Page 16 of Slide
Bella nodded again. “Beat the shit out of him?”
Miles deflated somewhat. “Well, uh …”
“You’re not the only one who feels that way,” she assured him. “Even I wish I could. He’d grind me into dust because he’s so much bigger and I fight like a girl, but I’d like to take a swing at him too. I’ll be living with what he did forever.”
“It’s not your place to apologize for him, Bells.”
“I know. But someone has to. Artie won’t. I can’t give you or Miles your money back. I can’t give anyone their money back. All I have is an apology to offer. You were able to keep your business though, right?” She was addressing Miles again. “Didn’t you take over your father’s business? Thought I’d heard that several years ago.”
“Yes. I was able to keep hold of the business. I’ve had to spread it out, travel farther sometimes for the work, but yeah, the business is still in the family.”
“You ever do any painting?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Miles replied, confusion evident in his tone.
Travis nudged her. “You thinkin’ to get rid of that God-awful purple?”
Bella groaned. “It’s a dream. I doubt I can talk the owners into it, but I was thinking of trying in the fall. Of course, there’s the issue of my car that has much higher priority, but it’s a dream. I could organize a painting party. If I found a couple guys to provide the labor, I’d provide the paint, beer and food.”
“Miles would do it for the beer alone.”
Miles tossed a wadded up napkin at Travis. “I’m not that easy. Throw in pizza and I might be, but not for beer alone.”
Bella laughed, Travis smiled, and Miles was still uneasy, but with a little time he’d come around. Or Travis would have to deck some sense into his brother.
Bella broke the silence that had once more fallen around them in the small room. “I need to get back to work. Mrs. Cleary kinda gave me the evil eye when I headed out this way. Thanks for letting me hang around.”
“Thank you for bringing lunch over. I’d have worked right through and so would Miles. It was nice of you.” Travis slanted a look at Miles, who watched the exchange between him and Bella.
“Y’all aren’t foolin’ me. Go on, Trav. Kiss her. You know you wanna.”
Bella blushed, ducked her head and stood. She wouldn’t look at him. Instead, she gathered her half-eaten lunch and her purse. “See ya.” It was all she said but it was enough.
“Asshole,” Travis muttered in the direction of his brother, to which Miles shrugged. But to Bella, he said, “He’s right though.”
Travis wrapped his hand around Bella’s upper arm and tugged her toward him. He slanted his head, gave it half a shake when she started to speak, and took her mouth with his.
She tasted of salt and ketchup and cherry. It wasn’t the sexiest taste, but he didn’t care. She was the sexiest woman, and when she melted into his kiss, slid her tongue along his … He nearly forgot himself and his surroundings.
“I’ll pick you up from work in a few hours,” he said after. She licked her lips and looked up at him with lust-filled eyes. Damn, she was hell on his self-control.
“Okay.”
“Damn. I need a cold shower,” Miles commented after Bella had left the office.
“Shut up.”
“I’m serious. You might as well have gotten naked and fucked for as hot as that was.”
“Drop it, Miles. It was only a kiss.”
“Right. If that was only a kiss then I’m only the Pope.”
Travis flipped him off and walked out of the office after tossing his trash in the can. He resumed his position under the hood of the Wagoneer and did his best to concentrate on the job.
It was only a kiss. Miles was blowing it out of proportion. Travis knew the kisses between him and Bella in private were singe-the-paint-off-the-walls hot, but in his office? Not in the same league.
He grabbed the earbuds and turned his music back on. The wrench was within reach and soon he was back in the zone of his work. He wouldn’t concern himself with the fact that every few minutes he glanced up at the clock to find the time.
