The maître d’ greeted Chay like an old friend.
“Thanks again,” Chay said.
The guy grinned. “I have a brother in the Marines.”
Chay grinned back at him. “I’ll try not to hold that against you.”
Their table was, just as the maître d’ had said, at the railing overlooking the water. He seated them. The busboy filled their water glasses, brought them a basket of warm breads, a little dish of butter, and two menus.
They left the menus untouched.
They were too busy looking at each other.
Chay kept thinking how happy Bianca looked.
And how happy he felt.
He loved watching her, loved listening to her, loved being with her. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this content.
And complete.
That was how she made him feel. Complete.
He told her things he’d never told anyone else. Little things, even foolish things. Like how a course he hadn’t wanted to take and a professor he hadn’t liked introduced him to a new world.
“I discovered books. Until my freshman y
ear in college and English 101, pretty much the only reading I’d ever done was—”
“Playboy.” She laughed at his look of surprise. “I grew up with two brothers, remember? Besides, why waste time on a book when you could be outdoors, getting into trouble?”
Chay reached for her hand and wove his fingers through hers.
“I’m gonna have to keep that in mind. That you’re an expert on guy behavior.”
I’m not, she almost said. I’m not an expert on men at all. I’m certainly not any kind of expert about this—about wanting to spend the whole day and night with a man, wanting to be able to reach out and touch him, wanting not just to be in his bed but in his arms…
“Sweetheart? Where’d you go just now?”
“I was—I was wondering what happened in English 101 that changed your mind about books. Did you fell in love with a special one the way I fell in love with Mary Poppins?”
“Who?”
She laughed. “Never mind. Just tell me more about that English course.”
“Well, I walked in and there was this guy at the front of the room. A stereotypical academic nerd.”
“Watch what you say about us nerds, Lieutenant.”
“No offense, Doc.” Chay grinned. “Besides, you’re not a stereotypical anything.”
That made her smile.
“I’m not?”
“You’re not. In fact, you’re one surprise after another.”
“Is that good or bad?”