a chance to give you a huge, public apology.”
I hated that idea.
“We agreed you wouldn’t appreciate it,” Owen said. “I was surprised Kingston saw things my way.”
Because Kingston had been listening when I spilled my heart and my secrets. He hadn’t even hinted that he might use my past humiliations against me. The opposite, in fact. “Did he tell you why?”
“A very reasonable taking this public forces Lyn’s hand and that’s wrong.”
“He didn’t tell you anything else?”
Owen shook his head. “If you shared anything with him, it’s between you and him until you tell me otherwise.”
“Until. You assume—”
“Nothing,” Owen said. “I’m not a make assumptions kind of guy.”
“You assumed I’d show up here today.”
“I knew you would. It’s different.”
I rolled my eyes. I was enjoying this so much, and it was the most basic banter. “You’re an arrogant asshole.”
“So, I’ve been told. But I knew you would be here, because if our roles were reversed, I’d have shown up. You saw what you wanted to, does that mean you’re leaving?”
“Yes.” Was I pleased or slightly terrified that he knew me so well?
“Give me two minutes of your time?”
I wanted to give him all my time, but there was a little catch inside. One tiny doubt that was loud enough I couldn’t ignore it. I didn’t want to be hurt again. Especially not by them. “I’m pretty sure you’ve already taken at least that much.”
“Please.”
“One minute.”
He grabbed a napkin from the canister on the table, wrote Reserved on it in the most perfect block letters, and set it down.
I followed him through an Employees Only door, down an empty hallway that led us away from the excitement of the café.
We stepped into a back office and he closed the door behind us.
I wiggled my fingers, not sure what to do or say. “So what—”
Owen cupped my cheeks in his palms and crushed his mouth to mine. The intensity in his kiss re-broke my heart. Or maybe that was the walls around it shattering. Either way, it was the most delicious agony. Why hadn’t we done more of this before? I wanted all his kisses. Forever.
I summoned what little willpower I had, and pushed him back. “I can’t—” what? I didn’t know what I could or couldn’t do. I reached for the door.
Owen loosely. grabbed my wrist.
I could break away, but did I want to?
“I can only speak for me, because Kingston would be upset if I stole his moment,” Owen said. “I’m sorry about what happened—what we did. I’d take it back. I tried, and it wasn’t an option. I can apologize over and over, and do better next time, if you let me have that chance. I’ve never met anyone like you. You fill a void in my life I didn’t know was there. I love you.”
That was definitely my heart falling into a million pieces. “You don’t get to say that to me. Not now.”
“You being pissed off doesn’t change how I feel, but I don’t say it to manipulate you. You know me better than that.”
Did I?
Yeah, I did. Damn it.
“Good luck with the new shop. Not that you need it.” I reached for the door again.
This time Owen didn’t stop me from leaving.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When I got back to the table, Sadie and Anne had returned with drinks and pastries.
“Got your note.” Sadie held up the Reserved napkin. “Not your handwriting, though.”
Was I flushed? Scowling? My brain and heart were a jumbled mess.
“Did you talk to Owen?” Anne asked.
I nodded.
“It went that well?” Sadie’s question was a discordant blend of flat and teasing.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It wasn’t bad. It was... kind of really good.”
Sadie toed an empty chair toward me. “What are you doing back here?”
“I don’t know. About any of it. Still.” I sank into the chair. I had my answer, knew what I wanted. Why couldn’t I embrace it?
Because part of me still argued I wasn’t worth this kind of hassle.
But you are. I didn’t know if that was Owen, Kingston, or even Sadie arguing with me.
Damn it.
We sat and chatted. Anne and Sadie never asked if I wanted to go, but they did both feed me sweets. They had six that looked incredible—cheese, cherries, chocolate, more chocolate, mint, and a fruit tart—and insisted we had to sample all of them.
They also insisted my baking was better. They were wrong. Owen’s recipes were different, but they were just as good as anything I made. I wasn’t surprised or upset about the confirmation.
More than an