Page 40 of Where the Heart Is

‘Thank you,’ she said, barely above a whisper, the enormity of his gesture hitting her all at once and she flew at him, almost knocking him over as she flung her arms around his neck. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ he said, his tone gruff as he tightened his arms around her.

She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the faintest vetiver, wondering if he always smelled this good before realising she’d never got this close in the past. They’d hung out as friends, and she’d been very careful to hide that she wanted to be more. They’d camped under the stars together, they’d swum in the dam, they’d made cookies, a solid threesome with Will always around.

But her brother wasn’t around now, and they were all grown up, two single adults with an underlying attraction. Or was that only one-sided? Did Sawyer feel this zing between them?

Only one way to find out. As she eased back to look him in the eye and saw an answering glint of lust, she did the one thing guaranteed to change the status quo between them.

She kissed him.

CHAPTER

24

One minute Sawyer felt like a god, with Mila staring at him with gratitude in her eyes, the next he lost his mind as she kissed him.

Correction, devoured him. Mila kissed like she did everything else in her life—with passion, gusto, no holds barred—and he couldn’t believe his luck.

Their mouths fused, a hungry, frantic moulding of lips and tongue that left him breathless and wanting more. A hell of a lot more.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, tugging his head closer, as she hooked a leg around his waist, and when she started writhing against him, he lost it. With a groan, he picked her up and backed up against the nearest wall, mindless with wanting her. He couldn’t see straight let alone think and it took a full five seconds to register he’d kicked the paint tray.

‘Put me down,’ Mila yelled, pummelling his shoulders with her fists, and he obliged, thankful the tray hadn’t been filled with paint and only held dregs.

Splatters covered the floor but not enough to do much damage and he squatted alongside Mila and grabbed a rag. ‘Got any turpentine lying around?’

‘Yeah, but don’t worry. Floating floorboards are going over this concrete so the paint will be hidden.’

Yet she continued to scrub at the paint spill like her life depended on it, unable to meet his eyes.

‘Hey, slow down.’ He placed his hand over hers, not surprised when she yanked it away.

She regretted the kiss.

Though calling what they’d just done a kiss was like calling a summer deluge a drop of rain.

‘Mila, look at me.’

After an eternity, she dragged her gaze away from the paint-splattered floor and looked at him. His breath caught at the depth of emotion in her wary gaze.

That kiss had affected her as much as it had him.

His heart still pounded so loud it reverberated in his ears, and he could barely think. But he knew he had to smooth this over; otherwise, she mightn’t want to go through with the deal. Not that she suspected he was behind it, but as the broker she’d have to see him again and if she felt too uncomfortable …

‘We got caught up in the moment, that’s all,’ he said, hating that he had to downplay what had been a phenomenal kiss—the kind of kiss to get him going in a way he hadn’t for a long time, if ever. ‘It’s okay.’

‘Okay,’ she echoed, still looking as shell-shocked as he felt. ‘I got swept up in gratitude.’ She made circles at her temple. ‘It sent me a little loopy. Won’t happen again.’

‘That’s a shame,’ he said, the blush staining her cheeks adorable.‘Because you can thank me like that any time.’

He expected her to fire back with a quip like she usually would, so her silence unnerved him more than if she’d kissed him again.

‘Want to stay for dinner? It’s nothing fancy, reheated lasagne, but it’s the least I can do.’

‘Sounds good,’ he said, happy to spend more time with her.

Being back in Ashe Ridge mightn’t be high on his list of all-time favourite activities, but reconnecting with Mila made him feel like he’d been missing out by staying away so long.

---