cheese? I wouldn’t want to hurt the guy. The notes are pretty harmless.”
Miles’ right hand flexes, like he wants to reach out and grab hold of me. He restrains himself, instead smiling broadly. “If you spent more time outside, he probably couldn’t help but stop by and visit with you. Sounds to me like he’s got a bit of a crush on you.”
“Too bad, I’m interested in someone else.” I meet Miles’s eyes shyly. It might be the way the sunlight catches, but I swear his chest swells with pride.
“Come with me to the bar for dinner,” he says impulsively.
“Before I answer…you know what I realized today? You’ve never told me your last name.”
Miles eyebrows rise. “I haven’t? It’s Wilson. Now, dinner?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask about his sister’s last name, but that would be a dead giveaway. Instead, I push away the unpleasantness from earlier.
“I’d love to.”
He reaches over to weave our fingers together, pressing his palm to mine. When our skin touches I swear the air sizzles around us. Time freezes when our eyes meet, unblinking, sending soundless messages toward a future together.
“ B oss man!” Jake cheers when we enter Blue in Green a little while later. His gaze quickly travels to where our hands are clasped, but he doesn’t comment.
“Jake.” Miles nods his head in greeting as we approach the counter. “You’ve met Zoe, right?”
Of course Miles knows that I’ve met the bartender, but there’s an underlying message in his casual mention: show her respect. Pink tinges my cheeks as I force myself to smile normally at Miles’ friend.
“Sure, we met the other night when she was here with…”
“Blake,” I answer quickly. “We’re related on my mom’s side.” Jake’s visible surprise is all the encouragement I need to continue. “He can be a little alpha. I hope you didn’t get the wrong impression of him.”
Jake glances at Miles almost like he’s looking for a bro code signal. “No, not at all,” he responds slowly.
“You going to stare at us or get us some drinks?” Miles breaks the tension with a crooked eyebrow.
Jake shakes off his stupor, flashing his easygoing grin. “Tequila again, Zoe?”
I laugh as I climb onto one of the stools. “No, that stuff’s poison, and I drink it once a year. Iced tea, please.”
He doesn’t bother asking Miles what he wants, just moseys around the back of the bar, soon presenting my drink and his beer on the bar. Jake props his hands on the bar, leaning into the concrete. “If you’re related to Blake, does that mean you like sports?”
I notice at that moment that Miles isn’t sitting next to me as he leans down to drop a kiss on my temple. “Be right back,” he tells me. Then to Jake, he says, “Don’t be a dick.”
The insult rolls right off Jake’s shoulders as he chuckles. “I’m not the one who blew off the little lady with a bout of jealousy. Besides, Tess wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if she ever found out I was rude to one of your girlfriends.”
Girlfriend? We haven’t gotten that far, but I’d be lying if I said the relationship status didn’t make my stomach go all warm and gooey.
“She hasn’t agreed to be my girlfriend. Yet,” Miles throws over his shoulder when he walks through a door behind the bar. It’s loud enough for several of the other bar patrons to eye me curiously. Again, my cheeks tingle with heat.
“You’re not engaged to another guy, then?” Jake’s lost some of his friendliness.
“No, of course not!” I wave my right hand at him, displaying the ring. “It’s my mother’s ring.”
Jake’s expression softens, and his stance relaxes as he seemingly understands what I’m telling him. “I’m sorry for you loss. You understand I’m watching out for my friend, though. He looks at you like you hold the keys to heaven, and I don’t want to see him get hurt again.”
Again? Somehow I know that comment has to do with Lacey. I
Miles’ right hand flexes, like he wants to reach out and grab hold of me. He restrains himself, instead smiling broadly. “If you spent more time outside, he probably couldn’t help but stop by and visit with you. Sounds to me like he’s got a bit of a crush on you.”
“Too bad, I’m interested in someone else.” I meet Miles’s eyes shyly. It might be the way the sunlight catches, but I swear his chest swells with pride.
“Come with me to the bar for dinner,” he says impulsively.
“Before I answer…you know what I realized today? You’ve never told me your last name.”
Miles eyebrows rise. “I haven’t? It’s Wilson. Now, dinner?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask about his sister’s last name, but that would be a dead giveaway. Instead, I push away the unpleasantness from earlier.
“I’d love to.”
He reaches over to weave our fingers together, pressing his palm to mine. When our skin touches I swear the air sizzles around us. Time freezes when our eyes meet, unblinking, sending soundless messages toward a future together.
“ B oss man!” Jake cheers when we enter Blue in Green a little while later. His gaze quickly travels to where our hands are clasped, but he doesn’t comment.
“Jake.” Miles nods his head in greeting as we approach the counter. “You’ve met Zoe, right?”
Of course Miles knows that I’ve met the bartender, but there’s an underlying message in his casual mention: show her respect. Pink tinges my cheeks as I force myself to smile normally at Miles’ friend.
“Sure, we met the other night when she was here with…”
“Blake,” I answer quickly. “We’re related on my mom’s side.” Jake’s visible surprise is all the encouragement I need to continue. “He can be a little alpha. I hope you didn’t get the wrong impression of him.”
Jake glances at Miles almost like he’s looking for a bro code signal. “No, not at all,” he responds slowly.
“You going to stare at us or get us some drinks?” Miles breaks the tension with a crooked eyebrow.
Jake shakes off his stupor, flashing his easygoing grin. “Tequila again, Zoe?”
I laugh as I climb onto one of the stools. “No, that stuff’s poison, and I drink it once a year. Iced tea, please.”
He doesn’t bother asking Miles what he wants, just moseys around the back of the bar, soon presenting my drink and his beer on the bar. Jake props his hands on the bar, leaning into the concrete. “If you’re related to Blake, does that mean you like sports?”
I notice at that moment that Miles isn’t sitting next to me as he leans down to drop a kiss on my temple. “Be right back,” he tells me. Then to Jake, he says, “Don’t be a dick.”
The insult rolls right off Jake’s shoulders as he chuckles. “I’m not the one who blew off the little lady with a bout of jealousy. Besides, Tess wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if she ever found out I was rude to one of your girlfriends.”
Girlfriend? We haven’t gotten that far, but I’d be lying if I said the relationship status didn’t make my stomach go all warm and gooey.
“She hasn’t agreed to be my girlfriend. Yet,” Miles throws over his shoulder when he walks through a door behind the bar. It’s loud enough for several of the other bar patrons to eye me curiously. Again, my cheeks tingle with heat.
“You’re not engaged to another guy, then?” Jake’s lost some of his friendliness.
“No, of course not!” I wave my right hand at him, displaying the ring. “It’s my mother’s ring.”
Jake’s expression softens, and his stance relaxes as he seemingly understands what I’m telling him. “I’m sorry for you loss. You understand I’m watching out for my friend, though. He looks at you like you hold the keys to heaven, and I don’t want to see him get hurt again.”
Again? Somehow I know that comment has to do with Lacey. I
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