six
. . .
Vicky
I knew I’d face Miles at some point tonight since I wasinhis house, but that knowledge didn’t prepare me for seeing him again in the flesh.
Oh. My. Goodness. This man was not real. His sandy-blond hair was a little longer on top than when I saw him almost a year ago, and other than looking exhausted, he was a Viking warrior straight out of one of my romance novels. His piercing blue eyes bore a hole through me as he gazed into mine. Shaking the image of him in a horned helmet and animal-skin coat, I tried to understand what was happening.
He was surprised to see me; that much was obvious. Apparently, Angelica, as she asked me to call her, didn’t tell him I would be here, and I wasn’t sure why. My hands were so sweaty, I fought the urge to wipe them down my legs, but I gathered my inner goddess, as Corinna had taught me, and faced him.
“Ciao, Miles. How are you?” I said quietly, my voice making him blink furiously. His lips parted as if he were about to say something, but no words came out.
He hadn’t taken his eyes off me, which was unsettling. Miles stared so long I began to fear he didn’t want me there. Panicked, I handed MJ back her dress—the exact shade of pink she wanted for her bedroom—and readied myself to leave.
“Ah, sorry. I’ll, um, get out of your hair now since you’re home. Sorry,” I repeated, grabbing my purse from the floor. “Angelica, just letme know what else you need from me. Thank you for having me over.” I prayed the burn in my cheeks was less noticeable than I feared.
I took a few steps, heading for the door. Miles blinked several more times, making me fear he might be having a medical emergency. Before I could ask if he was alright, his quick words halted me just before I got to the door.
“You’re here. In San Diego. In myhouse. My house in S-San Diego,” he stammered. I raised my eyebrows in confusion and a little amusement. What on earth would make him so nervous?Surelyit wasn’t me. Maybe no one told him I was working here now.
“Daddy, is your blood sugar dropping again? You know how hangry you get when you don’t eat,” MJ said with concern, tossing the dress on her bed and looking up at him.
He looked from her to me to his mother, his mouth still gaping.
“Miles, Sofia told you that Vicky was moving here. But tonight ismyfault,” Angelica said, rushing over to him, laying her warm hand on my forearm, keeping me from moving as she spoke to her son. “I meant to call and let you know that she’d be here tonight. Remember I said I knew how to take care of your party? That’s what Vicky’s here for. Well, that and to redesign your house. She has some wonderful ideas.”
“Oh, I didn’t know you hadn’t called Miles. If tonight is not a good time, I can come back,” I said as I looked at her, avoiding eye contact with the gorgeous man in front of me.
Angelica made a face that said, “do something” to Miles, and he finally snapped out of his stupor.
“No, no, V-Vicky. Tonight is great. I just didn’t know who my mother was bringing over to help. Sorry.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, his biceps flexing against his shirt, and I fought the urge to gape at them. His office must have been pretty laid-back because he wore a short-sleeved shirt. What nearly took my breath away was an intricate tattoo that peeked out from under one sleeve. It was all quite distracting and made me want to stutter my own response.
Instead, I smiled, forcing my shoulders to relax as I nodded. He held out his hand for me to shake, and I discreetly wiped mine on my jeans before offering it up to him.
When his warm palm slid against mine, the breath in my lungs was stolen just like when we first met. His head tilted as he looked into my eyes. Those icy-blue orbs pulled me into his orbit, and we both stood there, not moving, not speaking.
The dusting of blond hair on his corded forearm was raised, matching the goosebumps on mine. What was happening?
Miles was still shaking my hand when Angelica cleared her throat. He quickly let go of my hand as if it were on fire and looked away.
“O-kay,” she said, elongating the word, a smirk clearly evident in her voice. “How about we all go get some dinner and talk about the house and the party?”
Miles turned sharply and all but raced out of the room, with the rest of us following.
I’d need to call Ren soon to help me decipher all of this. She was more knowledgeable about men and these type of situations.
“Angelica, I don’t want to interrupt a family dinner,” I protested when we all made it to the kitchen. Miles lifted a pot lid off and yelped, dropping it on the floor with a crash as he stuck his thumb in his mouth.
“Good grief, Miles. Please go sit down before you hurt yourself more or break something,” his mother chided as he blushed.
I may not have much, ahem,any, experience with men, but he seemed as nervous around me as I was with him. The question was why?
MJ took him by the hand and sat with him at the dining room table, shaking her head, as if he were the child and she the parent.
“And Vicky, I won’t take no for an answer. You’re staying,” Angelica said firmly, washing her hands and starting to plate up the chicken and vegetables. “Sorry Dean couldn’t stay. He promised a friend he’d help him put some furniture together.”
