Mia’s work ethic was flawless. I loved that my sisters looked up to her. She was worthy of being their role model. She’d started and grown her cake business all on her own—with no help from her parents or trust funds like me.
She’s a fucking queen.
Her brother came out of the living room, glared at me, and then relaxed his expression. “Oh. Hey, Logan. I heard a man’s voice and thought it was that jackass.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Tyson hasn’t come yet?”
Rob smiled. “You don’t see any blood on the floor, right?”
“Not funny.” Mia placed the bottle of wine she was carrying on the counter. “I was just opening this up for Rob and me. Do you want some, Logan?”
“Of course.” I pulled out the platter. “Are you guy’s hungry?”
“I’m getting there.”
“Yes, study food!” Rob grabbed the platter and began to carry it into the living room. “This exam might be the death of me.”
Grinning, I watched him rush off with some of the food. “What are you studying?”
“Criminal Law. It’s an open book exam which sounds easy, but there’s so much shit that could be tested on, and the damn book is 1800 pages.”
“Ouch.” I gave him a half smile. “Well then, enjoy the food. I’ve brought more. You can have that platter to yourself.”
“Really, Rob?” Mia went to him and snatched the platter from his huge hands. “Maybe you could’ve said, ‘Hi, Logan. How are you doing, Logan? Thank you.’”
Rob grabbed some of the cheese and mumbled between chomping, “Hi, Logan! How are you doing, Logan? Thank you.”
“It’s fine.” I studied her.
“See.” Rob took the platter back. “It’s fine. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m off to study.”
“Have fun.” I saluted him and returned my attention to Mia, thinking about the text messages she’d sent. “Why do you feel stupid?”
“I just do.”
“Don’t.” I moved close to her and wanted to pull her into my arms, but I had to take my time.
The hug from earlier had been everything and more. Her soft body had pressed against my hard chest, almost waking up my cock. I wanted to kiss her, brush my mouth against those lips, pick her up, carry her into the bedroom, and make love to her.
Our time will come.
But I had to be patient. I had to make sure this was something she would be open to. And that, sadly, would take time. First, she had to get over this idiot and move on with her life. And the whole time as she healed from the bruises Tyson had scraped on her heart, I would be there comforting her, holding her, and one day making her mine.
She raised her glass. “To friendship.”
I licked my lips. “To friendship.”
She guzzled half of the glass and set it on the counter.
I laughed and moved it away from her. “So, you’ve put getting drunk on this evening’s schedule?”
“Pretty much. I’m already tipsy.” She inched over to me and leaned her hip into the counter. Barely a foot lay between us. “What did you do on your not-date ?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m nosy.”
“It didn’t turn out that well.”
“Why not?”
“I ended it with her. I wanted to focus.”
“On what?”
I ignored the question. “What did you do, when I left?”
“Drank.”
“Did that help?”
“It did.” She curved her sexy lips into a smile. “You coming over helps even more.”
“Good.” My cock hardened in my pants. “I plan to be over here more.”
A naughty expression spread across her face. “Good. I would like that.”
I quirked my brows. “Would you now?”
“Yes.” She bit her bottom lip.
I yearned to take her mouth and show her that it was only mine to bite.
“Anyway. . .” She ran her fingers through her long hair and turned away. “I don’t feel stupid anymore.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Things are becoming as clear as day.”
“Tell me more.”
“I have to trust my body more. Especially my gut.”
“And what has your gut taught you?”
“I sat in that relationship with Dummy for no reason.”
I grinned. “Dummy?”
“That’s his new name. I won’t be calling him anything else.”
I laughed. “Alright. I can sign up for that.”
“When I was with Dummy, I felt icky and odd.” She put her gaze back on me. “When I am around you, I feel...”
I hung onto those words, needing her to finish.
You feel what?
Blushing, she went back to her glass. “Maybe, I’m more than tipsy.”
“Maybe, you should say what you want.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Maybe, it does.”
“I was just saying that whenever I’ve been around you, it always felt so right...I mean...you know...we’re friends and...”
“We enjoy each other’s company.”
“Yes.” She looked away. “But. . .I also wished I’d ended up talking to you that first night in Heaven. We would have hit it off.”
Stunned, I watched her take a sip from her glass.
Here I thought it would take time to make her mine. Instead, she’d opened the door for the conversation.