Burned (Miller Sisters 2)

I wanted to touch him so badly. To make sure I didn’t, I dug my nails in my palms. Then I put my hands behind my back. My chest thrust forward and I saw his eyes drop to my breasts.

For a moment neither of us moved.

I knew he was thinking about what had happened in the changing room. So was I.

‘Do you know what I wish?’ I spoke softly. ‘I wish we’d just met tonight for the first time.’

‘And if we had?’ His eyes held mine, slumberous and dark. ‘What would you have done?’

‘I would have asked you to dance.’

‘Maybe I would have asked you first.’

‘You wouldn’t have noticed me in that crowd.’

There was a long silence. His gaze dropped to my mouth and lingered there. ‘I would have noticed you, Ninja.’

We stood there, wrapped in the past and the smells of the city, bathed in the glow that was London at night.

I felt as if my skin were on fire. I was burning.

‘Hunter—’

‘Was it true what she said?’

We both spoke at the same time and I laughed nervously. ‘Was what true?’

‘Hayley said you hadn’t been involved with another man since me.’

I shrugged. ‘No, that’s not true. But I learned not to take relationships so seriously. I went out. I had fun.’

‘With guys like Brian who wanted you to join a book group and take up baking?’

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Brian was so obviously wrong for me it wasn’t even worth defending myself and Hunter smiled, too, a smile of breathtaking charm, and in that moment I realized that no matter how much time had passed, nothing could dampen the attraction between us. It was off the charts. I’d never had this level of sexual chemistry with anyone, but I knew now it was my problem.

‘We’d better go back inside.’ I stepped away from him. ‘You’re supposed to be team building.’

This time around, I was in control of my emotions. My feelings were my problem, not his. It was up to me to handle them. To accept the truth.

He’d been the right guy at the wrong time and I’d always regret that, but it was something I had to learn to deal with.

CHAPTER SIX

It was an exasperating truth that the harder you tried to avoid someone, the more you saw of them.

I was determined to avoid Hunter as much as possible, so of course I bumped into him everywhere and it was very distracting. To be fair, the rest of the female members of staff were distracted, too.

I tried to work off my frustration in the gym. I took extra sessions and did extra workouts myself.

By Friday of the following week I was physically exhausted but nothing had dampened my sexual frustration.

I texted my sister, ‘Pick up batteries on your way home.’

She texted back, ‘Pick up Hunter instead.’

I ignored that, gritted my teeth and got on with my day. I avoided the changing room because that made things worse.

I did pretty well until late afternoon when I saw Hunter in one of the studios, hunkered down in front of a skinny boy of about nine. I didn’t recognize him.