She studied him, so clearly at home and comfortable in this place, something she hadn’t seen before. Gone was the all-business, no-smiles man she was used to, replaced with someone who actually looked like he was on vacation—and enjoying himself.
He stopped a moment to look at her, a smile lighting his eyes, and her belly twisted again. Okay, maybe lower than her stomach, definitely lower. Especially when he rubbed the dark stubble of his chin as if he was considering something before turning back to the server.
“Gracias,” he said as the guy walked away, and returned his attention to her. Cruz asked her something.
“What?”
He gave her a bemused smile. “I said I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you.”
“Oh. Not at all.” Not when you talk like that.
“Don’t worry, nothing too exotic. Just a sampling of the local specialty.”
A few minutes later, their server brought them each a plate filled with steaming tortillas filled with some savory goodness that had her mouth watering.
“They’re gorditas,” he told her.
She looked at the thicker than usual tortillas on plates before them. “Okay. I know I’ve heard of those on the menu at Taco Bell, but can you remind me what they are exactly?’
“I thought you might want to sample a few. One is filled with rajas—that’s a mild green pepper—another with a mole sauce and rice, and some with various cuts of meat and sauces and cheese.”
Each one had to have at least four hundred calories. Maybe five. “Good thing I’m no longer dieting. Give me three.”
“Seriously? What on earth would you be dieting for?” he asked and pulled a stack of the stuffed round gorditas onto a plate.
“My mother’s idea. Which was why when she ordered my one-of-a-kind designer wedding dress, she ordered it one size too small. I barely managed to squeeze into it at my last fitting. But…” she paused in chewing, remembering the soft, silky fabric that caressed her skin. “It did look gorgeous.”
What would she do with it now?
“I won’t even try to understand what goes into the mind of a woman who thought you needed to lose weight.”
“I doubt after this adventure I’m going to be able to squeeze into it. These are really good, but my mouth…” she waved her hand in front of it, as if she could cool the rising temperature.
He pushed another gordita toward her. “Here. This is milder. Might lower the heat in your mouth.”
She bit into it, aware of his gaze still on her. The milder cheese was helping ease her discomfort. “Thanks.”
They were silent for a minute, each focused on their meal. Cruz had put away the three gorditas on his plate and picked up a soda. His dark eyes were watching her carefully now. Almost warily. His relaxed casual demeanor from earlier replaced with a ramrod straight back and tense shoulders.
Curious. Maybe he was thinking about his call with Dick?
“You seem in better spirits today. Have you reconsidered your decision to call off the wedding?”
Where on earth had that come from? “Ummm. No? I meant what I said. It’s over. I can’t marry someone who could do that to me.” She licked the grease off a finger. “For me, cheating? That’s unforgivable.”
He picked up another stuffed tortilla. “I only ask because I’m sure you and Brad have some history together. History that led you to say yes to him once. I can’t imagine that overnight those feelings just disappear.”
She took another bite and chewed slowly, buying some time. She swallowed and met his inquisitive gaze. Dark brown eyes that looked…almost uncomfortable; he glanced down for a moment.
“It hurts,” she admitted. “It hurts to think that he could do that to me. But if I’m being honest with myself…well, I’m not like Kate. She’s always believed in happily-ever-afters and one true loves—too many old movies I’m afraid. I’ve always been the realistic one.”
His brows quirked up at that comment.
“It’s true,” she insisted, seeing his doubt. “Well, at least when it comes to matters of the heart. All I want is someone who shares the same goals as I do. Who cares as much about me as I do him. I thought I had that with Brad. I was wrong. Do I feel anywhere near the depth of despair I saw Kate experience when she first lost Michael, and later Dominic? No. I don’t think I’m wired to. So to answer your question, I guess you could say I’m sad…but not shattered.”
Although, saying all this out loud, admitting to someone other than herself, made her feel uncomfortably naked. Vulnerable.
She hated giving him such an unfettered look at her life and her emotions. She felt the uncomfortable prickling warmth behind her eyes that told her tears were close.
He looked even more uncomfortable, staring at something over her shoulder instead of meeting her eyes.
“Why are you asking about this all of a sudden? About whether I’ve reconsidered marrying Brad?” A new suspicion hit her. “Dick didn’t say something to you, did he?”
His gaze snapped back to hers, and the way his jaw tensed and flexed gave her the answer. “Hell, Payton. I’m sorry. I’m not going to let that man get in my head again. He did ask me to keep an eye out for you. Even asked if I might lend a positive word about Brad. But I can’t in good conscience do it. Brad was a prick, and he doesn’t deserve another shot. And aside from whatever Dick has asked me, I’m not going to tell you that going back to Brad would be a good idea. Forget I said anything.”
She swallowed. She wished she could forget it. It didn’t surprise her that Dick had stooped that low, to try and manipulate Cruz to get something he wanted. But to know that Cruz had started this conversation, not out of concern for her, but because he was fishing for an opening to build Brad up to clinch this business deal, bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
It served as a good reminder of why she and Cruz weren’t compatible. No matter how attractive he was and how he made her feel when he swept those dark eyes over her, he was a businessman first and always. Just like her father.
She needed to get away for a minute.
“You know,” she said in a falsely bright voice. “I’m going to run to the restroom. Get cleaned up. Who knows how long it might be before I get another chance. I’ll be back.”
Scooping her purse off her lap, she fled the table.
Cruz watched Payton cross the restaurant, making sure she reached the restroom safely, with the sure knowledge that he was the biggest douchebag in the universe.
Hell. Did he want this account badly enough to push Payton back into the arms of a guy like Brad Eastman?
Hell no.
He was better than that.
And yet, he’d asked her those questions with the ulterior motive of getting her to see the possibility that her relationship with Brad could be redeemed. He’d sunk lower than he thought himself capable.
Payton deserved better than Brad. And as much as he wanted the account, he resolved never to attempt to do something as shitty as he’d just done again. There were other ways to make the deal. Playing someone like that wasn’t how it was going to be done.
Whether she went back to Brad or not was on her and her alone. Cruz was only there to make sure that she got to the hotel in one piece and eventually made her way home, where she could make those decisions herself.
His cellphone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see his future sister-in-law was calling. “Kate. How’s the bride-to-be? Have you finally spent enough time with my sisters to send you screaming for the hills?”
She laughed. “Not a chance. Although Benny has been betting that you might arrive with Payton tied and gagged in the trunk and several bald patches where you’ve torn out your hair.”