call her. That, you know, I’d like to take her out to lunch or something.”
Not even a candlelight dinner. How cheap could one man be?
“Tell her I’m saving up my money to buy her a really big ring.”
Ouch. It was a good thing Mike was at his front door because he really wanted to deck the guy. Instead, he gave the bastard a half-hearted wave and pushed into the house. And just to put the icing on the crapola cake, Tori was there at the living room window. She’d been watching the whole exchange. But how much had she heard?
He looked at her blank face wishing he could read her mind. He couldn’t, so he held up the bag and cup. “Offerings from Edward.”
“Yeah, I saw.”
Then she closed her eyes. “Let me guess. A mocha with whip cream and sprinkles.”
He nodded.
“Moron.”
“What?”
“And the bagels are blueberry, French toast, and cinnamon apple crunch. With strawberry cream cheese.”
They were moving together to the kitchen, so he couldn’t look. But the cream cheese was right. “Aren’t those your favorites?”
She shook her head. “They’re his favorites. But to be fair, I don’t think I’ve ever really told him my preference. I’m just not all that excited about bagels.”
“What about the mocha?”
She shook her head. “Too sweet. I like almond milk lattes.” She shrugged. “He probably called his mother for advice. She’s the one who loves mochas.”
Mike set down the bag and looked inside. Yup, she’d called the bagels spot on. “He called his mother for dating advice?”
“It’s not like his friends have a clue.” When he looked up at her, she shrugged. “Geeks and posers, most of them. Though there are a few who are really sweet.”
“So you don’t like his friends?”
She reached forward and pulled out a bagel, grimaced, then tossed it back. “They’re fine.” Then when he was silent for a beat, she looked back at him. “I don’t really like a lot of people, Mike. Just about everyone is fine. Some more annoying, others less.”
“Fine.”
She nodded, then she stepped closer to him. “Others are really fine.” She drew out the word, making it sound luxurious. Like a fine wine or fine dark chocolate. On her lips, the word was sexy, and he couldn’t help the response of his body. His dick thickened and his hand wrapped around her waist, drawing her close before he remembered that he was hot and sweaty. And not in a fine way.
“Damn. Let me take a shower.”
“Don’t you remember? You’re really hot when you’re sweaty.”
“And…” He cut off his words. There were too many other things competing for his attention. Like the way her hair looked like summer wheat in the sunshine where it wasn’t touched with gold. Like the way she always smelled like lemons and spice to him. Like… “Take one with me,” he said.
She grinned. “Okay. Then I’ll make you an omelet for breakfast.”
He nuzzled the side of her neck, nipping the skin just enough to make her shiver. “Take a shower with me and then we’ll go out for breakfast. I’ll have a French chef make you the best omelet of your life.”
“I can cook one, you know. And not burn the eggs.”
He straightened. “I know. But why would you when I can buy—”
“Are you avoiding my cooking or trying to treat me?”
“Can’t it be both?” It was a joke. Even Tori couldn’t screw up a basic omelet. Then he sobered. “Honestly, I just want to give you the best while—” He slammed his mouth shut, narrowly missing his own tongue.
She sobered. “While we’re together,” she finished for him.
God, he hated the ticking bomb hanging over their relationship. They were together for the rest of the summer, and then… Then she would be free to go back to Edward or whatever damned pasty-faced prick she wanted.
She touched his lips with her fingers then extended the caress up his face. She stroked his cheekbone and over the curve of his ear. “In ten years, Mike, what’s your plan then?”
“To look back on a glorious career.” It was a knee-jerk response. That was his pat answer whenever he thought about the end of his basketball days. It was the only way he could deal with the clutching panic that came with the idea of the end of professional basketball. But Tori was smarter than the average reporter and she wasn’t about to let him get off with an automatic response.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I just wondered.”
But he did