Burned (Miller Sisters 2)

That sounded like a good idea but it turned out it wasn’t. Dancing with Hunter, even in a group, did nothing to cool me down. I was so busy trying not to touch him I was barely moving. I was wearing my favourite red dress, which was actually little more than a stretchy tube. I loved it because it meant I could dance without fear of exposing myself, but tonight I wasn’t testing its capabilities. The floor was crowded and someone bumped into me, sending me slamming into him.

I felt his hands close over my arms, steadying me, and I shut my eyes. I decided right there and then that there was only so much torture a girl could take.

Muttering excuses, I plowed my way through the seething mass of gyrating bodies and out into the street. I crossed the road to the embankment and hung over the wall, looking at the river. Lights sparkled on the surface of the water. I wondered whether jumping in would cool me off.

‘Are you all right?’ His voice came from behind me and I breathed deeply, knowing I couldn’t show him how I felt. Not this time.

‘Just needed some air. Go back inside.’

But he didn’t. Instead he stood next to me and stared at the river. ‘I didn’t know you worked for Fit and Physical until I took over the company and saw the staff list. I’ve made things difficult for you.’

‘No, you haven’t. It’s no problem.’

‘I enter a room, you leave it. When we’re sitting next to each other, you stare straight ahead. We haven’t talked about what happened.’ His arm brushed against mine. He turned his head to look at me. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be.’ I gave him my most sophisticated woman-of-the-world smile. ‘You gave me a great start to the weekend. You’re good. You always were.’

He didn’t smile back. ‘I’m not talking about the sex.’

‘Oh.’

‘You must hate me for what I did.’

Was that what he thought? I didn’t know whether to laugh or be relieved he hadn’t guessed the truth. If I hated anyone, it was myself.

‘I don’t hate you.’

A muscle flickered in his jaw. ‘I walked out.’

‘I don’t blame you for doing it.’

‘You didn’t look pleased to see me the other night.’

‘I was having a difficult evening. It was pretty frustrating that you just happened to show up when I was being dumped.’

‘You shouldn’t have been with him in the first place.’ His voice was husky and sexy and I turned away to look across the water, hoping he couldn’t see the burn in my cheeks.

‘Look, what happened between us—that’s the past. I don’t blame you for any of it. I was a mess.’ When he didn’t respond, I turned my head and saw the shock in his eyes. ‘What? Do you think I’m so lacking in self-insight I didn’t know that? Hunter, I was terrible. Frankly, I don’t know how you put up with me as long as you did. I was a nightmare. I can’t even bear to think about it, because it embarrasses me so much.’ Although it made me cringe to admit it, I actually felt better having said it. ‘I’m the one who owes you an apology. I was like a piece of bindweed. I was a limpet and you were my rock.’

He breathed deeply and then lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over my cheek. ‘You were adorable.’

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t not respond to his touch. My stomach curled and knotted. ‘I was needy, clingy and far too serious.’

He curved his hand round the nape of my neck, his thumb still on my cheek. ‘I was afraid I couldn’t live up to your expectations. I was afraid of letting you down. And I did.’

‘We both know you did me a favour,’ I muttered, ‘even though your method was a bit brutal.’ The most brutal thing had been accepting he hadn’t loved me, but I wasn’t going to say that. ‘Forget it.’

‘It was the hardest thing I ever did.’

I wasn’t sure i

f knowing that made me feel better or worse. ‘It’s in the past.’

‘Is it? Hayley didn’t make it sound that way.’

‘Hayley got a little carried away. She’s my sister.’

‘Whenever I thought of you, which was often,’ he said softly, ‘I knew you’d be all right because you had her.’