usual fare.”
Natalie held out two menus, but Cedric took both and gave them back. “Just tell Joel I’m here. He already knows what I want.”
“Ohhhh…arranged this one in advance. I’m impressed. Usually you let the woman pick her meal so she can see the prices.” She looked at Willow. “You must be very special for him to already know what you want.”
“Special in the head to keep putting up with him,” Willow replied with a smile.
“I like her. You better not let any guys in the Clan get a whiff of her. You just might find some competition. I’ll tell Joel you’re here, and you two can get your date started.” Natalie left and their waiter showed up. He filled their water glasses, then scurried off to grab the bottle of red wine Cedric had requested.
“Sooo…Ric?”
“You know I’ve never liked Cedric.”
That was news to her. Was she living in a bubble or something? “No. I didn’t know that. I’ve called you Cedric my entire life.”
“And, you’re the only one who still does,” he said, not sounding bothered by it.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. To her, he would always be Cedric. The boy who named her Wills. The kid who used to pull her pigtails. The teenager who used to do his damndest to make her feel like a fool. The man who, with one kiss, could make her forget all of the above. “Why didn’t you tell me to stop?”
“I don’t know, honestly.”
She didn’t buy it. “Come on. You have to have some idea why?”
“If I were forced to come up with an answer—which it seems I am—it would be because I liked that you were different from everyone else in my life.”
A tiny bubble of happiness burst in her chest. It was silly to let it happen. She didn’t know what game he was playing, but it couldn’t end well. At least not for her. “You are a dangerous, dangerous man, Cedric Stone.”
A sly grin lit his face, and she knew she was in trouble.
C edric waited until the food came out before bringing up what happened earlier in the week. Hoping the food would keep her mouth busy before she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. Like he knew she tended to do—at least with him.
He’d told her he loved her, and she either didn’t hear him, or plain didn’t believe him. He’d bet on the latter.
“Let’s clear the air, Willow.” He took a sip of wine, then set it down.
She swallowed the bite she had taken and looked at him, question glittering in her eyes. “About?”
“What happened on Tuesday. I didn’t know about that proposal. Had absolutely nothing to do with that proposal. Want nothing to do with that proposal. I have no interest in being a pawn—prize—whatever in someone else’s game.”
She pursed her lips for a second. His gaze fell to them, and all he could think about was kissing her again. “Okay. I believe you.”
Her response had him looking her directly in the eyes. “You do? Just like that?”
She snorted. “I do,” she said. She took a couple bites of her fish while he thought that through. Tried to figure out how he felt about her easy acquiescence. He was thrown off his game, along with the speech/begging he was going to do. He felt a little deflated.
“Huh. I didn’t expect you to give in so quickly.”
“I can be a surprising woman, Ric.”
He cringed. “Cedric.” Ric sounded wrong coming from her mouth.
She chuckled and finished eating her food. When she was done, she pushed her plate away and picked up her glass of wine. She settled back in her seat and looked at him, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“What’s on your mind?”
“A lot, but I’m not ready to talk about most of it yet. Let’s talk about the solstice celebration. That seems safe enough and is the reason I agreed to dinner.”
He would bet she agreed for a different reason, but wouldn’t argue. “Okay. Where are you at with it?”
“Let’s see. I have a rough draft of the activities and events plotted out. I
Natalie held out two menus, but Cedric took both and gave them back. “Just tell Joel I’m here. He already knows what I want.”
“Ohhhh…arranged this one in advance. I’m impressed. Usually you let the woman pick her meal so she can see the prices.” She looked at Willow. “You must be very special for him to already know what you want.”
“Special in the head to keep putting up with him,” Willow replied with a smile.
“I like her. You better not let any guys in the Clan get a whiff of her. You just might find some competition. I’ll tell Joel you’re here, and you two can get your date started.” Natalie left and their waiter showed up. He filled their water glasses, then scurried off to grab the bottle of red wine Cedric had requested.
“Sooo…Ric?”
“You know I’ve never liked Cedric.”
That was news to her. Was she living in a bubble or something? “No. I didn’t know that. I’ve called you Cedric my entire life.”
“And, you’re the only one who still does,” he said, not sounding bothered by it.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. To her, he would always be Cedric. The boy who named her Wills. The kid who used to pull her pigtails. The teenager who used to do his damndest to make her feel like a fool. The man who, with one kiss, could make her forget all of the above. “Why didn’t you tell me to stop?”
“I don’t know, honestly.”
She didn’t buy it. “Come on. You have to have some idea why?”
“If I were forced to come up with an answer—which it seems I am—it would be because I liked that you were different from everyone else in my life.”
A tiny bubble of happiness burst in her chest. It was silly to let it happen. She didn’t know what game he was playing, but it couldn’t end well. At least not for her. “You are a dangerous, dangerous man, Cedric Stone.”
A sly grin lit his face, and she knew she was in trouble.
C edric waited until the food came out before bringing up what happened earlier in the week. Hoping the food would keep her mouth busy before she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. Like he knew she tended to do—at least with him.
He’d told her he loved her, and she either didn’t hear him, or plain didn’t believe him. He’d bet on the latter.
“Let’s clear the air, Willow.” He took a sip of wine, then set it down.
She swallowed the bite she had taken and looked at him, question glittering in her eyes. “About?”
“What happened on Tuesday. I didn’t know about that proposal. Had absolutely nothing to do with that proposal. Want nothing to do with that proposal. I have no interest in being a pawn—prize—whatever in someone else’s game.”
She pursed her lips for a second. His gaze fell to them, and all he could think about was kissing her again. “Okay. I believe you.”
Her response had him looking her directly in the eyes. “You do? Just like that?”
She snorted. “I do,” she said. She took a couple bites of her fish while he thought that through. Tried to figure out how he felt about her easy acquiescence. He was thrown off his game, along with the speech/begging he was going to do. He felt a little deflated.
“Huh. I didn’t expect you to give in so quickly.”
“I can be a surprising woman, Ric.”
He cringed. “Cedric.” Ric sounded wrong coming from her mouth.
She chuckled and finished eating her food. When she was done, she pushed her plate away and picked up her glass of wine. She settled back in her seat and looked at him, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“What’s on your mind?”
“A lot, but I’m not ready to talk about most of it yet. Let’s talk about the solstice celebration. That seems safe enough and is the reason I agreed to dinner.”
He would bet she agreed for a different reason, but wouldn’t argue. “Okay. Where are you at with it?”
“Let’s see. I have a rough draft of the activities and events plotted out. I
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