All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [41]
Natalie was waiting by his car when Cole came out of the club. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed that she'd waited for him.
"I would have left, but you're my ride," she said.
"Where's Madison?"
"She had somewhere to go. What did you and Dylan talk about?"
He tipped his head to the car. "Why don't we do this over lunch? I'm starving."
Natalie hesitated, then said, "All right. Let's go somewhere with an outside patio. It's a beautiful day, and I could use the air."
"I know just the place."
* * *
Rosie's Cantina was located on Pier 24 along the Embarcadero. It was a lively Mexican restaurant with salsa dancing and fire-eating performers in the evenings. Per Natalie's request, they opted for a table on the deck overlooking the bay. Natalie ordered a soda, and Cole chose a beer. The waiter set down chips and salsa and they both dove in. It was easier to eat than to talk. For the first time since they'd reunited on Friday, they were not chasing someone or something; they were just sitting together, sharing a meal.
It reminded him of the old days when having dinner with Natalie had been the high point of his day. She'd challenged him so much with her sharp mind, her astute comments, her insight into what made him tick. In the beginning it had been incredibly attractive. In the end it had terrified him that he'd let this one woman get so deep into his heart and into his head.
"This salsa is fantastic." Natalie gave him a satisfied smile that took his breath away. He remembered that smile, that look on her face, and it hadn't come from food—it had come from him. For some reason the fact that she was now so easily pleased by salsa and chips irritated him. "You should try some," she added. "Oh, wait, I forgot, you don't like it hot and spicy, do you?"
To prove her wrong, he picked up a chip, soaked it in salsa and popped it into his mouth. It burned a fiery hole down to his stomach. He coughed and reached for his beer, draining it in one long swallow. "Damn. That's hot."
"You never could resist a dare," Natalie said with a laugh.
"Neither could you," he retorted, when he got his breath back.
"I've changed. Apparently, you haven't." She smiled as he coughed again, and her eyes sparkled with amusement, transforming her into the beautiful girl he remembered. Her cheeks had reddened, and her mouth, her hot, sexy mouth was so full, so inviting ... He really needed to stop looking at her lips before he did something stupid.
"Tell me about your life," he said hastily. "I know you work a lot. Do you have a boyfriend? A significant other? A cat?"
"If I had a boyfriend, I wouldn't put him in the same category as a cat. However, as a matter of fact, I don't have either, but I want you to know that I have had boyfriends. You were not the only one." She waved a chip at him and said, "I got over you a long time ago. There have been dozens since you."
"Dozens, huh?" he asked with a small grin.
She tipped her head. "Maybe not literally dozens, but plenty. What about you? Why did your girlfriend throw a stapler at your head?"
"Apparently she was breaking up with me, and I wasn't paying attention. CNN was running a clip about a bombing in Lebanon."
"Oh." She nodded with understanding. "You're still a news junkie."
"It's what I do. Gisela didn't understand that. And she didn't care about the news."
"Gisela? As in Gisela the lingerie model?"
"One and the same."
"How surprising that you wouldn't have anything in common with a lingerie model," Natalie said. "Although I don't imagine that scintillating conversation was a requirement."
Cole could hardly argue with that. He sat back in his chair, watching as Natalie scooped salsa onto another chip and popped it into her mouth. He was enjoying her company, he realized—probably too much. He itched to run his fingers through those fiery red waves, pull her face to