Chapter 16
CHAPTER
Cruz couldn’t take much more of this.
Whoever invented trivia nights had to be a sadist, a masochist—or both.
Ridiculous questions, stupid answers that got more outlandish in proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed by contestants, and having to pretend like he enjoyed hanging out with people he’d only spoken to occasionally back in high school.
Between Thommo’s and Robbo’s constant bickering giving him a headache, and Kyle only having eyes for Bindi—who’d made it her mission to interrogate Cruz about all aspects of city life—it took all of Cruz’s willpower not to take El’s hand and drag her back to the car so he could kiss her senseless.
Her ruby red lips that matched the shirt that shifted across her skin with the slightest of movement …
Man, how could a guy think straight, let alone answer inane questions like what year did the Titanic sink, how many stripes on the US flag, the name of the world’s longest river, and what’s the smallest country in the world?
El touched his hand to get his attention. The sparks from her touch alone would’ve done that, without her big blue eyes fixed on him with concern.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Just dandy,’ he muttered through gritted teeth.
‘Not a fan of group activities?’
He could flirt and respond with something along the lines of ‘I prefer one-on-one activities with you’, but the next round of questions was about to start and he didn’t want to start something he couldn’t finish, like that foolish kiss on her palm in the car.
Cruz had no idea how far he would’ve pushed things with El if Kyle hadn’t interrupted them.
He wanted her with a ferocity that confounded.
Some of the women he’d been with in the past had been beautiful, but there was something about El that attracted him on a deeper level.
Despite her banter and boldness, he sensed a vulnerability that tugged on his heartstrings. An oddity, because Cruz never allowed emotion to taint any relationship. ‘No muss, no fuss’ encapsulated his dating history and he’d like to keep it that way.
Not that he had any intention of dating El, but one sizzling night … he could definitely handle that.
‘Hey.’ She tapped his hand again to get his attention. ‘What’s going on? Do you want to leave?’
‘I’d love to, but we’d never hear the end of it from our illustrious team.’ He jerked his head to the group at the bar and rolled his eyes. ‘Their hopes of winning will take a serious hit if we leave.’
‘I’d like to stay.’ Her soft smile slayed him as much as her bright eyes. ‘They’re an interesting bunch.’
‘They were pains in the arse at school and they haven’t changed.’
‘They’re funny. Floyd reminds me of a teddy bear, Lance is his goofy sidekick and Bindi has depth.’
Interesting that El had summed up Floyd Robertson, Lance Thomson and Bindi Hazelwood accurately. They weren’t bad people and Cruz had to admit they’d welcomed him like a long-lost best buddy, even though they’d had fleeting interactions at high school.
‘Maybe you could use their help with setting up the restaurant on the farm? Tap into their local knowledge, seeing as you’ve been away so long.’
Annoyance made him fold his arms. ‘You told them about the restaurant?’
‘Of course not.’ El rolled her eyes. ‘But Bindi’s returned to Rosevale Grove recently and said a few things that made me realise it’s tough being back in this town. And considering you’re feeling the same way, I thought it might be nice to include old friends in your new project.’
Cruz didn’t have any friends, but he appreciated El’s kindness in trying to help people she’d only just met. ‘Sounds like Bindi opened up to you.’
‘Is that so hard to believe? I’m a nice person.’ She patted her chest, and desire washed over him at the thought of how much he’d like to do the same.
‘Never said you weren’t,’ he muttered, a part of him wondering if his snark came from a sliver of jealousy that he’d gone to school with these people, yet they’d never warmed to him as much as they had to El in only a few hours.
‘There’s something wrong.’ Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. ‘You’ve been extra grumpy since dinner.’
‘You’d be grouchy too if the chicken parma you’d been looking forward to was the biggest let-down of all time.’
The corners of her delectable mouth twitched. ‘Parmis are always a risk. You should’ve stuck to the roast of the day, like I did. Even an average chef can’t stuff up lamb and veggies.’
‘So you’re a foodie now?’
