“Only a little?”
I shrug.
“Well, just tell me to shut up if you need to, okay? What are you doing today?”
I groan. “It’s family day.”
His brows raise. “Oh?”
“The last Monday of every month we do something as a family,” I explain.
“Aw, that’s fun. How big is your family?”
“It’s not my literal family. It’s my two best friends and one of their partners. Seth’s son is in town, with his boyfriend. So they’ll be there too.”
“Hey, chosen family is still family. Sometimes better than blood. And did you say partner? Your friends are gay?”
“They’re bi, but yeah. Declan and Seth are together. It’s just weird because we work together, you know? So it’s lame to haveone moreday together.”
“No, it’s not. Work is not bonding time,” Miles says. “Honestly, I’d love to see my family more than I do.”
“Where do they live?”
“Taylor, Michigan. Close to the edge of Lake Erie.”
“Near Detroit?”
“Hey, gold star for you! You know your geography.”
“Do you ever get back there?”
His brows furrow. “Dang it. Hold on. I missed some stitches.”
I bite back a laugh. I didn’t realize he was crocheting. The blanket lowers as Miles hovers over the pattern, counting quietly. I can just make out the curve of his bare upper thigh. It makes my pulse quicken.
Clematis jumps on the bed, eyes narrowed like she’s thinking of doing some bodily harm since I haven’t fed her yet. I sit up against the wall, scrubbing my face. The rough stubble is a reminder I desperately need a shower.
Miles curses under his breath. “Why do I keep—Oh! Wait, I see it.”
I chuckle. “Thought you said it was an easy pattern.”
He sticks his tongue out. “Shut up.”
Damn, this guy is cute. I can’t get enough.
“So why a travel nurse?” I ask, spying a dirty sock on my bed and tossing it to the pile in the corner. “If you miss your family, why not stay in Michigan?”
“Believe it or not, I couldn’t find a job there, since it’s a pretty small city. I could’ve gone to Detroit, but I don’t like it there. And the pay as a travel nurse is like, phenomenally better. I’m making three times as much as I would’ve back home.”
“To spoil all your boyfriends with?” I tease.
Miles rolls his eyes. “Hey, if I could find even a single guy to blow my money on, I would.AndI’d blow him. Happily! But they never like that I travel for work, so whatevs.”
“No long distance?”
“Oh, I’m willing. They aren’t.”
“How about hook-ups then? For the blow job, I mean. Seems a perfect solution for someone living on the road.”
