Page 51 of Where the Heart Is

The corners of his mouth kicked up in a sexy smile that made her heart skip a beat. ‘Who said I’d be sharing your bed if I moved in? We could be roomies.’

She loved the twinkle in his eyes almost as much as their banter. ‘You wouldn’t be able to resist this.’ She gestured at her casual outfit of denim skirt ending just below her knees and blue short-sleeved top and cocked her hip.

She expected him to laugh, but as his eyes darkened to indigo and his gaze travelled over her like a slow caress, her skin pebbled.

‘You are pretty irresistible,’ he said, his voice husky, and he cleared his throat. ‘But by the look in your eyes, I think you should feed me first, because I have a feeling I’m going to need all the energy I can get.’

They laughed and continued to laugh all through dinner. After Sawyer had demolished two servings of rice and curry, and the last pappadum had been eaten, they took their beers through to the living room.

Sawyer hadn’t mentioned business over dinner and Mila hadn’t asked. He was doing her a favour in securing a buyer for her land and she didn’t want him to think the only reason she wanted him around was because of that.

She sat and propped her bare feet on the coffee table, wriggling her unpainted toes. When Sawyer sat beside her, close enough she could rest her head on his shoulder, she did exactly that.

They didn’t speak as he slid his arm around her so she could snuggle closer, and with her stomach full and her heart at peace for the first time in a long time, she closed her eyes.

The comforting familiarity of his crisp vetiver aftershave and the warmth from his embrace lulled her, and she sighed, more content than she’d been in ages.

Guys liked to talk—about themselves, mostly—so having Sawyer remain silent, as if sensing her need to decompress, meant a lot.

She could get used to this.

CHAPTER

30

Sawyer had never had a woman fall asleep on him. But that’s exactly what Mila did after dinner. And she hadn’t been wrong about the snoring. A chainsaw had nothing on her.

He stifled a chuckle as she let rip with a particularly loud snort, knowing she’d hate him for not waking her but enjoying the unexpected comfort of having her warm and pliant.

He never did this. Have a homemade meal with a woman, then sit on the couch and just … be. When he dated, he had dinner at a restaurant and usually went back to the woman’s place. He valued his privacy and his space and didn’t want either intruded upon by someone he wouldn’t see more than a few times, if that. He liked his life uncomplicated, the antithesis of what it had been growing up.

But he knew that spending time like this with Mila was one giant complication waiting to happen.

She hadn’t pushed him about the land deal, and he hadn’t volunteered the information. Time enough after dinner. If she ever woke up, that is.

It didn’t sit well with him, withholding the truth that his company was acquiring her land. But Will knew her better than anyone and if her brother insisted that Sawyer keep his involvement in this acquisition a secret, he’d do it.

Not that he was a complete idiot. Getting Will’s blessing might soothe his conscience, but it didn’t change facts.

He was lying to Mila.

A woman he cared about.

And it would be an absolute shitshow if she ever found out.

Earlier today, when he’d been finalising the paperwork to present to her, he’d convinced himself that even when he eventually told her the truth, she’d be grateful he’d stepped in to save her dream. One friend helping out another. What was so bad about that?

But when he’d arrived here for dinner, seen her comfortable in the kitchen, independent and loving it, with fire in her eyes as she pushed the flirting boundaries, he knew he was kidding himself.

She’d flay him alive.

Mila stirred and he instinctively tightened his arm around her. Rather than snuggle into him as he hoped, she stiffened.

‘I’m assuming it was a full stomach that put you to sleep and not my scintillating company,’ he murmured, as she eased away and he reluctantly let her go.

‘I can’t believe I fell asleep. Hope I didn’t drool on you.’ She patted his chest to check and he didn’t mind a bit.

‘No, but you were right about the snoring.’

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