She shrugged and dug the spoon back into the caramel for another bite.
“How’s the column coming?”
“Not bad. I finished next month’s questions and answers and faxed them over to the magazine.”
“What about the book?”
“Format’s done.” She paused for a sip of water. “Three distinct segments should work.”
“What are the topics?” He leaned back in his chair and eyed her intently.
“You’re really interested?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She bit down on her lower lip. “You could be just being polite.”
Beneath the table, he clenched his hands into tight fists. “I don’t do polite. Not for the hell of it anyway.”
She nodded. Blond strands of hair fell free from her loose braid and framed her face before she tucked them behind one ear. “I knew that.”
Did she? He silently cursed his brother’s reappearance since it had obviously brought back insecurities he thought she had let go. “But maybe I was just humoring you.”
“Were you?”
This time he cursed aloud. “Let’s get something straight. I don’t humor any more than I do polite. It’s condescending to us both.”
Her gaze dropped to her plate. The ice cream, he noticed, had begun to melt. “If I wasn’t interested, I wouldn’t have asked,” he said in a harsh voice meant to capture her attention.
It did. Her eyelids fluttered upward, and startled, her gaze met his. “Fine,” she said in just as clipped a tone as he’d used on her.
At least she was on the offensive, he thought. “And while we’re at it, I’d appreciate it if you’d remember one thing: I’m not Peter. I don’t act like him and I sure as hell don’t think like him.” His hand came down hard on the table, causing the water in both their glasses to slosh over the top.
She grinned. “Personally, I agree with you. And believe it or not, I appreciate the reminder.”
He let out a deep breath. The strain of this meal had begun to wear on him. Every possible emotion had passed between them and he was exhausted. He signaled for the check.
“Just one more bite.” Taking advantage of her last spoonful, Mike watched as she licked the utensil clean, running her tongue over the sticky caramel coating to remove every remaining bit.
Desire hit him hard. His exhaustion disappeared in the wake of physical need. As he shamelessly followed every movement, he wondered if he was destined to be in her spell forever. Every damn thing she made him feel was good. Even when there was trouble hovering between them, she made him feel alive. But so did taking pictures and capturing the world on film. At least it always had before. Why was the thought so much less appealing now? Mike sensed the answer had less to do with the painful episode in the Middle East and more to do with Carly.
Get out, he thought.
While he still could.
He forced his gaze upward. Her beautiful brown eyes shimmered with amusement. “Want some?” she asked and dipped the spoon back into the half-melted ice cream.
He opened his mouth to answer and she hand-fed him the dessert. He wasn’t sure if the sweetness came from the gooey dish or the woman who gave it to him. “Incredible,” he said. His gaze locked with hers.
Reaching over, she wiped what must have been a trace of ice cream or caramel from his bottom lip. Her gentle touch finished him off.
He tossed his napkin down onto the table. “Let’s go.” With a glance at the check the waiter had placed on the edge of the table, he shoved his hand into his pocket and retrieved his wallet. He peeled off the bills and tossed them down.
The moment he stood, he was grateful for the dark lighting. His jeans were way too tight. Grasping her hand, he tugged and led her out of the restaurant and into the dark night.
The car was parked behind the restaurant, and thanks to the late hour that area of the parking lot had all but emptied out. Mike didn’t know how it happened. One minute he’d been leading her toward the car, the next he’d bracketed her body between the himself and the metal door.
Carly gazed up at him, hope and expectancy warring in her heart. She’d been sending out mixed signals all evening, she knew. But she wasn’t mixed up anymore. She wanted him for the time they had left. She licked at her dry lips.