I grinned. I was, indeed, an icing lover. Especially cream cheese icing.
“Thanks, ah…” I trailed off, unable to see a name tag.
She smiled, her dark eyes warm.
“Elizabeth. But my friends call me Beth.” Her cheeks colored adorably, and she cleared her throat. “My name is Beth.”
Her oversharing made me grin. “Nice to meet you, Beth. I’m Ronan.” I held out my hand, and she shook it, her small palm settling on mine as if made to go there. Her fingers were petite, just like the rest of her, and I squeezed them before releasing her hand.
I indicated the cake. “And thanks.”
Two darker circles of color pooled under her skin, and she blinked.
“No problem.”
She hurried away, my gaze once again drawn to her before I reached for the salad, wondering why my night suddenly seemed a little brighter.
It had to be the cake.
Right?
Chapter Two
Ronan
I polished off everything Beth had brought to me, exhaling in contentment as I pushed away the empty plates. I had enjoyed the meal a lot, and part of me wondered if it was only the food, or if the occasional visit from the pretty waitress had anything to do with it.
I had watched her the entire time I had been eating, purposely doing it slowly to draw out my stay. She was like a hummingbird, constantly busy, never staying in one place too long. She was friendly with the customers, often talking with one hand on her hip as she filled cups or responded to a question. I had gotten up at one point to grab a bottle of ketchup from the table beside me just as she came around the corner, almost colliding with me. For a moment, we were close. Close enough I could see the flecks of gold and green in her dark eyes. She had put a hand out to steady herself, and I caught her elbow to do the same. Our eyes locked, hers flaring with surprise. I judged her to be a foot shorter than I was, and the odd thought that I would have to kiss her sitting down in order to prevent a sore neck flitted through my mind as we locked gazes.
Or even better, pull her onto my lap. My fingers tightened on her arm at the thought.
She cleared her throat. “Is everything okay, ah, Ronan? You need something?”
Reluctantly, I released her elbow, but not before I let my fingers drift over the softness of her skin. “Nope.” I held up the ketchup bottle. “Needed a refill.”
“Oh. Anything else?”
“Some more water would be great when you can.”
She nodded and hurried away, once more giving me a glimpse of her sweet ass. I’d never thought of myself as an ass man before, but I had a feeling that had just changed.
She approached the table, lifting one eyebrow as she gathered the empty plates. “Would you like me to get you a box for the cake?”
I shook my head, grinning widely. “More coffee, please.”
“I guess you burn off a lot of calories over there.” She indicated the gym across the street.
“Yeah, I do. And I like to eat.”
She pursed her lips, a smile playing on her full mouth. It drew attention to a small beauty mark to the right of her lips. One dimple appeared in the same cheek, giving her an impish look.
“Really,” she drawled. “I hadn’t noticed.”
She made me laugh as she moved away, returning with the coffeepot and filling up my cup.
I thanked her and reached for the cake, humming around the first mouthful. The pineapple and banana flavors hit my taste buds, and the cream cheese frosting was rich and decadent.
“Damn, that’s good,” I groaned, licking my lips, glancing up and meeting her dark gaze. She was watching me, her lips parted, eyes wide, the coffeepot hanging from her fingers.
Something passed between us. Something that wrapped around us, alive and vibrant. Throbbing heat filled my veins as our eyes locked. Green meeting brown. Intense longing I had never experienced pounded in my chest. My hands itched to reach out and pull her to me. Taste her full mouth. Run my hands along those inviting curves and cup her full ass. Slowly, I settled my fork on my plate as my body shifted to bring itself closer.
And a customer called out, “Hey, is that coffee just for him, or can we get some too?”
The moment shattered, and I was shocked to find I was halfway out of my booth. Beth was gripping the corner of the table as if to stop herself from coming closer. Both of our chests were moving rapidly as if we’d just run ten miles.
She blinked and hurried away. I sat back down, shocked.
What the hell just happened?
* * *
I ate my cake slowly, watching her more intently than I had been. The diner slowed, the hour getting late. The other waitress who had been here disappeared into the kitchen. Beth moved around, filling napkin dispensers, wiping down tables, getting the place ready for the morning.