AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His hands seemed damn big. Or maybe the napkin had just been very small. I scooted back in my chair and forced myself to look up.
The top button of his shirt was undone, revealing sun-kissed skin also adorned with dark ink. A necklace… and fuck, how long had I been staring at him?
I snorted before pursing my lips. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding."
He raised an eyebrow and seemed to look right into my soul. Through his dark beard streaked with gray, his mouth twitched as if he were struggling to suppress a smirk. "Is that so?"
He couldn't seriously believe I was his date. Could he?
This guy looks strikingly like Wander Aguiar, and he thinks I'm his date? Sure.
Not that I'd mind—but that's not why I was here. I was here because of my boyfriend. My boyfriend, who was cheating on me at this very minute.
I broke eye contact and looked to the left again, feeling the muscle under my eye twitch as my gaze fell on the back of my boyfriend's head, the laughing blonde right beside him.
"That expression looks familiar. Who hurt you?"
And just like that, my attention snapped back to the man, the owner of that dark, rough voice. He sounded seductive without even trying. And admittedly, he looked the part too.
During my second inspection, I noticed what seemed so out of place about this man. His hair was carelessly combed back, creating the illusion that this was his usual style. But it wasn't, as it was hard to hide that he was more a man of the wilderness than one from the capital.
As I had already observed, this man clearly came straight out of one of the novels I usually read. Was it too bold to ask him to straighten up? To stand so I could confirm that he towered over me by two heads and I could hide behind him like a tree?
I clicked my tongue and once again forced myself to snap back to reality. What had he said last? Oh, yes. The expression on my face seemed familiar to him.
"Is it because your wife looked at you the same way after she found out you were dating someone else?"
Deep lines formed on his forehead, and I wasn't sure, but I thought I could read something like concern on his face as I ignored the brief flash of pain in his eyes following my question.
"Are you telling me yourboyfriendis cheating on you?"
I wasn't actually telling him anything, but since he put it so plainly, it seemed okay to answer his question with a nod.
Heat rose within me again. I didn't like the thought of the image it might create of me in his perception.
For a moment, he seemed to ponder, then he propped his large hands on the table, about to rise. His gaze was determinedly directed toward my soon-to-be ex.
I leaned forward, even before my hand had darted to his arm. "Don't," I managed to say before my heart sank.
His skin felt warm under my grip, so I missed the moment when it would have been appropriate to release his arm. He was already sitting back down, his eyes on my fingers as I eventually drew them back across the table toward me.
"Do you want to know what I did when I realized my wife was cheating on me?" He casually raised his hand, signaling someone behind me.
No. "Yes."
"I made sure she never forgot her mistake." He said it as if it were the only logical consequence when one is cheated on in a relationship or marriage.
"And now you’re in a position where your dates don’t show up?" I bit my tongue. Why did what I just said sound so damn sarcastic? The last thing I wanted was to drive this man away, especially when he was providing a distraction.
Despite my undertone, he laughed. "That's one way to put it. Seems like neither of us is having the best evening."
"Could be better." Although it was somewhat of an upgrade, considering whether I preferred staring at the back of my ex-boyfriend's head or the face of the handsome silver fox right in front of me.
Whenever he moved, his suit tightened in all those places that suggested he wasn't used to wearing one.
"But it could also be worse. In my case, having to continue dining alone would be a much less appealing option," he replied in an almost disgustingly optimistic tone.
"But I wasn’t planning on eating—" I swallowed the rest of my sentence as a plate appeared right under my nose.