‘I am. But I’m not a food snob, like you.’ She tilted her nose in the air, mocking him and he barked out a laugh.
‘Chefs usually know what they’re talking about, especially when it comes to the classics like a good parma.’
‘Are we seriously back to the parma-versus-parmi debate?’
‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’
Confusion clouded her eyes for a moment. ‘Huh?’
‘To avoid becoming a parma.’
She groaned. ‘Did you just make that up?’
‘Yes.’
‘Stick to your day job.’
The momentary joy that sparring with her brought faded quickly as he realised his day job for the next year would be making Kinstead Avocados viable.
‘Why do you hate being back on the farm so much?’ she asked, her insight impressive as she homed in on his thoughts.
He should fob her off, give a lame excuse, but for the first time in forever, he wanted to unburden himself.
Maybe being back in the pub made him nostalgic, or maybe he’d finally connected with a woman on a deeper level than superficial, but whatever the reason, he found himself leaning in and saying, ‘Because growing up on the farm was the pits. Dad treated me like the heir apparent, assuming I’d take full control one day.
Mum never stood up to him no matter how much I wished she would.
And their marriage was an absolute farce.
They barely acknowledged each other. I could never fathom why she stayed with him. ’
If El displayed the slightest hint of pity, he’d clam up, but yet again, she surprised him when she reached for his hand and squeezed it.
‘Mothers tolerate a lot for their kids. Maybe she wanted to give you a stable home?’
‘I would’ve preferred if she’d left him and taken me with her.’
‘But if he expected you to run the farm, he probably wouldn’t have allowed that? So rather than go through a messy custody battle, Ferne stayed?’
‘Probably,’ he murmured, wondering if his mum had been that self-sacrificing, tolerating his father’s frostiness for his sake.
Hell, he hoped not.
Increasingly uncomfortable under El’s intense scrutiny, he said, ‘What about your folks? You’re so optimistic all the time, I bet you had the perfect childhood.’
Her expression closed off and he wished he could take back his words.
‘My parents took me everywhere they went, and that’s a lot of places.
They’re wanderers, can’t stay in one place for long, which was exciting as a kid, but when I hit my teens, I wanted to stay in the same school and make friends, not be dragged around.
’ She grimaced. ‘Around that time, I started feeling like a third wheel. Like I was intruding on their marriage and they would’ve been happier without me. ’
She gave a self-deprecating laugh. ‘Turns out, my inkling was right, because as soon as I turned eighteen, they announced they were heading to Buenos Aires for a change of scenery. Dad had invented an app that medical students use so he made a fair bit of cash, and Mum is his assistant, so she can work anywhere. They deposited a chunk of cash in my bank account for rent while I did a marketing degree and flew in once a year. They returned five years ago and retired on the Gold Coast. They’re amazing, and we’re close … ’
‘But?’
‘But I’ve always felt alone, even when we were together.’ She crinkled her nose. ‘It resulted in me making dubious choices when it comes to men.’
Her honesty surprised him, and he clamped down on the urge to hug her.
‘Present company excluded, I hope?’
She smiled, as he intended. ‘You’re the worst. I mean, come on, making out with my boss would be a dumb move.’
‘Technically, I’m not your boss. My mother hired you.’
‘Semantics,’ she said, but the spark in her beautiful blue eyes returned. ‘Ferne may have hired me, but I’m working under you now.’
He checked his first appalling response—Not yet, but would you like to?—and said, ‘At the risk of you slugging me so I fall off this extremely uncomfortable bar stool, I’d like nothing better than if we made out, as you so eloquently put it.’
Her eyebrows rose. ‘Really?’
‘Maybe you should try me and find out.’
The arrival of the Galahs put paid to further discussion, but as Robbo placed a lemon, lime and bitters in front of him, and Thommo dumped a share plate of nachos in the middle of the table despite demolishing a huge surf ’n’ turf only an hour ago, Cruz had every intention of revisiting his tête-à-tête with El once they got home.