Page 39 of The Front Runner
“Of course.” My eyes fall to her firm ass. No one should look that irresistible in cargo pants. “And Mira?”
“Yeah?” Now facing me, she continues to step backwards, putting space between us, making the pull more powerful than ever.
“Only smile when you want to.”
Her full lips press down, almost certainly hiding a small smile. And she gives me that look again. The one so full of questions and confusion.
I stand and watch her leave, like she can’t get away from me fast enough. Since I came clean about wanting her, she’s been skittish around me.
Shaking my head, I marvel at how the more confused she is about me, the less I am about her.
* * *
I tried avoidingMira a while back, and it didn’t work. And apparently, she’s trying her hand at avoiding me now. I’m supposed to attend a family reunion with her tomorrow, but I’ve seen hide nor hair of the woman since our run in with Patrick. She’s been here checking on Loki, I can see her notes and initials on his chart hanging on the front of the stall. I just don’t know when she’s coming because she’s ignoring my messages. Calling the clinic doesn’t even work anymore, because the person I now have to talk to is my endlessly lippy sister.
So now I’m going to sit on the barn floor and wait for her to show up.
Was I too forward the other night? Maybe. Do I regret it? Hell no. I refuse to let a woman like Mira walk around thinking she’s anything less than the queen she is. She’s not a tool; she’s not a pawn. I don’t have it out for her friends the way she thinks I do. Did I want to buy that horse? Yes. Did I resort to a less than savory offer to make it happen? Also, yes.
But I hold no grudge. That’s just business. I’m well aware Billie hates me, and that’s okay. She can hate me. She has zero bearing on how I feel about Mira.
Which is determined. I feel determined to prove to her I’m not the dick she thinks I am and that I’m definitely not playing with her. That I want her.
What started out as a simple attraction morphed into a curiosity. And then into a tentative friendship, which is when she showed me the woman beneath the cocky smirk and the unimpressed looks. And that woman?
I plan to take my shot with that woman. I just need to soften her up first.
Step one: talk to her.
Step two: woo her.
Step three: win her.
Mira is closed off, and actually more shy than I originally banked on. Skittish even. She comes off like this confident siren of a woman, but when I press, she turns into a deer caught in the headlights.
I’ll take it slow. I’m a patient man, and I think she’ll be worth the wait.
So, I wait into the night, through dinner, for two hours before she shows up, closing the door quietly behind herself before she catches sight of me and stops in her tracks.
“Hi,” I venture quietly into the private barn.
“Hi,” she replies sharply, propping one fist on her hip, leaning one leg out to the side. Wearing that attitude and glare like a suit of armor. “Are you waiting for me?”
“Yes.” No point in lying. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
“Ha!” She barks out a laugh. “I wonder why?”
“Am I so bad?” My cheek quirks up, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want her to answer.If she only knew.
“No, Stefan. You’re not. I’m the one who’s bad. Lying to my friends about the deal we made. Sneaking away to spend time with you. Do you know how shitty that makes me feel? I already couldn’t win this situation, and then you had to go say what you said and throw an even bigger wrench into my dilemma.”
“Dilemma? That means you’re torn by something.”Good.There’s a petty part of me that wants her to be as confused as I am.
“Ugh!” Her free hand pulses into a fist and then lets go as she storms toward the stall. “Now I have to deal with you openly wanting to fuck me, too.”
I tut her. “Such language, Dr. Thorne.”
“Oh, lucky me. Mr. Cool Calm and Collected is here to lecture me about how he never swears.”
