“No prob, hon.” Megan’s gaze drifted toward the hostess stand, a smile forming on her lips. “Take ten, if you need it.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.” A moment later, she hurriedly crossed the busy room toward Gage. “What are you doing here?” she asked when she reached him.
His gray eyes held a serious gleam. “I needed to talk to you.”
She managed a nod. “All right. Let’s go somewhere private.”
“No. I don’t care who hears this.”
Skyler raised a brow. Okay, that was weird. A word-stingy, private man like Gage wanting to talk in earshot of everyone? And there were a lot of ears in their vicinity. Like the ones belonging to Rita, the restaurant’s nosy hostess. Or the six frat boys in the booth directly to their left, who were making no effort to hide their curious stares.
“I…” Gage cleared his throat. “I wanted to thank you. I know what you did, asking your stepfather to deal with O’Donnell, and…well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” When he fell silent, she lifted her eyebrows again. “Is that all you wanted?”
He shook his head. “I also wanted to say…uh…” Something flashed in his eyes. Determination. Maybe fortitude. Whatever it was, it seemed to push him to keep going. “Sky…I have issues.”
An unwitting grin sprang to her lips. “No kidding.”
He sighed. “Don’t be a brat. I’m being serious.”
“Sorry. Go on.” But her lips continued to twitch.
“Look, my childhood sucked, okay? I’m not whining about it—it is what it is. But I can’t deny that it screwed with my head.” His voice contained that gruff note she loved so much. “I’ve taken care of myself for so long I don’t know how to ask for help. I’ve never counted on anyone before. I’ve never needed anyone before.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “It’s hard for me to lean on anyone, because nobody has ever been there for me to lean on. And the people who were there? I couldn’t trust them.”
When he stopped and bit his lip, it was so damn adorable she almost dived into his arms, but she forced herself to wait for him to finish.
“But I trust you,” he said huskily. “I trust you, baby. And I need you.”
Her heart soared. “You do?”
He nodded, then stepped closer and stroked her cheek with his callused thumb. His gaze was earnest as it fixed on hers. “I love you, Skyler. I love every goddamn thing about you, and I promise you, if you give me another chance, I’ll show you what I was too afraid to show you before. Me.”
Aw, hell. Her eyes were leaking. She was actually going to cry in the middle of her place of business.
“Dude,” a male voice cracked, “this is some real Jerry Maguire shit over here.”
Gage jabbed a thumb in the direction of the frat booth. “Shut it. I’m trying to win back my girl.”
His girl. God, Skyler didn’t think she’d ever heard more beautiful words.
“Is it working?” Gage asked, turning back to her.
His sheepish expression, combined with the love shining in his eyes, melted away all the hurt and anger and longing she’d been plagued with these past two weeks.
Grinning, she grasped his chin between her hands and said, “You had me at hello.”
A round of groans erupted from the booth, along with several loud remarks all featuring the word “cheesy,” but Skyler was too focused on Gage to care.
The smile that filled his face stole the breath right out of her lungs, and then he was kissing her, those incredible lips brushing over hers before disappearing much too soon.
When she tried to pull him close again, he chuckled and murmured a reminder. “You’re at work.”
Right. She’d totally forgotten. “I get off in an hour. Will you wait for me until I’m done?”
The smile never left his face. “Damn straight.”
When he took a step in the direction of the bar, she grabbed the front of his T-shirt and shot him a stern look. “Two more things.”
Gage waited expectantly.
“One...I love you, too.”
His breath hitched, and the joy that flooded his gaze was the most wondrous thing she’d ever seen.
“And two…” She moved close again, bringing her lips to his ear. “If you think you’re off the hook for breaking up with me, think again, big guy. I plan on punishing you the second we get home.”
Those gray eyes darkened with heat. He shifted his head, his five o’clock shadow scraping her cheek as his mouth slid over hers in another brief kiss. “Yeah?” he said, sounding intrigued. “What kind of punishment can I expect?”
“Sex,” she whispered into his ear. “Lots and lots of sex.”
A seductive chuckle slid out of his mouth. “Bring it on, bad girl. Bring it on.”