Hannah hurried over, took one look at Graham and his spoon and the shrieking woman, and she gave him her look.
“I need to leave,” he murmured in Zoey’s ear. He liked murmuring in her ear, because she always leaned in, the smell of her shampoo filling his nostrils. “Hannah will actually fight me.”
“If you’re leaving, I’m going with you.”
“Dramatic escape?”
“Definitely.”
Well. Since she asked.
Graham hopped to his feet. “Lana, our apologies for causing a scene. Your gala is as fabulous as you are. Unfortunately, a man’s dignity was at stake, and there are some things we just can’t let slide. Easton would never forgive me. Ladies. I hope I see none of you in my near future.” Then he scooped Zoey off her feet and into his arms, bolting for the exit.
As runaway attempts went, it was fabulous until they hit the elevator. And waited for the elevator. And were forced to make small talk with the confused-looking couple in the elevator, who were too close to Zoey’s feet.
Then the doors opened in the lobby, and Graham darted for the front doors.
They hit his truck running, and Zoey was almost crying from laughter as he stuffed her and her dress into the driver’s seat and kept squishing her over until he could fit in there too. They peeled out of the valet station in dramatic fashion, tires squealing loudly.
“Graham, did you see her face? And then it was all gloop, gloop, plop?”
That had been the best part, next to having an excuse to get out of there. “Never say I won’t defend Easton’s honor. Or yours.”
“My hero.” She batted her eyes, gathered her skirts, and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek.
And maybe she was just joking, but Graham…well…he wasn’t. Because deep down, he was ready to throw a whole pot of goop at anyone who put her down.
When she scooted over, Graham slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He hit the hazard lights and pulled off the side of the road, not caring if the truck’s tires left ruts in the perfectly manicured lawns.
“I like waitresses.” He touched her face, silently asking her to look at him. “I like your dress, but I like your Mickey Mouse sweatshirt even more. I like your hair in a messy bun, with these always sliding down your nose.” He nodded at her glasses. “And I like you not wanting to eat whatever they were serving in there, because I didn’t want to eat it either.”
“You have weird taste in everything,” she decided, but her voice had softened. “I’m not Cinderella, Graham. I have a good life, and I don’t need to be rescued.”
Graham chuckled, low in his throat. “No rescuing from me, gorgeous. I’m definitely not the prince. But I know a great place to get away from here and get a real meal.”
“Is it weird? No more weird meat. Please no more weird meat.”
“It’s only a little weird.”
And as she leaned in and kissed him, Graham knew that a little weird was good enough for both of them.
* * *
For the second time that night, Zoey walked into a room feeling entirely out of place, her clothing far too dressed up for Shorty’s, the dive Graham drove her to. But this time, Graham was in his element, his arm heavy over her shoulders and folded back across her collarbone in a protective gesture she wasn’t sure he was even aware he was doing.
Normally, she would have sat across from him, but when Graham scooted into the booth their server led them to, Zoey followed suit.
He kept his arm around her, and yes, it might have made looking at the menu just a little harder than it should have been. But she liked staying close to him. A familiar pink head was seated across the room. Ash said something to her companion, one of the women from the bonfire, and then she came over, sliding into the other side of the booth.
“How did the party go?”
“About as expected. We had to make a quick exit before the cops were called.”
“Sounds about right,” Ash said. “Zoey, never take him anywhere you need to make a good impression. He’s going to humiliate you as thoroughly as possible.”
“I’d rather be with him than anyone else in that room.”
The words left her mouth without Zoey meaning them to. She glanced over at Graham and found him watching her, his eyes holding hers.
“Be careful, gorgeous. I might start to think you actually like me.”
His normal teasing was gentler, his eyes and tone softening. The thing was, Zoey did like Graham. Far more than she had ever expected or wanted to.
Without thinking, Zoey leaned in and kissed him, right in front of Ash and all the rest of the people who knew him. She started to pull away, but Graham’s fingers caught hers, tugging her back to him.
“I’ll just leave you two alone.” Ash scooted out of the booth. Graham waved goodbye but didn’t try to stop her.
The server arriving to take their drink order interrupted them, breaking the moment. Graham glanced at the menu, shaking his head. “Do you have any idea how sick I am of hamburgers and reindeer dogs?”
“And yet, here we are at a place that lists those at the top of the menu.”
Graham nodded. “Yes, but right below are the next thing for your bucket list. Welcome to Shorty’s. If you can eat ten hellfire wings, I don’t have to pay for our drinks.”
“So you’re taking me out, but I have to burn my taste buds because you’re too cheap to actually pay for our meal?”
“Think of it as you earning our meal.”
“What’s the likelihood that I’m going to barf from this?”
“I’d give it about a fifty-fifty.”
Zoey adjusted her glasses on her nose and nodded gamely. “Bring it on, hot stuff.”
Unlike Graham, Shorty had plenty of help. Within minutes, their food was in front of them. Wing for wing, Zoey took him down. And okay, maybe there was going to be some severe gastric distress when this was all over, and she had tears and snot openly running down her face, but someone needed to put Graham Barnett in his place, and Zoey was going to be the one to do it.
“Boom. That just happened.” Zoey mimicked dropping a mic. “But it was cute how hard you tried.”
“I think I’m in love.” Graham leaned back in his seat and held out a saucy fist. “Marry me, Caldwell.”
“Only if I get Jake in the prenup.”
“Done.” They bumped fists.
“Prenups are bullshit.” Graham drained his beer, then settled into the basket of cheesy bread they had ordered. “If you don’t trust someone, don’t marry them.”