She ordered a cocoa drink so she could have something to do with her hands.
He had not bothered to order anything.
He just sat and gave her a disturbing look until she was forced to raise her brows at him.
He gave her a bemused smile as he leaned forward and said "I just never pictured you as a redhead, you know. But then, just like every other thing, it looks good on you."
The fact that she wanted to pat her hair in place made Reyona firmly keep her hands around her cocoa and give him a direct look.
"You look really good, Reyona. It is good that you look good," he said as he leaned closer to her and said urgently. "I didn't know what to think. I was afraid you might be…" he sighed and nodded slowly as he said, "It is good that you are fine."
Before she could stop herself, she asked, "Are you fine though?"
Damn it!
She expected him to give her an affirmative answer so they could go on with whatever he was there to feed her with.
Instead, he said in a low tone"No, Reyona. I am not fine. I am not fine without you. I miss you so much, Reyona."
Damn it. Where was all her resolve and self-promise?
When her hand itched to stretch forward.
To just stretch forward enough to touch his face.
To just feel that newly shaved…
She sipped her cocoa.
And swore beneath her breath as she burnt her tongue.
She lowered her head as she used her tongue to soothe the roof of her mouth and vice versa.
"Are you okay?" he asked, already standing up.
"Stop asking me that." she snapped in a soft tone that took the bite out of her words. "What do you want?" she asked with a sigh as she felt those damned tears at the back of her eyes again.
Why had she agreed to this? She doubted she could do that.
What made her think his presence wouldn't affect her?
She should have just entered her car and zoomed off without a second look.
"I want you, Reyona. No, scratch that, I need you. I don't care what I have to do, but can you please, never go away like that again? It killed something in me." he said passionately as his hands inched towards hers on the table.
Why was he doing this?
Weren't men supposed to be the ones good at masking their emotions?
But his looks, his words, and that gauntness of his features; it was just too much for her.
She reached for her bag and stood up. She shook her head and said "I can't do this. I can't."
"Reyona, please," he said as he stood up and grabbed her hand before she could go far.
Sizzling currents shot through her from the spot where their naked flesh touched, and she quickly shrugged his hand away.
She looked around at the people currently enjoying their meals and a free show as well.
She looked back at him and wondered why she would want to postpone what was inevitable anyway.
She removed some bills from her bag and put them beneath her cup of barely-touched cocoa.
"Come with me," she said and took him to an amusement park.
When they arrived, and he looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes, she shook her head at him and said "Don't even think about it. Get down."
He got down just as she did, and she walked a bit further from the boisterous crowd before she turned towards him and said "Okay, let's have it."
His momentary amused look was gone as he tucked his hands in his pockets and said "I am sorry."
Okay, she was not expecting that.
She held her arms to her body as she asked dispassionately. "What are you sorry about?"
"I am sorry for lying to you. I am sorry for not being honest and forthcoming with you."
As much as her insides were whirring with different sensations and emotions at that moment, Reyona held on tightly to the tears that kept tickling the back of her eyes. "You are still not saying much. What the hell are you sorry about?" her voice wobbled slightly at the last word.
"Steve told me about…"
"That…"
He stretched his hands forwards as he moved closer urgently "I swear not at first. He didn't mean to tell me what you asked him to keep. I found out myself. Then I asked him."
Reyona scoffed "Of course, you will say anything."
"I am not lying to you, Reyona. I am standing here in this park filled with hundreds of people and saying to you that I am not lying to you. I will never do that again. I thought I was doing the right thing, but look where that got me. I want to be honest with you from now on. I don't want to lose you, Reyona."
"Well, you should have thought of that when you made me discover that you were making a fool of me. You…" She swiped at the stubborn tears that plopped down her face.
"Hey, hey," Maxwell said as he held her shoulders and wiped her tears himself. "I am so sorry. I am very sorry. It was stupid of me. I don't want to lose you. I…"
With every rasp of his warm thumb against her skin, Reyona felt more lost in his mesmerising eyes.
She didn't even realise when he stopped talking, just as she had no idea who pulled who closer first.
The next moment, they were both kissing each other passionately as they held each other tightly like they never wanted to let go.
Reyona's body was on fire as her hands raced over him just as his branded her in turn.
When his hands brushed the sides of her breast, she moaned unashamedly into his mouth.
Even when her urge reared its head, she mindlessly knew she wouldn't mind relieving it right there and then.
It had been too long.
Much too long.
Her body was straining against her dress and she wished he would just rip it off her and…
It took her a moment to realise that his body had stilled.
"Wha…what?" she asked in confusion as his mouth moved from her neck where he was formerly kissing it like he wanted to draw the skin straight into his mouth.
He slowly turned to look at her, and she was jolted by something else entirely.
His face looked ashen, and his eyes bulged as he looked at her with a mixture of fear and apprehension in his eyes.
"What?" Reyona whispered breathlessly.
He didn't take her long to find out as his gaze went downward.
Reyona paled when she realised that his hand was on her small bump.
She stumbled back from him as his hand fell away while his eyes were still fixed on her stomach.
Reyona's dress suddenly felt tighter than it had been earlier, and she felt like her bump, her secret was on display for all to see.
Breathing harshly, he asked "Are you… Are you pre…pregnant?"
Reyona looked around as the sounds of the boisterous park that had fallen away earlier suddenly rushed back.
Along with the ringing in her head.
"Reyona, tell me!"
He said so suddenly that she jolted and looked back at him as she snapped while backing away from him. "I don't have to tell you anything! I don't owe you anything! And you can be sure that if I am pregnant, it has nothing to do with you!"
Tears blurred her vision as she saw the wobbling image of him moving towards her. She swiped at the persistent waterworks furiously. "Stay the hell away from me!"
Then she turned and ran.
Again.