“Yes?”
“Would you hurry up and kiss me?”
With that smile, the man had the market cornered on smug. “I thought we could just talk tonight. Maybe do some stargazing.”
I pulled his face to mine, content to take what I wanted. I’d thought I’d give him a light taste, a brief graze of my mouth to his. But Miller had other plans. He slanted his lips over mine, taking his sweet time. A nip, a tug, a long, languid stroke. He had moves for days, and I sighed against him, my fingers tunneled in his soft hair.
“Maybe you should consider deleting those dating apps for a while,” he said against my lips.
“What?”
“All those dating apps.” Miller captured my bottom lip between his teeth. “Trash them.”
“Already gone.”
His grin was way too confident. “Because you’re crazy about me, Hattie. Admit it.”
I would not. “I needed the storage space on my phone.”
“Liar.” His mouth returned to mine, and I wondered if Ned had ever kissed me while vibrating with laughter. Right now I couldn’t recall much of Ned at all. And for that, I was grateful.
The wind whipped through my hair, and lake spray peppered it with a mist. Entwined with Miller, his hands curved around me, and mine making a study of the hills and valleys of his chest, I found I couldn’t care if I was soaked to the bone. The heat between us would dry me in no time. It was sweltering, nearly radioactive. A radiant warmth that should be kept far away from polar ice caps.
Our lips not breaking contact, Miller expertly led us to the couch on the other side of the boat. He sat down first, then pulled me onto his lap.
Just as my phone rang.
“Leave it.” He kissed my neck, dragging a trail from sternum to earlobe.
But the phone would not be ignored. It rang and rang. “It could be a client.” With regrets as big as the lake’s expanse, I stood and answered my cell. “Hello?”
“Hey, Hattie.”
“Buck?” His voice sounded scratchy and strained. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m over here at theSiloam Springs Hospitaland wondered if you could give me a ride back home.”
I felt Miller stand behind me. His hand went to my shoulder. “The hospital?” I repeated.
“Yeah,” Buck said. “Funny story. I was minding my own at the Cherokee Casino bar when a few guys decided to rough me up.”
“That’s terrible.”
“The police broke it up and brought me here. Got a few stitches as a memento, but my truck’s impounded. Would you mind fetching me and taking me home?”
I wanted to cry. This was not how I imagined my evening ending. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” With a push of a button, the call was over. And so was my date.
“Do I need to get you back home?” Miller asked, his tone telling me he was anticipating a disappointing answer.
“I’m sorry.” I held up my phone lamely, knowing he’d had heard most of it. “Buck had a little incident.”
“Watch out with him, Hattie.”
“I’m being careful.”
“Are you?”
Buck could certainly ruin a mood. “I’m not trying to make him into a father, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
