Four Weddings and a Swamp Boat Tour - Erin Nicholas Page 0,32

he held. The others didn’t so much as shift. So now Mitch was the one surrounded by and covered in cats.

Paige couldn’t help but feel a little swoop in her stomach at the sight.

Any guy who liked animals was automatically hotter. But it was a sure sign she had deeper feelings for Mitch because, in spite of the smile and everything, Griffin sitting there with her cats hadn’t done as much for her as Mitch sinking into those cushions and stroking a hand over Bernie from head to tail.

She wanted to be the one on his lap.

And not necessarily for anything sexual. She would be happy just cuddling with him the way the cats were.

“There’s bread pudding in one of those boxes for you,” Mitch said, inclining his head toward the coffee table. “Don’t let Griffin eat everything.”

“Really?” She leaned to grab the box Griffin hadn’t opened.

Bread pudding. She wasn’t sure she’d ever had it, but dang, it looked and smelled amazing. The cinnamony smell made her mouth water, and she took the second spoon Mitch had set on the table as well.

Paige joined Mitch on the couch, getting as close to him as she could—Tim was in the way and didn’t seem the least bit inclined to move—and tucked her feet under her. She angled her body so she could prop an elbow on the back of the couch and face Mitch.

But as Griffin dug into his food, Mitch just sat watching the game and petting cats.

She studied him. Huh. This didn’t seem like him. He was so into her that she always felt like she was the center of his attention when they were together.

Not that she needed his constant focus. In fact, she wasn’t sure how she’d handle that long-term. As in the seven months she was staying here, of course.

It was better that he not be incessantly in her space.

Probably.

She took a bite of the bread pudding. And gave a little moan. Oh, wow, that was good. Full of carbs and sugar, of course, but dang.

She opened her eyes—not realizing they’d drifted shut—to find Mitch’s hot gaze locked on her face. She licked her bottom lip. His eyes followed. She felt a swirl of warmth in her belly.

He quickly snapped his attention back to the television.

Huh. What was that about? “So your family is fine?” she asked.

He nodded but kept his eyes on the game. “Yeah. They’re great.”

“Did you see Tori?”

“Oh, no.” He glanced at Griffin. “She and Griffin were at some cow birth.”

Griffin nodded as he chewed. He swallowed. “Finished about an hour ago. She wasn’t feeling great, so probably headed home.”

Mitch frowned at that. “She was sick?”

“Kind of. She just seemed a little off,” Griffin said. “It was a long day though.”

Mitch pulled his phone from his pocket. “I don’t think Josh knows she’s not feeling good.” He tried to shift Eddie off his other arm so he could text, but Eddie wasn’t moving.

Paige reached for the cat, lifting her food box into the air and bringing the tabby into her own lap.

Mitch gave her a little smile, then focused on his phone. He typed out a quick text—she assumed to Josh—and then set the phone on the arm of the couch.

“She wasn’t sick,” Griffin said. He lifted what looked like a muffin from the other box. “She was just tired. I wouldn’t just blow her off if she was sick, you know.”

He seemed genuinely insulted that Mitch would think he didn’t care that Tori wasn’t feeling well.

“I know, man. But Josh was up at Ellie’s, and I’m sure he’d want to know if Tori was home.”

“Okay.” Griffin glanced at Paige. “Wouldn’t want our other roommate to think I’m a dick.” He bit into the muffin

Paige lifted a brow. “I don’t think you’re a dick. I don’t know you well enough to know that yet. But I don’t find you to be a charming conversationalist.”

Griffin snorted, and Paige felt herself smile.

“I’m not a charming anything,” Griffin said, popping the rest of the muffin in his mouth. “If you’re looking for charming, definitely stick with that guy.” He inclined his head toward Mitch.

Paige looked at Mitch again. She slowly nodded. “Yeah, I think I will.”

Mitch’s gaze met hers, and she felt a little jolt of awareness. And emotion.

The emotion she was going to ignore. But the awareness—i.e., the strongest attraction she’d ever felt for anyone—she liked. She was going to wallow in it, in fact.

She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, stroking