“None of your business.” There was no playful tone, which meant she wasn’t trying to make me jealous—another thing that made her unlike most women. “Well?”
“Can’t I stop by to see a friend?” I don’t know why I was screwing with her or what I hoped to gain, but Mikki didn’t looked amused. Or in the mood to be screwed with.
“Sure. As soon as you tell me why you’re here, you can go stop by to see that friend.” There was no sting to her words, just a bland matter-of-factness that set my teeth on edge.
“We’re not friends, Mikki?”
“Are we?” She shot the question back at me. “We’re not and we both know that, so why don’t you tell me why you’re really here.”
Damn, the woman didn’t pull any punches—then again, what did I expect after leaving her bed just before the sun came up and not calling her once in the past thirty-three days? “I came to see you.”
“Oh.” The word held no surprise or pleasure, and I was pretty sure she didn’t even believe me. “Well, then, you should have called—I’m not having visitors this evenin’.” She took a step back and began to close the door, apparently serious about not being in the mood, us not being friends, and not having visitors tonight. Whatever the hell that meant.
“Wait.” My palm smacked against the door, obviously startling her, but she hid it quickly behind a glare.
“What is it?” Her exasperation was clear, and I realized just what a mistake I had made by avoiding her this past month.
“Eddy and Elizabeth stopped me coming out of Big Mama’s and handed me these. For you, I assume.” I lifted the pizza box and the bottle of wine from the table beside the front door and handed them to her. “It wasn’t my idea, but you know how they are.” And when it came to matchmaking the Hometown Heroes, they were worse than ever.
“Oh. Well, thank you.” She turned left and right, damp hair still sticking to her skin as she searched for… something. “How much do I owe you?”
Before I could answer, Mikki’s back was to me, giving me a good long look at the golden dragon imprinted on the fire-engine red robe. It was silky and touchable looking, short enough that more of her legs were revealed than were hidden. Mikki had great legs, even though she was as diminutive as they came; they were shapely and toned, evidence she was more than her curves. And those legs led to delicate feet with sparkly red and pink painted toes. All in all, she was an enticing package and I felt my control slipping, at least, it would’ve been if not for her insulting question. “You don’t owe me anything.”
The frown that met me when she spun back to face me said it all: Mikki didn’t like my answer. “I am perfectly capable of paying for my own dinner, Nate, thank you very much. And I will.” She folded her arms over her chest, revealing honeyed cleavage, and notched her chin into the air. “Or you can take that pizza home with you and I’ll order a new one. You can leave the wine, though, since I didn’t order it.”
Immediately, my thoughts went to the meddling matchmakers I’d left in front of Big Mama’s, and what they’d have to say when word inevitably got back to them that Mikki had ordered a second pizza. It wasn’t worth the hassle. “You owe me twenty-six bucks,” I told her. “Plus tip.”
She snatched a few bills from her purse, mostly just ignoring me until she smacked three ten-dollar bills against my chest. “Delivery costs, too.”
I shoved the cash in my pocket angrily. “Thanks. I guess.”
“Thanks for the delivery, even though it wasn’t necessary.” She grabbed the pizza and wine and turned away from me before stopping to look at me over her shoulder. Those hazel eyes held me, transfixed, as she assessed me. I wondered what she was thinking about, and if it mirrored my own thoughts. Until she spoke. “Have you eaten?”
I shrugged. “I got food in the car. Eddy stopped me coming out of Big Mama’s Diner.”
“Oh.” Just that one word held a wealth of meaning. Disappointment that I hadn’t come because of my desire to see her. Annoyance that I had stopped by unannounced and, if I read her right, annoyance in general at my presence. “Okay, then, thank you. Have