Page 6 of Cross + Catherine: The Companion

Catherine was so confused that it wasn’t even funny. Yet, there Cross sat looking at her like she was some kind of strange creature, and serious as could be.

“Well, I was going to use it,” she said, “but not if you keep staring at me like that.”

He continued chewing on his bite of pizza, and looking at her all the while. Catherine looked away, and then back at him. Still staring.

“Stop it, Cross.”

With a laugh, he set his pizza down, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Sorry. It’s just … nobody eats pizza with a fork, Catherine.”

“Liar. Lots of people do.”

“Name two.”

“Me,” she said. “My mom.”

“Name two more.”

“My brother and dad.”

Cross’s brow furrowed. “Really?”

Catherine shrugged. “Ma’s weird about people making a mess.”

“Huh.”

“Yep.”

Cross nodded at her plate. “Well, your mom isn’t here now, so no forks.”

“Don’t tell me how to eat my food, Cross.”

“Jesus, Catherine, why don’t you just pick up that slice of pizza and enjoy it with your hands and mouth like God intended for it to be enjoyed?”

“What, like you don’t think I can or something?”

He shrugged, but said nothing.

Catherine took that as a challenge. She picked up the slice of pizza on her plate, and bit into it with a sly smile. Grease and cheese spread over her fingertips, and made a damn mess of her hands. She did her best to ignore it, though.

All the while, Cross’s smirk grew to almost smug proportions. Catherine finished her bite, set the rest of the slice down on the plate, and grabbed a napkin. A napkin Cross already had waiting for her, and handed over with a laugh. She cleaned all the grease from her fingers and mouth that she could before he gave her a second napkin.

“I know what you did—tricking me into eating with my hands, I mean.”

Cross winked. “Had to mess with you. Use the fork, Catherine. My mom does, too.”

Catherine rolled her eyes, and grabbed the fork. “Jerk.”

“Am not.”

“Kind of,” she replied, doing her best to ignore his gaze.

Catherine heard Cross’s pizza hit the plate. Then, he caught her wrist, and tugged gently. She just turned in the seat to face him, and he kissed her.

Soft and sweet, and never more than she was willing to give. He always left the option of more up to her. It was both thrilling and new, yet familiar and comforting at the same time. A mixture of too many things that made her heart clench, and her stomach do flips.

All too soon, Cross was pulling away. Catherine had the strongest urge to pull him back in for another kiss almost instantly. She didn’t, but that was only because Zeke was finally making his way back to the table.

Zeke dropped into the chair with a grin. “Ready to go?”