Page 46 of Meant to Be
Sydney frowned. The flirting woman was the wife of Mitch’s superior? She couldn’t decide if she felt guilty or relieved.
“I’ll tell him you said so.” The woman gave Sydney a once-over and smirked.
Sydney knew the woman had to think she was Mitch’s new conquest. She wouldn’t have minded, if it were true.
“Don’t go getting me in trouble, Beth.”
The woman laughed and then drove off.
Mitch continued up the street, with Sydney following. His easy, jovial manner wasn’t actually gone, except with her.Seeing you hurts me.His words came back to her. She hated that. She didn’t want to hurt him.
“Let’s cross.” Mitch veered left, crossing the street.
As Sydney followed, the buildings began to look familiar. They were heading toward the oldest part of town, a square that looked as if it were plucked from a Norman Rockwell painting. The closer they got to the square, the more people they passed. Some were running, others walking.
A few women called out, “Hey, Mitch.” They drew out the “Hey” so it sounded like cooing.
Sydney rolled her eyes.
They entered the square and, while it was still early, there were shop owners sweeping the sidewalk and preparing for opening. A true Mayberry. All of them did a double take as they ran by.
“Everyone is going to think we’re together.”
“Worried I’ll ruin your reputation?” Mitch glanced at her over his shoulder.
“No. I’m worried I’ll cramp your style.”
“I’m not a sex addict.” He said in a clipped tone with a sideways glare toward her. “I think I can go a few days without having a woman.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“And consider this, Syd. People will think we’re together, including whoever is trying to kill you.”
She wondered if his plan included pretending to be an item. “What do I tell people when they ask?”
He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Tell ’em I’m protecting you.”
“Right,” she muttered. Glancing over at Mitch’s muscles moving beneath his shirt, Sydney was overcome by disappointment that they couldn’t even pretend to be together. Not that she wanted pretend. She longed for something real. And despite how obvious it was that Mitch wouldn’t be that person to her, her wish that he would be grew. Even though he wasn’t the same man. It made no sense.
They circumnavigated the square and headed back the way they’d come to Mitch’s home.
“You can have the shower first.” Mitch opened the door, letting her in before him.
“I won’t be long.”
Mitch watchedSydney from the corner of his eye as she made her way back to the guest bedroom and he went to the kitchen. He pulled a glass from the cupboard, filled it with cold water, and drank it all in a single gulp. It wasn’t very hot out, nor had he worked very hard on the run, but he was burning up. Sydney’s running outfit didn’t leave much to the imagination. And despite the pain being with her brought, his hormones didn’t seem to care. All they paid attention to were the long legs and the curves. More curves than he remembered. Curves his hands longed to get reacquainted with. And if her question from the night before was any indication, she was open to letting him touch her.
The lower part of his body called him a fool for letting his head dictate his actions. Mitch was a strong man, but if his reaction around her so far was any indication, he wasn’t strong enough to withstand her appeal. Of course, it wasn’t just the fact he was having a hard time letting go of the past that had him hesitating. It was that Sydney wasn’t a woman who had casual affairs, and he wasn’t a love-ever-after kind of guy. Not anymore. It was unfair to blame her for that. In fact, knowing what he knew now about the status of his letters, she didn’t deserve for him to be so hard on her. She’d been a victim of her mother’s “good intentions” as well.
“Your turn.”
He inhaled a breath before turning to look at her. He didn’t want the evidence of his thoughts etched on his face. “That was fast.”
She wore a light blue dress that should have looked plain, but it hugged all her curves. He was jealous of that dress.
“I’m not as high maintenance as I used to be.”
She didn’t need to be. She never had.
