these.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re here. I never would never have figured that part out on my own.”
“Sarcasm becomes you.” He picked up his own plate. “And next…”
“Next?”
“You fill your plate with everything and anything you want to eat.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And then you do it again. And again and again. Until you need a forklift to get out the door. Or you barf.”
“Holy crap. No wonder my mom said these places were the devil.” She walked past him, eyeing the food with open excitement.
Christ. What kind of person had never been to a buffet? He didn’t know whether to pity her or roll over in shock. Maybe both. And interesting that she’d dropped a diluted curse from her lips.
Leaving her to explore on her own, he went to load up his own plate. Meat. Meat. Eggs. More meat. He started to head back to the table and hesitated at his one weakness. Grabbing a gooey chocolate doughnut, he squeezed it onto his plate.
Their table was still empty. Brandy still eyed all her choices with the same intensity and consideration put into picking out a wedding ring.
Wedding ring . His own thoughts sent a sharp reminder through him of exactly who she was. A rich runaway bride. Meaning he still needed to tread carefully.
Funny how quickly she’d grown on him. Quirky habits and bad clothing be damned.
He settled at the table and ordered a coffee from the waitress when she came by, then asked for a tea for Brandy.
“Okay. I did it.”
He looked up, a bite of ham dangling from his fork. Brandy stood before him, grinning like she’d just won an Oscar.
“Good job. What did you get?”
She slid into her chair and set her plate down. One waffle covered in strawberries lay on her plate.
He lifted his gaze to hers. “That’s it?”
“That’s all I wanted.” She grabbed her knife and fork and sliced a piece, lifting it to her mouth.
She closed her eyes and made a small moan of approval. The same kind of moan he’d bet she’d make if someone was going d—
“This is so good.” Her tongue swept across her lip before she took another bite.
His grip on the fork tightened and he forced his attention back to his own plate.
“So did you always want to open a bar?” she asked.
The sudden question threw him. It brought him back to his life and what it had been just a couple of years ago. His throat tightened and suddenly the food he was eating didn’t seem quite as awesome.
“No. The concept for a bar was more of a recent idea…”
“What were you before? A tattoo artist or something?” She grinned and nodded her chin at his arm. “I love your dragon by the way.”
“Thanks.” A tattoo artist? If she only knew. Maybe that’s why she didn’t seem in any hurry to go off on her own. Maybe the sweet, conservative choir teacher considered herself to be exploring her wild side by slumming with the guys who owned a bar. Lord if she only knew that just two years ago most of his days had been spent in a suit and tie—
“Your tea.”
They both turned their attention to the waitress who set down a steaming cup of tea in front of Brandy.
“Oh. Thank you.” The pleasure on Brandy’s face was evident. “You sure are figuring me out.”
Relieved that the subject had shifted from his past, he offered an amused shrug.
“You made it pretty clear yesterday morning you weren’t a coffee girl.”
“No. You’re right. I’m certainly not.” She went back to her waffle and nodded over at his plate. “Okay. You’ve thrown me. You’ve got like every edible animal on your plate. No hash browns, toast or pancakes. I mean, I’d guess you were doing low carb or something—”
“Or just a guy.”
“Okay–or a guy. But, what’s with the doughnut then?”
At the mention of the sweet treat, he picked it up and licked a bit of chocolate from the side.
“I mean doughnuts are so…” Her words trailed off and her gaze slid to his mouth as he licked the doughnut
She rolled her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re here. I never would never have figured that part out on my own.”
“Sarcasm becomes you.” He picked up his own plate. “And next…”
“Next?”
“You fill your plate with everything and anything you want to eat.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And then you do it again. And again and again. Until you need a forklift to get out the door. Or you barf.”
“Holy crap. No wonder my mom said these places were the devil.” She walked past him, eyeing the food with open excitement.
Christ. What kind of person had never been to a buffet? He didn’t know whether to pity her or roll over in shock. Maybe both. And interesting that she’d dropped a diluted curse from her lips.
Leaving her to explore on her own, he went to load up his own plate. Meat. Meat. Eggs. More meat. He started to head back to the table and hesitated at his one weakness. Grabbing a gooey chocolate doughnut, he squeezed it onto his plate.
Their table was still empty. Brandy still eyed all her choices with the same intensity and consideration put into picking out a wedding ring.
Wedding ring . His own thoughts sent a sharp reminder through him of exactly who she was. A rich runaway bride. Meaning he still needed to tread carefully.
Funny how quickly she’d grown on him. Quirky habits and bad clothing be damned.
He settled at the table and ordered a coffee from the waitress when she came by, then asked for a tea for Brandy.
“Okay. I did it.”
He looked up, a bite of ham dangling from his fork. Brandy stood before him, grinning like she’d just won an Oscar.
“Good job. What did you get?”
She slid into her chair and set her plate down. One waffle covered in strawberries lay on her plate.
He lifted his gaze to hers. “That’s it?”
“That’s all I wanted.” She grabbed her knife and fork and sliced a piece, lifting it to her mouth.
She closed her eyes and made a small moan of approval. The same kind of moan he’d bet she’d make if someone was going d—
“This is so good.” Her tongue swept across her lip before she took another bite.
His grip on the fork tightened and he forced his attention back to his own plate.
“So did you always want to open a bar?” she asked.
The sudden question threw him. It brought him back to his life and what it had been just a couple of years ago. His throat tightened and suddenly the food he was eating didn’t seem quite as awesome.
“No. The concept for a bar was more of a recent idea…”
“What were you before? A tattoo artist or something?” She grinned and nodded her chin at his arm. “I love your dragon by the way.”
“Thanks.” A tattoo artist? If she only knew. Maybe that’s why she didn’t seem in any hurry to go off on her own. Maybe the sweet, conservative choir teacher considered herself to be exploring her wild side by slumming with the guys who owned a bar. Lord if she only knew that just two years ago most of his days had been spent in a suit and tie—
“Your tea.”
They both turned their attention to the waitress who set down a steaming cup of tea in front of Brandy.
“Oh. Thank you.” The pleasure on Brandy’s face was evident. “You sure are figuring me out.”
Relieved that the subject had shifted from his past, he offered an amused shrug.
“You made it pretty clear yesterday morning you weren’t a coffee girl.”
“No. You’re right. I’m certainly not.” She went back to her waffle and nodded over at his plate. “Okay. You’ve thrown me. You’ve got like every edible animal on your plate. No hash browns, toast or pancakes. I mean, I’d guess you were doing low carb or something—”
“Or just a guy.”
“Okay–or a guy. But, what’s with the doughnut then?”
At the mention of the sweet treat, he picked it up and licked a bit of chocolate from the side.
“I mean doughnuts are so…” Her words trailed off and her gaze slid to his mouth as he licked the doughnut
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