Mina had shifted in her chair to watch, but now that the band had finished the number, she turned back to sip her drink.
He expected her to say something, but she stayed quiet, her fingertip tracing around the rim of her glass as she looked from her wine, to him, and then around at the other customers.
Silence filled the space between them, a gaping maw that mocked him, making uncertainty twist in his stomach until he had to shift on the stool, trying to relieve some of the pressure of the moment.
He was being an idiot, of course. How many times had they sat quietly together? Hundreds, surely. And the quiet was never uncomfortable. So why was the silence suddenly so heavy? Why did he feel as if he had to say something smart or funny or ironic or interesting?
And for that matter, what could he say?
He didn't know, but he'd reached the point where if he didn't say something his head really might explode, so he dove in with, "So--"
And at exactly the same moment, she said, "You know--"
Their eyes met, a moment passed, and then they both burst out laughing.
"You go first," she said. "What were you going to say?"
He finished his drink and shook his head. "Honestly? I have no idea. You?"
Her lips twitched. "Not a clue," she admitted, and they both started laughing again.
"I'm starving," she said. "And that's not what I planned to say, but it's true." She leaned over and brushed her shoulder against him, but whether she was being friendly or flirty, he had no idea. "Thanks for ordering food."
"Well, I figured what with you missing out on your pancakes..."
"This is better," she said. "If I'd gone to Magnolia, you wouldn't have been there." She met his eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if he'd been swallowed up by the emerald fire of her gaze.
"Yeah," he finally said, impressed that he could form words. "This is much better."
This time the silence between them didn't seem awkward at all. This time, it seemed full of possibility.
All too soon, Eric sidled up and put the order in front of them. And suddenly Cam didn't give a flip about food. He just wanted to hit rewind and keep playing those few moments when it was just the two of them, their eyes locked on each other as if nothing else existed in the world.
"This looks amazing," Mina said, oblivious to the spell that had been broken. She reached for a fry, then moaned with pleasure after she tasted it.
The sound cut straight through Cam, firing his senses. He watched her, his entire body on edge as she licked her fingertips, then closed her eyes to savor the food before releasing a deep, satisfied sigh.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and grinned at him. "You're not eating?"
"Believe me, I'm doing just fine."
Her cheeks flushed. "Oh." She plucked up a risotto ball, then held it out to him. "These are amazing. Want a bite?"
Oh, yes.
"Sure," he said, and she held it to his mouth. He bit down, his lips brushing her fingertips. And as they did, she ran her teeth over her lower lip. Honestly, it was a freaking miracle that he didn't come right then.
He'd always heard people talk about how sensual eating could be, but until tonight Cam hadn't understood what that meant.
Trouble was, he still wasn't sure if this was a one-sided fantasy...or if Mina was finally seeing him the way that he'd always seen her.
He opened his mouth to finish the risotto ball, only to see
her pop the remaining half into her own mouth.
"Good," she said.
"Very." He nodded toward the plate. "I'd take another." He held his breath, waiting for her to lift one to his lips. But all she did was smile and push the plate toward him.