this. Right now.”
“Sorry, but don’t you have a fucking date to get back to?” I seethe, pointing in the direction of where we set up the dinner table for them both. “Won’t Jonathan start to wonder where you’ve gone?”
“No, actually. He’s the one who sent me to you.”
“I’m… confused.”
Diana looks away, sighing impatiently. “Obviously, he could tell something was up between us. I mean, the man is a proven genius. I think I read an article about him one time where it mentioned his IQ was something like 143?”
My jaw ticks, not liking her complimenting another man one single bit.
God, I hate this jealousy—it’s so foreign to me.
“Anyway. He could tell how upset we both were. So much so that, as soon as we sat down, he asked point-blank whether we dated. I said no, but… but I told him something had happened between us. And that I—” She sniffs, quickly rubbing away a tear as it streams down her cheek.
She shakes her head once. “That I really like you. That I… that I really care about you.”
I suck in a breath, my heart jumping in my chest. “Did you just…”
She laughs once and rubs the back of her hand over her nose. “Yes, okay. I care about you. I mean, obviously. We haven’t known each other long, but I’m sure you know me well enough to know I’m not one to casually make out with someone, am I?”
“No, you’re not. Which is why seeing him with you tonight after having you ignore my calls…
It ripped my heart out.” I grimace, because I’m not usually one to get this poetic, least of all one to speak about my vulnerabilities.
Yet here we are, discussing how her dismissal of the events that transpired only a few days ago almost ripped me to shreds.
“I went from the highest of highs, from flying on fucking cloud nine after what we did by the pool… To feeling the lowest I’ve felt in a long time.
I… I put myself out there, Diana—just like I am now—and I didn’t just get ignored.
No. I also have to see you show up with another man looking so fucking beautiful I can’t even think straight.
” In the moment, something takes over me—something foreign that grabs ahold of my sanity, of everything I’ve ever known about myself.
And it’s her and us—it’s the possibility of more with her.
It takes over, pushes me to the extremes.
It leads me to declare something I know to be true with everything that I am: “You aren’t his. You aren’t anyone else’s. You’re mine.”
Without thinking, I reach out to wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her roughly against my chest. One hand slides into her hair as I turn to push her against the wall right before pressing my lips to hers.
She melts into me, her hands sliding up my ribs before tangling into my hair.
With a moan, her perfect lips part, her sweet tongue sliding against mine.
Having her in my arms like this is intoxicating, so much so that I lose all sense of self-control.
Because, after just a moment, my right hand slides down her neck to her breasts, where I rub my thumb over her pebbled nipple right there where anyone can walk in on us.
“God, you’re all I can think of anymore,” I growl in her ear. “You’re all I want.”
She moans my name as my lips travel to her neck, kissing a trail down to her exposed collar bone.
“Say it again. I need to hear you say my name again.” I graze my teeth across her delicate skin, eliciting a moan from her.
“Michael,” she breathes. “Michael, Michael. Michael Haynes. Michael.”
“Fuck, Diana.”
“Yes.” Her voice is breathy, almost pleading, as she lifts a leg and wraps it around my waist. I wrap a hand beneath her knee and keep her leg right where it is, opening her hips a bit wider so I can fit between them.
In a fog, lost in her voice and scent and perfect body, I press my own hips forward, rubbing my hard cock against her.
Even through our clothes, I know I’ve hit the right spot when she moans in my ear, begging for me to do it again.
“Yeah. Anything you want,” I assure her, voice gravelly. “Anything you need, baby.”
The hand that was wrapped around her leg travels up her thigh and over her ass.
I somehow manage to dip my fingers beneath her underwear, teasing her by playing with the hem.
There’s no one around to stop me from inching to the front, right where I want to be.
I want to feel the heat of her, find out just how wet she is.
I want to touch her and make her feel good—so fucking good—
A crash from the kitchen causes us to break apart, our secret hallway tryst leaving us both wanting more, panting like we’ve just finished a marathon.
“Holy shit,” I say with a laugh, bracing my hands on my knees as I attempt to catch my breath. “That was the most life-altering kiss of my fucking life.”
Almost gasping for air, Diana leans against the wall, fingertips over her lips as they spread into a gorgeous smile. “I think that was slightly more than a kiss, don’t you?”