Tempt Me
She glanced over, noting he wore his typical hanging-around-the-house outfit, black track pants and a tee shirt, and she had trouble tearing her gaze away from those muscular arms and, in particular, the one sleeve of tattoos. God, the man was sexy. And although she knew it was her imagination, she thought he’d gotten more so since their kiss and her vow to forget it had happened. It was as if the heavens were punishing her by making him look even hotter and more edible.
“So what kind of playdate do you have, Mia?” Austin asked, a handsome grin on his face as he settled into his chair at the table.
She frowned at his inquiry, not wanting to get into her personal life when she was trying to keep a professional distance from him.
Still, this was an easy question in front of Bailey. “I’m having dinner with friends.”
“Female friends?” he asked, surprising her.
“Friends from my city days,” she said vaguely, if only because it really was none of his business. If they were going to keep things normal, he shouldn’t be asking.
She swung around, picked up oven mitts, and carried the casserole tin to the already set table.
“How are you getting there?” he asked.
She told herself this was normal conversation, not to read anything into it. Even if they’d never discussed her social life before and she had gone out on the admittedly rare Friday or Saturday night.
“The train,” she said, joining them and sitting down, pulling her chair in so she was more comfortable.
He frowned at that.
“Something wrong?”
“Nothing going in. It’s just a little empty and dangerous coming back alone at night.”
“I’ll be okay,” she said, understanding his point. “I’m not coming home all that late and I’ll keep my eyes open.”
A growl-like noise sounded from deep in his throat. She couldn’t tell if he was agreeing or still unhappy with her choice in transportation, but he didn’t get a say.
“Going anywhere fun?” he asked.
“I’m meeting the girls at happy hour after my friends get off work.” She caught her slip immediately. Yes, she was going with her girlfriends.
His frown turned into an obviously satisfied smile, telling her he’d have cared if she had plans with guys, too. The notion pleased her, which was ridiculous. She shouldn’t care what Austin thought of her social life. They weren’t going to go there. No repeat of the kiss. Not again.
Mia served Bailey a smaller portion of lasagna and busied herself giving Austin his before taking her own. Bailey, meanwhile, had watched the grown-ups talk in unusual silence, and now she dug into her meal quickly and with gusto, spreading the dinner all over her face.
Mia nudged her lightly. “Napkin,” she said, pointing to her sauce-covered cheeks.
The child wiped her face, succeeding in smearing the red sauce around even more. With a chuckle, Mia dipped her napkin into a glass of water and wiped Bailey’s mouth and cheeks.
Austin’s gaze followed the interchange, his dark eyes warming at the sight.
Flustered, Mia focused on her meal. Luckily, Bailey finished her food quickly and the chatting began again, giving Mia a much-needed break from Austin’s questions and concerns and her desire for a man she couldn’t, shouldn’t have.
* * *
It had been a long time since Mia had been in a bar during happy hour. The loud din of voices and laughter rang around her, and she couldn’t hear her friends talk over the noise. She turned down offers from guys who wanted buy her a drink, not in the mood for small talk with strangers. She’d rather be catching up with her girls than fending off potential advances. Besides, her mind was occupied with thoughts of one man only and she couldn’t get him out of her head.
From the bar, they went to a nightclub, and though there still wasn’t quiet time to talk, she danced with her friends and had a great time. The night went fast, and before she realized it, it was past eleven. She wanted to grab a train home, not wait until the last one that would be completely empty.
“Hey,” Amber, her good friend from her days being a nanny in Manhattan, said, having to yell in her ear. “You have that I’m-done-here look.”
Mia smiled. “You know me.”
“Let’s go. I’ll share your cab to Grand Central. I have to pass there on the way to my place anyway.”
“Great!” They said good-bye to the others and she and Amber headed for the exit.
They walked through the doors and into the fresh, cool night air, the silence surrounding them a welcome relief.
“Oh my God. Peace and quiet!” Amber exclaimed.
“Tell me about it. Oh, look, there’s a coffee place on the corner. Let’s get something before we grab a cab.”