“Yeah, sorry I didn’t tell you before. I don’t like to throw it out there that grandma runs her own company.”
Mike leaned against the counter watching her. He started to cross his arms over his chest when there was a pop of a thread which prompted him to drop his arms. Destiny couldn’t help but laugh. Poor Mike. He had to be so uncomfortable. She did like that shirt, even if he looked hulky in it. His eyes were so bright.
Mike’s cheeks turned molten and that’s when Destiny realized she said that out loud instead in her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. So I look hulky?” He couldn’t suppress the smile.
“Even you have to admit that shirt looks a little small on you. You have such bulging muscles that shirt doesn’t stand a chance against your physique.” Destiny clamped her hands over her face and groaned. She really needed a filter. Or just to not talk around this man when he was setting off her hormones. Anything she was thinking came out of her mouth.
“Destiny,” Mike said, pulling her hands from her face, but she refused to open her eyes. How embarrassing. They were supposed to be friends and here she was talking about his muscles and his clothes tearing. She didn’t want to see his look of disinterest or hear about why she shouldn’t be talking about his body.
“Destiny, look at me,” he said gently, his breath fanning her face. His breath smelled of mint. This close, she could smell his earthy scent. She wanted to lean closer and take a deeper whiff.
“I can’t. I’m an idiot.”
“You are not an idiot. Adorable is a more apt word.”
That comment made her eyes spring open to glower at him. She wasn’t adorable. She almost wished she hadn’t opened her eyes. Mike was so close in front of her. He had moved silently, his chest almost brushing hers. His head was leaning down, only inches above hers. So close she had to tilt her head back to see his eyes.
There was no look of disinterest in them. There was humor and something else. Something she couldn’t decipher as much as she wanted to. It was a look he gave her several times. Was this the look Grandma interpreted as love? She had to admit it looked heated, his eyes piercing into hers.
Mike’s left hand lifted to her cheek then hesitated as if he were afraid to touch her. She felt the heat from his fingers already. Just a few more centimeters and he would be touching her. She willed him to touch her with her mind. Practically screaming the thoughts. Then there was contact. She felt it all the way down to her toes.
Mike had touched her before but not her face and not when he was looking at her like that. She was like a deer caught in the headlights. Frozen. She couldn’t pull away even if she wanted to, and she didn’t. Everything faded around them. The walls disappeared, there was just the two of them.
“Mike,” her voice husky as she leaned into his touch. Closing her eyes as she absorbed his touch. Memorizing it. She had dreamed of him touching her like this for the last two months and it was finally happening. Or was she hallucinating. Or what was the word? Daydreaming? If she was, she never wanted to wake.
She opened her eyes as her hands touched his chest, needing proof this was real. A very real heart thudded under her right palm. He felt hot and solid. This was real. Her gaze lifted to his lips.
“Destiny,” his voice matched her own. Deep and husky. He was as affected as she was. His other hand cupped the other side of her face drawing her to him like to magnets unable to resist the pull. Destiny lifted on her tiptoes to close the distance.
“There you two are.”
They both froze, their lips just centimeters apart. Destiny heard Mike growl as he turned to face Ron and pulling Destiny behind him, shielding her from the invader.
“Your mother is getting hungry and wanted me to check on it since you hadn’t come back yet.” Ron’s voice sounded snarky. Mike’s growl hadn’t helped the man’s fear of him. Whereas, it just turned her on. Not what she needed right now when they had just been about to kiss.
“Mike brought wine so I was putting it in the wine fridge. Since dinner is almost done, I was waiting for it. Mike was keeping me company.” The timer starting beeping at that moment to help with her story. “Ron, you can tell everyone to sit down. We’ll be out in a moment.” She didn’t step around Mike’s back until she heard Ron’s footsteps fading. She busied herself getting the oven mitts and getting the casserole out of the oven, not ready to discuss with Mike what had happened. He wasn’t helping matters by standing at the counter silent. Once she cut up individual pieces and he still remained silent she couldn’t take it anymore.
Throwing the mitts down she whirled on him. “Mike, if you’re upset you almost kissed me then say so. Just don’t give me the silent treatment. I’m a big girl, I can take a letdown. What I can’t take is you shutting me out.” Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her nerves were getting the better of her.
Mike looked at her unblinking. Destiny wasn’t prone to outbursts or raising her voice and she had just done both, but she loved this man and she didn’t want what should have been wonderful turning into regret. The last thing she wanted was for him to start pulling away from her and stop talking to her. Her mother had done that and it killed her.
Destiny felt her heart breaking when Mike still didn’t say anything. Whatever heat had been in his eyes when he was going to kiss her was long gone as if it never existed at all. She couldn’t look at him anymore or she’d cry and she never cried.
She turned back around to grab dinner and marched out, not waiting for him to follow.
Chapter 8
Once again Mike had upset Destiny, only this time he knew why. He should have told her he wasn’t upset for almost kissing her. He was angry at being interrupted. Again. Every time he got close to kissing Destiny or telling her how he felt, they would get interrupted. It was frustrating and now he had hurt Destiny by remaining silent.
He hadn’t been trying to be rude by not speaking up, she had just caught him off guard. Destiny was normally more reserved and demure. She just came at him like a lioness and he wasn’t at all prepared for it. It took a moment for him to get over his shock to assure her that he didn’t regret it at all. He only regretted he didn’t get to kiss her, and he’d happily punch Ron in his perfect teeth for interrupting them so they could to pick back up where they left off. But by the time the words came to him, she had stormed out of the room.
He hung his head in shame. This night was not going at all like he planned. Since the moment Destiny opened the door, his world had been turned on its axis seeing Destiny in that short dress enhancing all of her features. He couldn’t blame it all on the dress – it was her. She had him so twisted up and tongue-tied.
Having her in his arms had been heaven, and the way she had looked at him before he almost kissed her almost made him come in his pants. There had been lust there. He was sure of it. That glimmer gave him hope. Hope they could be so much more. Now he just needed to figure out how to make this right and finally kiss the girl.
