He was making good on a promise.
No. It had nothing to do with a promise. He could have found a way around it and still put this Jason jackass in his place.
He was there because of her. Because he wanted her.
For keeps.
Oh, shit.
He’d watched Will go stupid over a woman and now he was doing it. Love was the career killer. The enemy. He’d vowed to never get close to a woman, yet there he was…completely and totally fucked.
“And for you?” the bartender interrupted.
Mia. I’ll have Mia, please.
Without looking, he put his forefinger on the page.
“Ah. Excellent choice. Lucky Dog Stout. We use seven different malts including wheat malted right here, in…”
Lucky Dog. He shook his head and smiled as the guy kept talking. If it hadn’t been for the damned dog, he would have never met Mia.
“…with a roasted coffee overtone and a smooth finish…”
Smooth. “Your words are as smooth as your public image, Michael David Anderson. A girl could fall hard for you if she weren’t careful.”
Why so careful? What was she scared of?
“So, do you want to taste it first?”
“No.” He’d tasted Mia. He wanted her. And knew what it would take to get her. “You serve food, right?”
…
By the time they got to the pub, Mia was exhausted and starving. Her bridesmaid dress had fit fine, but Sue and Kelli insisted the neckline be adjusted. And to her amusement, they commented on the flashy black lace undergarments she’d changed into when she’d put on the jeans back at the room. She smiled at the thought of Michael picking them out. Had he touched them? He had certainly touched her. A tremor bolted through her body and between her legs as she remembered his skilled hands and mouth less than an hour past. It felt like forever ago.
When the wedding was over, she’d start her new housesitting job and all of this would be over. That in itself presented her with two options: Prevent it from going further with Michael by putting a wall up against potential heartbreak, like she’d done so far. Or go for it because it was a one-shot thing she shouldn’t pass up.
No matter what option she chose, her heart would be broken. She’d fallen hard.
Sue and Kelli had grilled her nonstop on him and she found herself gushing honestly, which hit home the point that she was way far-gone. Hopelessly gone.
He stood when they entered the pub, all well-dressed and handsome and hot as hell. The other guys followed his lead and stood, but it felt forced from them. The look he gave her was odd—the same poker face, but there was heat behind his eyes. Immediately, her breath caught.
Maybe it was just because she’d spent the last forty-five minutes convincing her best friend and her ex’s new girlfriend how in love with him she was… or maybe she really was, but like in those chick flicks she and Sue used to watch every Tuesday night, the rest of the world seemed to fade out, leaving only him.
A sharp elbow to her ribs broke the moment. “Mind out of the bedroom, girl,” Sue whispered.
The other guys sat, but Michael remained standing. As she looked from him to Jason, she was struck with how different they were. She used to think Jason shone like a bright light. Now, next to Michael, he resembled a flickering fluorescent tube compared to a theatre spot. And the spot, at that moment, narrowed to a tight focus on her. And it was thrilling.
As he approached carrying a bag, it became hard to breathe.
“Hi, Sue. I hope you don’t mind if we skip out a little early, here. I have to take care of some business and we need to go walk the dog.”
“Oh…” she glanced past them to the bar, where Jason and Mark were starting their third beers. “Sure. No problem. The rehearsal dinner—”
“Is at five at the Four Points Restaurant. We’ll be there on time.”
“Of course you will. It’s a rare man who can keep Mia on track.”
There was a slight twitch of a muscle at his jaw, but his expression remained neutral. “I’ve never known her to be late for something that matters.”
Both of Sue’s blond eyebrows rose in surprise.
Kelli laughed. “I guess that’s why Jason always bitches about how you were never on time for your dates.”
Not sure whether to be mortified or delighted, Mia held her tongue.
Leaning close, Sue stage whispered loud enough for Kelli and Michael to hear, “I like him, Mia. Hang on tight.”
Pain shot through her chest. He wasn’t really hers to hold. As convincing as he was as her fiancé, she’d almost let herself believe something beyond that weekend was possible. But it was just a dream. Still, a girl could dream… and perhaps make the best of the situation given.
He held out his hand and she slipped hers in it. To her surprise, he pulled her closer and kissed her. It wasn’t the deep, probing kiss he’d delivered for Jason’s benefit. It was publicly appropriate, but even as brief as it was, it rocked her to her toes.
“Hang on tight,” Sue had suggested. Maybe she should do just that.
Chapter Fourteen