Page 82 of Take This Heart
I groan and have to adjust myself when she turns to stare at my place. She shuffles in slowly and I close the door behind us.
“Milo, this is insane.”
I chuckle and toss my keys on the side table.
She lets out a breathy, “Wow.”
I watch her wander through the room, trailing her hand over the back of my couch and walking to the windows. Two walls are entirely floor-to-ceiling windows, but the view has never been so spectacular. She stands there looking out at the skyline.
“These windows. This view,” she says, turning around to face me. “Milo, this is gorgeous.”
“We need all the light we can get in the winter, right?”
“So true. I’m impressed. I love the choices you’ve made. This lamp. That rug.” She points to them as we walk to the kitchen. “Beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I can’t hide how pleased I am. “That means a lot coming from you.”
She grins. “Again. Not what I would’ve expected to hear from you the night we met.”
“Ditto. You called my work a travesty, so I think we’ve come a long way.”
She puts her face in her hands and shakes her head. “Me and my mouth.”
“I’m crazy about that mouth.”
She presses her lips together, her cheeks flaming. I love it when they do that. She glances away shyly and I stalk toward her just as she squeals.
“Is that chocolate-covered strawberries on your counter? Milo! Who even are you?”
“I had Jenny leave them for us. She cleans the place and leaves meals for me when I’m in town.”
I put my hands on her waist and she wraps her arms around my neck, playing with my hair.
“That’s so billionaire of you.”
I groan. “Not something I love to be called these days, but I guess it’s fitting. I remembered you saying you had a thing for strawberries…especially the ones covered in chocolate.”
“I can’t believe you remember that.” She leans up and kisses my cheek. “That’s really sweet, Mildie. And also, I know you’re trying to distract me right now.” Her eyes are bright with that mischievous gleam that makes me nervous yet on my toes. “I read that you have donated millions to charities…is that true?”
I shift, uncomfortable with this topic. “Also, not something I love being broadcast. A journalist got to one of my former accountants, who quit because she didn’t want to return after maternity leave. She was chatty and said more than she should’ve.”
She grins, and because I’m so tall and don’t want her neck to hurt looking up at me, I lift her onto my countertop. I also happen toreallylike her on countertops.
“Back to the chocolate-covered strawberries, Golo,” I say, kissing her neck.
Her breath catches and her head falls back, giving me full access.
“I’m not able to eat them sexily,” she says, her voice breathy.
I laugh against her skin. This woman cracks me up.
“Everything you do is sexy.” I kiss my way up to her mouth and pick up one of the strawberries next to her. “And now I have to see.”
“You’ve been warned,” she says, when I lift it to her mouth.
She takes a bite and half of the chocolate falls and strawberry juice runs down her chin. We both laugh. I lean in and catch the juice with my tongue and trail up to her mouth.
“Still sexy,” I say against her lips.
