Simon’s call from the other room froze them both.
“Damn.” Mitch leaned his head against her shoulder, breathing hard. “Just…fuck.”
She felt the same. Still fogged with desire, confused, and overstimulated from a few simple kisses. Nothing made sense.
“Hey, Becca,” Nora yelled. “Where are you?”
“She can’t have gotten lost,” she heard Deacon say with amusement. “Not with my capable brother to show her around.”
“I’ll be right there,” Becca managed and hoped she sounded sure, not shaky. Her hands remained firm on Mitch’s shoulders, her breath brushing his chest. The scent of his cologne mingled with the roses, and she smiled. “You smell good.”
He groaned again. “So do you.” He lifted his head and took a step back, forcing them to release their hold on each other. “I’m not sorry about the kiss.” He announced, almost confrontational.
“Neither am I.” To her surprise, she wasn’t.
He seemed to relax. “Good. I’ve been wanting to do that forever.” Then he let out a breath. “So, uh, why don’t you go out and show them I haven’t buried your body on the grounds.”
She laughed, feeling amazing. “Sure. Aren’t you coming?”
He glanced down at himself, and she saw his problem. Even through his jeans she made out a very impressive erection. “At some point, probably.”
When she caught his meaning, her cheeks heated.
He laughed. “Sorry. That was crude. I’ll be out in a minute. Go away, would you? You’re making this…hard.” She hurried to leave, but as she got to the door, he said, “Becca? We’ll get back touslater. Don’t even think of pretending this didn’t happen.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Mitch Flashman.”Hmm. Maybe I should stick out my tongue at him and sound even more childish.She wanted to smack herself. “And you’re darned right we’ll get back to this.”
“Good.”
“Fine.”
“Mom!” Simon again.
“I’m coming,” she yelled, annoyed. But as she rejoined the others, she realized fear of what Mitch might mean to her hadn’t made a dent in her desire for the man. Perhaps Nora had the right of it. It was time for Becca to stop worrying over being attracted to someone like Mitch. She could handle a flirtation that might turn into something more. Couldn’t she?
“Where were you?” Simon asked. He didn’t look suspicious, just curious.
Praying she sounded calm, Becca smiled. “Mitch was showing me his roses.”
“He hasflowers?” Simon put a lot of disdain into his question.
Nora nudged him. “Hey. Girls like flowers. Don’t knock it.”
Deacon nodded. “She’s right. Though don’t credit my brother with the roses. The previous owners had a thing for gardening, and the wife wanted to be surrounded by flowers all year round. Unfortunately, Mitch has never had a green thumb in his life. We’re taking bets on how long before the poor things die.”
“Liar.” Mitch stuck his head out the door. “Come on, guys. I’ll show you.”
They looked around the small conservatory, and even Nora seemed impressed.
“So, girls like flowers. It’s not just a stereotype?” Simon asked…Mitch.
Why did the boy look to Mitch for answers about women? Becca happened to be a woman. So was Nora.
She met Nora’s amused gaze. “We could have told you that.”
“Um, yeah. Most women do,” Mitch answered. He gave her a look she couldn’t decipher, but nothing in his eyes gave away the fact he’d had his tongue down her throat moments ago. “Doyoulike flowers?”
“Well, yes.”
