Page 74 of The Good Luck Cafe
“Mm-hmm. And I have champagne to celebrate an interview well done.”
Moira went up on her tiptoes to peek out the peephole, and her head felt dizzy. He was here!
“If you don’t want me to come inside, I’ll just hand the bottle over and leave. I promise.”
Moira opened the door, and her heart lifted into her throat. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He held out the bottle of pink champagne. “I’ve been saving this for a special occasion.”
“And you’re willing to waste it on me?” She took the bottle and held it against her midsection.
“Nothing is ever wasted on you, Moira.” He stood there a moment. “Should I leave?”
She shook her head, opening the door wider and gesturing him inside. “No. You should stay.”
***
Moira lifted her head, looked at Gil, and gasped. The sound must have startled him because his body jolted on the couch where he was sitting with her.
He looked around sleepily. “What’s going on?”
“I think we dozed off.” She laughed quietly.
Gil seemed to blink heavily. “Sorry about that.” He lifted his arms over his head and stretched, breaking into a loud yawn. Then he lowered his arm around her and tugged her against him for a moment. “I better go.”
“Yeah.” But some part of her wished he could stay. Not to sleep together—they weren’t ready for that just yet—but just to keep her company. It was nice having him here, and she trusted him so much more than she’d ever trusted anyone. “I’ve never let a date come inside my home.”
Gil looked at her. “Never?”
She was probably disclosing too much. Not letting a guy inside her home meant not bringing a guy into her bedroom. She cleared her throat. “Not since college, at least.”
“That’s a long time,” he said.
“A very long time.” They weren’t talking about inviting someone in for a nightcap.
“I take responsibility for that,” Gil said. “Because of Felix.”
Moira shook her head. “You didn’t know what kind of person he was. And I’m not telling you this to make you feel guilty. I’m telling you this to make you feel special. I let you in, and I’m not in a hurry for you to leave. That’s a pretty big deal for me.”
Gil reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m in no hurry to leave either, but if I don’t go now, I’ll end up falling asleep again. That might make it hard to keep this relationship of ours under wraps.”
Moira didn’t let go of his hand just yet. “It’s going to get harder to do that anyway. When I see you, all I want to do is kiss you.”
Gil leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, lingering for a long moment. “I feel the exact same way.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
It took steel willpower to pull away from Moira. “I better go,” Gil finally said. “It’s after midnight, and I’m willing to bet my dog and possibly my brother are waiting up for me.”
Moira’s dark hair was messy from where he’d run his fingers through it. “Careful out there,” she warned. “There are flying rocks.”
Gil stood from the couch. “I should have brought my hard hat. Hopefully, the deputies who are patrolling the neighborhoods will catch the culprits soon before someone gets seriously hurt.”
Moira followed him to the door. “Good night, Gil.”
He turned and looked at her. “I want to kiss you right now,” he confessed.
“Oh?” She tilted her head, letting her hair fall across her cheek. “What’s stopping you?”
