“Tell me something about yourself that I don’t know,” I request.
I release her hand, but she doesn’t remove it from my shoulder. Not right away, anyway. The heat of her touch travels down my body, and despite my best efforts, I imagine what her hands would feel like if they roamed my body. My eyes linger on her lips, and I nearly groan when her pink tongue darts out to wet them. I immediately miss her touch when she finally moves.
“My favorite flavor of ice cream is coffee.”
Chuckling, I hit her with a smug smile. “I already knew that. Next.”
She narrows her eyes at me as if she isn’t sure she believes me. “Fine. My favorite food is-”
“Chicken alfredo,” I answer for her.
Miranda’s jaw drops, but she quickly recovers and glares at me. “No, it’s not.”
Forgetting it’s late at night, and people are sleeping, I let out a loud laugh. “Ha! You’re so full of shit.Yes, it is.”
“And how would you know?”
“Because one night I was helping your dad with something, and it was late, so your mom insisted I stay for dinner. When I told her I didn’t want to impose, she assured me there was plenty because she always makes twice as much chicken alfredo since it’s your favorite.”
My mind goes back to that night. It was the first time I laid eyes on her up close. I’d seen her in passing, but it was before she worked any of the rodeo nights and when I was still traveling the circuit. The autumn night is just as vivid in my mind as if it were last week and not five years ago. She’d come breezing into the kitchen wearing an oversized sweatshirt, black leggings, and a worn pair of Ugg boots. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and my heart nearly seized and quit beating when she smiled and nodded at me in greeting.
She blinks at me in surprise. “Why do you even remember that?”
“I remember everything about you.” My voice is gruff as I speak words that I know I should keep to myself.
“Don’t,” she whispers. “Don’t say things like that when you don’t even want me that way.”
Narrowing my eyes at her, I try to find an indication that she’s joking or just trying to get a rise out of me. But there’s no hint of that in her expression.
“I never said I didn’t want you. I said Ican’twant you. Ishouldn’twant you.”
“Well, do you?” she asks in a voice barely above a whisper. “Do you want me?”
Chapter 12
Miranda
“Do you want me?”
As soon as the question leaves my mouth, I wish I could take it back. Thingsjuststopped being awkward between us. And even after he told me about his past, I kept my mouth shut about mine. He knows I’ve dated a bit here and there, but nothing serious. The truth is no one ever allowed me to feel comfortable being myself. My feelings were always too big. My reactions, too much. None of the men were like Hayden. When I’m with Hayden, I know I’m safe. Even when things were awkward between us, I never felt like I had to pretend to be something I’m not. I’ve never had that with anyone else. So, I stuffed everything inside and eventually the relationships fizzled.
I part my lips to speak. To say what, I’m not so sure; something to bring us back to the comfortable feeling from a few minutes ago. But before I can, Hayden covers my mouth in a kiss.
I gasp in surprise, and he uses the opportunity to slide his tongue past the seam of my lips, deepening the kiss. As soon as our tongues collide, any hesitation I had instantly disappears. His kiss is thorough and commanding. Needy. I move closer, but he pulls back and rests his forehead against mine as he catches his breath.
“What are you doing?” I breathe.
“Kissing you.”
Reaching out, I stroke the soft scruff covering his jaw. “We’ve been here before...”
“I tried to stay away from you,” he says in a low voice. “I stayed away all winter. And I was fucking miserable.”
I take a sharp breath. Certainly, I’m having an out-of-body experience. I’ve fantasized about hearing those words ever since that night in the supply room. As much as he’s avoided me, I’ve avoided him more. I went as far as quitting my job and searching for a new place to live. But even after spending all that time trying to set up a fresh start, all I’ve wanted to hear is that I’m not alone in the way I feel.
“But you said-”
“I know,” he says, cutting me off. “I know what I said. To answer your question, yes. I want you. And maybe it’s all the reasons we shouldn’t that make this pull between us so damn strong. Maybe just this once…”
