Worth the Wait (McKinney_Walker #1)(37)

Minutes later, Mia pushed back in her chair slowly, almost reluctantly. The asshole did the same then stepped into her space, closer than casual. Mia nodded at whatever he said, and they embraced.

When the guy cupped her shoulders and kissed her cheek, Nick pushed back, glad when his chair scraped the floor.

The man was out the door and off in a rush, leaving Mia to drop her empty cup in the trash. Well, he had trash to drop, too, didn’t he? He stood.

“Shit,” Mike muttered behind him.

In three strides, he met her at the trash can. “Hey.”

She looked up, obviously surprised. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?”

“Of course.”

He didn’t like the look in her eyes. Had that skinny-jeans-wearing asshole put it there? “I’ll walk you out.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I’ll do it anyway.” He waited for her to move past then reached across her body to open the door. Together, they stepped outside, and he had a flash of another day they’d walked outside together. He was sure he smelled that same fresh citrus scent.

They walked silently to her car and stopped. The sky had darkened to an ominous steel blue. The wind bent the small trees in the parking lot. Mia’s eyes met his then looked away quickly. Wary. His fault. They hadn’t exactly left things on a good note in her office a few days back. Also his fault.

There was something else in her eyes, something sad. Lost. What had happened to his Mia? At one time, they’d both been so sure of themselves. Of each other and what they were together.

“I want to apologize for the other day. And in the hospital. I shouldn’t have come at you like that. It was a shock, seeing you, and then with Hannah’s thing and… I was…”

“Upset?”

He huffed out a small laugh. “Yeah. You could say that. I’m glad Hannah had you, has you, if she needs to talk to someone.” His eyes searched hers, ran over her face, lower, then back to her lips. “She’s seeing that guy again. McKinney.”

“I know.”

Right. She probably knew before he did. He tried not to let that bother him. How the hell could he protect Hannah, or anyone, if he didn’t know what was going on?

“I know his sister, Lizzie. We met through some area psychology groups. Of course I can’t vouch for Stephen, but she’s a good person. They’re a nice family, if that helps.”

“It does.” But his mind was suddenly less on that and more on the woman in front of him.

A cool downdraft of air pushed against them and pressed the pale silk blouse against Mia’s breasts. A piece of hair blew over her face, and he reached to tuck it behind her ear. So did she, and their fingers brushed. He felt the sizzle all the way up his arm, and again, his eyes went to her lips. He knew the taste of them, the feel of them on his.

Had that man kissed them? Did he know how she tasted there? Everywhere? Without thought, his body moved closer like it knew where it belonged. “Who was that man?”

Her only response was to raise one delicate eyebrow. Of course, it was none of his business. That didn’t help a damn bit. But she looked tired, and there was something in her eyes. “He upset you.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“You never could lie to me.”

“I never tried.”

What would she do if he leaned in and covered her mouth with his? He could barely think, standing close enough to touch her, and didn’t trust his hand not to shake if he did. She was his. She’d always been his. The thought of another man touching her… It didn’t make sense, the jealousy after all this time. But it didn’t have to make sense. What was between them didn’t make sense—it just was.

And it was in the past. But it didn’t feel like the past. It felt like right fucking now. She was right here, right now. He could smell her. Would swear he could feel the strands of her hair slipping through his fingers like water. God, he wanted to touch her. “Are you dating him?”

“Nick.” She looked at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was.

“He’s not your type,” he said, more angry than he had a right to be.

She shifted, her eyes narrowing. “Well, it’s been a long time. Maybe you don’t know me anymore.”





Chapter 13





NICK FEATHERED HIS THUMB over her cheek, and her breath backed up in her lungs.

“I know you,” he said.

Didn’t he know how much it hurt to see him? To touch him? Didn’t he know how much she had suffered at being without him? She didn’t see any sign of suffering in his eyes, but then again, she couldn’t read his eyes like she had once.