I don’t know what it is that sets her off, but she throws her head back and starts to laugh. A real honest to god belly laugh. And it’s just such an awesome, beautiful sound that I can’t help but laugh too.
Clutching her stomach with her hand, she attempts to catch her breath. She sweeps her bangs back.
Her blue eyes are glistening.
She looks like poetry. Like the sky on a hot summers day. Like the ace in the hand I need to win.
Okay, I’m guessing you get the picture.
She looks beautiful.
“You’re funny.” She smiles. “You make me laugh.”
Hold up. Clarification needed. I don’t mind being the class clown, but not the village f**king idiot.
“Funny ha-ha, or funny peculiar?”
She leans forward, elbows on table, chin in hands as she purses her lips. I feel like I’m being appraised. I can’t say a woman has ever looked at me this way before. Or left me hanging on a question. I feel a bit rattled, to be honest.
“Funny ha-ha,” she finally says.
Well, thank f**k for that.
“You’re quick, straightforward, and you don’t mess around. It’s refreshing.”
“Now, if I didn’t know better, I think you were calling me common…” I tease.
She drags her lip back with her teeth and her eyes flash me a look. It’s seriously hot.
“You’re anything but common.”
“I’ll take that as another compliment.”
“It was meant as one.” I notice that her voice has dropped a few octaves lower. That her breathing has hitched slightly and that the flush is back, curving the tops of those amazing br**sts of hers.
There’s a tangible heat moving between us. It’s taking everything in me right now, to hold back and not make a move on her.
Fuck, I want to make a move, and the way she’s looking at me…
She wants me.
Trust me, I know one thing well, and that’s when a woman wants me. And Mia wants me.
I meet her eyes again, and I’m swiftly reminded of the bruise on her face.
Crash and burn.
She’s too fragile.
She’s been through too much. I’m not the kind of guy she needs.
Shoving the chair back, I get to my feet. Mia’s eyes dart up. I’m pretty sure I see a flash of disappointment in them. It both, buzzes and sours my mood.
Fucked up, right?
“Time for me to pick Dozer up.” I glance at my watch as though to confirm this fact to her.
“Would you mind if I came along? I’d really like to see how he’s doing,” she asks in that sweet ass voice of hers.
It invades my head like a physical presence.
I want to say no because I could do with the time to clear my mind of her, and what I want to do with her … to her.
I even open my mouth to say no. But, of course, I say yes.
One look into those stunning blue eyes of hers and all my sense flies out the window.
Then she smiles, and I’m f**king done for.
I can’t even blame this one on my c**k as he hasn’t even shown up for the party.
***
The drive to the vet is quiet. Mainly because I can’t think of a damn thing to say to her. This is a foreign concept to me. I’m never without something to say to a woman, but right now I’m rattling around inside my head trying to understand what is happening here.
Why is Mia affecting me so much?
Maybe it’s because the unknown is eating away at me.
Putting the sex aside—yes, I did just say that, unbelievable, right? See this is what she’s doing to me. The thing is, I actually like talking to her. She’s smart. And fun. I’m hot for her, and I want to spend time with her.
Never. Happened. Before.
And I don’t like it.
This girl is going to slowly drive me crazy, I can feel it.
Maybe I should just have sex with her and get it over with, be damned the consequences. She’s definitely hot for me; I could tell before. Maybe if I just…
“—wasn’t that the turn for the vet?”
“What?” I come to at the sound of Mia’s voice.
“I think you just missed the turn to the vet.” She points over her shoulder.
I cast a quick glance behind me, and see that I have indeed missed my turning because I was thinking about her.
“Shit, yeah,” I mutter.
I check the road is clear and spin the car around, heading back the way I just came. I take the turning and pull up outside the vet.
There’s no one behind the desk when we enter the building, so I ring the bell on the desk.
Penny appears from behind a door. “Hello again.” She smiles brightly. “Dozer’s all ready for you. If you want to take a seat, I’ll bring him right out.”
I sit down beside Mia, but I feel restless. I’m not exactly sure what it is that’s making me restless. Maybe it’s because I’m hyped up on sexual tension.
“Are you okay?” Mia asks.
I follow her eyes to my tapping foot.
“Oh, yeah, fine.”
“Are you worried about Dozer?” She smiles softly and touches my arm with her hand.
My body electrifies from her touch. I can barely think straight from the heat burning my skin.
Seriously, what the f**k is that?
“Who?” I mutter.
She looks confused.
I open my mouth, but close it when Penny comes out with Dozer. “Here he is.”
Dozer limps toward me. His leg is in a cast and he has a pissed off look on his face. He’s wearing one of those huge cones around his head.