Sweet Hill Homecoming (Sweet Hill 1)

“Well, hello to you too,” he smiled and held a dish in his hand. “I figured I’d bring you dinner since you’re hungry.”

Mia stared at him, mortified and a little happy. But mostly mortified. He was in dark jeans, black shirt and leather jacket. His hair was perfectly combed and face freshly shaven. He smelled like he just stepped from showering in a rainforest and everything about him called to her.

“By the way,” he leaned in a little, “You look beautiful.”

Mia would have laughed but the way he said that, with such seriousness, made her chest do a weird flipping thing. He handed her the dish and took a step back on her stoop. As if he was leaving. She frowned.

“Are you leaving?”

He looked her in the eye. “I just wanted to make sure you got fed.” There was something so sincere in his expression she wanted to kiss him right there.

“What if I wanted you to stay?”

His eyes smoldered and she didn’t miss it. It made her bolder. For whatever reason, Tatum West either had her spitting fire or second guessing and right now, she wanted to just feel him.

“Whatever you want,” he said. “But I don’t want to overstep.”

She shook her head. “You’re not. I just…” she glanced over her shoulder and Tate looked in, likely seeing the open door to her bedroom in chaos and her closet on her floor.

“I was having trouble figuring out what to wear,” she admitted.

He looked her up and down with such heat it made her melt. When he took in her tee-shirt and grinned, “Well, I think you nailed it.”

She couldn’t help but laugh a little and stepped aside. “Will you please come in, Deputy?”

He did and Mia put the dish on the counter. Realizing right away she was hungry for something else.

~

If Tate didn’t know before, he was certain now, Mia Blake couldn’t look bad. Her eyes were bright and her skin glowed. Even from several feet away he could smell her hair. Strawberries and mint. He even kind of liked that she was nervous. It made him feel like they were closer to level playing field because all damn day he’d been on the brink of cold sweats from nerves.

Judging by the tornado that hit her bedroom, she’d been trying on different things for a while. He stepped inside and couldn’t help but get spellbound by the look in her eyes.

“I’m glad you came over,” she said, taking a step toward him.

My god so was he. Because she looked at him like he was edible and it made his cock rise to attention and everything in his body pulse with the urge to touch her.

He wanted to say something. Something about expectations, rules and tomorrow. That would obviously come up. Especially since until just recently, they hadn’t been on speaking terms, much less dating.

Was what they were doing, what he was hoping they were on the brink of doing, dating? Before he could ration through that, he stalled. Because Mia ran one dainty hand up his chest and licked her lips. And the only thing his mind could churn out was images of those lips on him.

Fuck it. He’d deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.

And all the logic, reasons as to why this wasn’t a good idea, how they were a bad match, and the future didn’t matter. His brain shut off, and instinct took over.

Just like it had the night at the bar.

Her hand snaked lower, so slowly that it made every muscle in his stomach tense as she fluttered her fingertips over the ridges, stopping once she reached his belt. Brushing her fingers along the clasp she gripped it, turned toward her bedroom and pulled him.

“I thought you were hungry,” he said as she walked backward, leading him damn near by the cock.

“I am,” she said and kept her eyes on him.

His pulse was beating in his temples and his skin buzzed. His clothes felt too restrictive and she was definitely wearing too many garments. Once she got him into her bedroom, she kicked the door shut.

He raised a brow. “On another mission tonight, Miss Blake?”

She gave a sultry little smile. “I am. Take off your jacket.”