Miller chuckled as he wiped his damp hands. “I’ll finish these later.”
“You mean your housekeeper will.”
“My housekeeper adores me.”
“She probably talks about you to her friends. ‘Miller James can’t even do his own dinner dishes. Leaves baked-on grease and can’t soak a pan to save his life.’”
“Are you accusing me of slacking? Do you have a complaint to lodge with management?” Miller’s grin was made to devastate. A weapon of mass destruction, blowing up hearts and good intentions in his infuriatingly handsome wake.
“I…I can’t think of anything at the moment. I could submit a list…later.”
“Uh-huh.” The gaze that held mine was the type that usually preceded a long, slow kiss. It promised, it teased. “My housekeeper finds me faultless too. She loves me. Makes me cookies almost daily and laughs at all my jokes.”
“Probably has a direct effect on her Christmas bonus.”
He winced and shook his head. “If only you’d been this tough on your fiancés.” Without warning, he reached around me and opened a cabinet.
Miller smelled of dish soap and a hint of grill smoke. His body pressed into my side was warm and solid, the kind you wanted to cuddle into because it would feel safe…and yet deliciously dangerous.
Thankfully the moment was over before I could even consider it.
He held two wineglasses in one hand. “The girls will be detained for at least an hour. You and I have important matters to discuss.” And just like that, the curious glint in his eyes that saidmaybe I have thoughts about youwas gone.
CEO Miller was back—and he’d just called a meeting.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Let’s get down to business.” Miller led us outside, handing me a glass of white wine. A fireplace held down one corner of the large space with multiple seating areas. Just beyond a grilling station large enough to cook for an army was the pool, lit up for a romantic evening swim.
“Don’t you want to talk to your sister?” I moved closer to the water and watched the evening breeze ripple the surface. “I don’t want to interrupt your opportunity.”
“I talk to her plenty.” His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “We email frequently. Now back to you.”
“I really should get back home,” I said. “I have some files to look over, some emails to write.” A cold shower to take, a boss to wipe from my short-term memory.
“You said you wanted my help.” There was a smile in Miller’s voice.
“It was a weak moment.”
“Do you want more dates with guys like your professor?”
“I don’t really want dates at all. What I want is a plus-one for Jasmine’s wedding.” I checked my naked wrist. “Wow, look at the time. Early start tomorrow, so I need to get to bed.”
Miller’s hand reached for mine. “Stay.”
Did he feel that? That instant rush of chaos and heat?
Of course he didn’t.He was probably going to help me with my dates so he could cross it off his to-do list, then go inside and call his girlfriend.“Miller, I’ve simply changed my mind. I don’t need a matchmaking overlord.”
“Afraid I’ll find you a good guy?” Wow, he had that therapist tone down good. Very impressive.
“I’m starting to doubt those exist.”
“I mean a genuinely good man. One who, I don’t know, has a legit job, doesn’t live in his mother’s basement, or know in excruciating detail how to bury a body without tipping off the police.”
It all felt so hopeless. And embarrassing. I was the therapist who couldn’t get her own life together and ignored every warning sign there was. Men practically waved their red flags right in my face while I blew kisses and cooked them dinner. “Maybe this person isn’t out there.”
“Never go into a project assuming it’s going to fail.” Miller held out a hand, his fingers beckoning. “Open one of those dating apps and hand over your phone.”
