Etta James now sang about true love while I inhaled the scent of cologne on my dance partner’s shirt. When I felt Miller’s hand aim lower on my back, my senses nearly shut my whole system down.
I leaned my head back and eyed him. “How far south is your hand going to go?”
His left brow rose. “You said you wanted a ten on the old jealousy scale, Hattie. This is just the warm-up.”
“I’d like to amend my answer.” My pulse skittered to its own frantic beat. “Downgrade that to maybe a seven.”
“Level seven still includes inappropriate hand placement and suggestive hip alignment.” Miller took a quick survey of the populated landscape behind me. “They’re watching us, sweetheart. Put a smile on those red lips and look at me like you adore me.” With that, he spun me around, only to reel me back in, ignoring my stumbling feet and shocked face. “Now…” Miller drawled, settling into an easy two-step and looking much more awake. Almost as if he were enjoying himself. “Let’s discuss kissing.”
I tripped over his left shoe, and had Miller not grabbed me, I would’ve gracelessly face-planted on the scarred wood floor. “That’s not necessary.”
“Client satisfaction is important to me.”
“Is that so?”
“Part of my brand.”
I was so in over my head. “Very noble.”
Miller glanced past me and scanned the room again. “It’s important to deliver on a promise.” His hand skimmed up and down my back as he drew me closer.
“Ned and his girlfriend are pregnant,” I blurted, trying to distract us both.
The hand making swoops along my shoulder blades did a slow meander up my spinal column. “Ah, Hattie. I’m sorry.”
With a short-circuiting brain, I reviewed my feelings on Ned’s news, still surprised at the results. “I’m actually okay with it. She can have him. I wasn’t ready to take care of little gamers yet.”
“Then we can quit this demonstration?” He stopped dancing.
“Definitely not.”
Miller’s laugh was instantaneous, a loud burst of sunshine on my bruised and battered ego. Between Kamrnn and Ned, I’d basically been rejected twice tonight.
Still smiling, Miller glanced down as if to see if I was still participating, then nuzzled near the curve of my neck—not touching. But almost. “What did you ever see in that guy?”
Words currently eluded my overheated mind, and I struggled to push any of them into a formation that made translatable sense. “I guess…similar interests. He was kind.”
“You didn’t recognize any red flags?”
“I don’t go looking for them. I look for positive qualities.” I could think of about a hundred for Miller right now.
His fingers now glided up my ribcage. “You can’t ignore the bad characteristics in a person you’re going to commit your life to.”
“That’s so pessimistic.” How were Miller’s hands so magical? If I were his girlfriend, I’d never want him to let me go.
“It’s realistic,” Miller countered.
“I don’t want to live like that.”
“And how’s that working out for you?” He winced as I stepped on his foot. Again.
My smile was pure sass. “So very sorry.”
“Look, all I’m saying is you have to weigh the good and bad. You can’t ignore the warning signs.”
“And you don’t see any warning signs with Alexis?”
A muscle in Miller’s jaw ticked. “We’re talking about you tonight.”
