I choked down the panic that had chased me in here. “I couldn’t.”
“But did you want to?” Hurt bled from her words. Her delicate throat trembled.
“Felt like I should stay.” The words grated free, scraped from a block of stone.
She almost laughed, her head shaking.
“You felt like you should stay?”
It was an accusation.
“Yeah.”
Sweat gathered at the nape of my neck when she turned away like she couldn’t look at me.
Nerves going haywire.
I inched around the island.
That crazy energy banged.
My pulse got swept up in the force of it.
I stopped a foot behind her, not sure what the hell I really thought I was going to do. Tell her that I never wanted to leave. That I wanted to stay. That I’d be with her if I had the choice.
She swiveled back around.
“You don’t owe me anything, Leif,” she whispered below her breath to keep the conversation from the kids. “I knew what I was getting myself into last night. I was the one who chased after you.”
She gave a couple bumbling nods. No question, she was trying to convince herself that was the way she actually felt.
My head shook, and I eased a fraction closer.
“You know better than that, Mia.” Words came out gruff. “You said yourself that this has been coming. You and I were going to happen. One way or another.”
If I stayed in the same place as her, we were going to collide.
Diverting her gaze to the floor, she chewed at her lip. “But you regret it.”
Harsh, low laughter rumbled out, and I was moving forward, backing her to the counter without even giving a thought to what I was doing. My mouth hovered an inch over hers as I stared her down. “Yeah. I might regret it. But don’t think for a second that I didn’t want it, Mia. I’ve never wanted anyone the way that I want you. Not once. Not ever.”
That in itself was a mortal sin.
Another lumped onto the growing pile.
Redness streaked across her chest and lit on her cheeks. The sweet scent of her made me want to do wicked, bad things.
“What does that mean?” she murmured, her voice raw and laced with misunderstanding.
I understood the affliction.
Only thing I knew was I couldn’t stay away.
This girl had me hooked.
I planted my hands on the counter on either side of her, boxing her in. I leaned in closer, close enough that our noses brushed. “Means I couldn’t leave.”
And there we were.
Full circle.
Our bodies a mess of desire and our eyes a disaster of questions.
An annoyed groan echoed from behind us. “Would you kiss her already? I’m about to revoke your man card, Leif, and I don’t even have one yet. That’s just embarrassing.”
My attention swung around to Brendon who was smirking all over the place. Kallie smacked her hand over her mouth to stop a laugh. And Penny . . . Penny blushed like she’d just witnessed something salacious.
I pitched my attention back to Mia.
Beautiful Mia with her carved cheeks and her full lips.
Yeah.
I wanted to. I wanted to kiss her.
So, I did. I kissed her soft. The girl so sweet where she sighed against my lips.
My forehead dropped to hers, and I whispered, words just for her, “I’m sorry, Mia. I told you I didn’t want to hurt you. I meant that.”
She barely nodded, unsure, and she seemed almost relieved when my phone buzzed.
I looked at the message.
Rhys: Keep your moody ass in Savannah. Put out a 9-1-1 and booked a show at The Hive. Tomorrow night. Maybe it will give you a second to come to your senses. Strap on your boots, the cavalry is coming, baby!
This guy. Couldn’t stop my smile if I tried.
Me: Fine. I’ll be here.
Rhys: Ah, too easy, brother. Seems to me you were experiencing some kind of cold feet. I can’t wait to meet her.
Could almost see him waggling his brows from across state lines from beneath his trucker cap.
Me: Fuck you, man.
Rhys: Not my type, dude, not my type. But count me in for another taste of those sweet Savannah ladies. Bring yours.
I looked up at the girl who was watching me.
Unable to resist, I snatched the first two fingers of her right hand and swung it between us, that simple connection feeling like the most powerful thing.
“Want you to come somewhere with me, Mia. Tomorrow night.”
“Like . . . on a date?” she clarified, like she didn’t believe what I was asking.
“If that’s what you want to call it. My band’s coming into town. Want you to be there.”
Bewildered, she stared at me, completely caught off guard.
“Auntie! Say yes!” This squeaked from Kallie.
“Please. Say yes.” Words grunted free, hand tightening around her fingers.
She warred. Think we both could feel us getting too deep.
“You should go, Mom.” Penny’s timid voice hit me from behind. It tugged directly at the string the kid had sewn in me.
Connection fierce.
Something I wasn’t sure how to undo.
Worry moved through Mia’s face when she glanced at her daughter before she looked back at me.
Scared.
Hopeful.
With all that bright, bright light.
She gave me a tight nod. “Okay.”
And I felt it for the first time in three years.
Excitement.
Twenty-Four
Mia
“You’re going on a date with him?” Tamar nabbed me by the wrist, screeching as she flung my arm around.
Waving a hand in her direction to quiet her, I tiptoed over to the door and peeked out.
Coast clear.
Breathing out in relief, I clicked the door shut and turned back to my sister-in-law who was standing there with one of her signature smirks.
Nothing but a red-lipped Cheshire. If we weren’t careful, every canary in Savannah was going to go extinct.
“Are you trying to announce it to the whole dang house?”
This time she waved a flippant hand at me. “Um . . . newsflash, Mia, the whole house already knows. How do you think I do?”
“You’re a snoop?”
A low giggle rolled off her tongue. “Okay, now we both know that’s true, but this I heard straight from your brother’s sexy mouth, which he heard from Baz, who heard from Shea, who heard from Kallie. Apparently, Brendon and Penny were in agreement to keep your secret, but when I pressed them, they gave. Five bucks each.”
The explanation came from her casually.
Nothing but nonchalance.
Disbelief widened my eyes. “You bribed our kids?”
She shrugged. “Who said money can’t buy happiness?”
“You are terrible.”
She laughed. “That’s why you love me. And besides, it wasn’t like you didn’t have a whole audience when the man asked you out. That took some balls.”
Or he was just a sadist.
Because how was I supposed to say no?
I mean, not that I wanted to. Which probably made me the biggest fool of all.