If Nate could’ve made a noise, what would’ve come out of him was a groan. “Because it was seven years ago. And no big deal.”
“You rejected my sister. Do you seriously think she lets things like that go? She’s still mad because Jimmy Reynolds picked me to be his buddy the day we went to the zoo in second grade.”
Nate had little trouble believing Ivy couldn’t let things go, but surely Mia was exaggerating about her sister holding a grudge because of a second-grade field trip.
Mia threw up her hands. “No wonder she was so cool to you on tour.”
Had Ivy been cool? He must’ve looked puzzled because Mia asked, “You didn’t notice the way she flirted with everyone except you?”
He shook his head. In fact he hadn’t noticed much about Ivy at all. His attention had all been focused on Mia.
“It explains a lot,” she said. “And now she thinks because you want to work with her that you’re interested.”
Nate wasn’t particularly worried. He was a professional and would treat her as such. “I’m only interested in you.”
Mia’s color was high as she approached the bed. “You can’t be interested in me. We’ve been through this already.”
“And it didn’t end the way I wanted to.” He paused to read her expression. “I don’t think it ended the way you wanted, either.”
“What I want hasn’t mattered since I was seventeen years old.”
“Why?”
She waved her hand, batting his question away. “It’s a complicated family thing. Ivy isn’t as strong as she appears. She needs me to be there for her.”
For how long? The rest of her life? Mia had so much to offer. If only she’d stop hiding behind her sister.
“When you say she needs you to be there for her,” Nate began, bringing up something he should’ve probably saved for another time. “Does that include making excuses for her when she doesn’t feel like doing something?”
To his mind, Ivy could stand to concern herself with something more than her immediate needs and desires. Maybe she’d grow up a little if she took some responsibility. He wasn’t sure that Mia was doing her sister any favors by shielding her.
Mia pressed her lips together and held still for a long moment before offering up a long sigh. “Yes.”
He made a rude gesture.
As always Mia was quick to make excuses for her sister. “She’s an artist and artists are sensitive.”
Nate wanted to point out that he was an artist, as well, and that didn’t stop him from dragging his ass out of bed when he was exhausted or showing up on time and ready to work even when he didn’t feel like writing or singing or being interviewed.
“That’s not going to cut it in my studio. My time is money.”
Mia’s resistance crumbled. “I know. I’ll warn her about that.”
“Come here.”
This time she didn’t resist. Once he had her beneath the covers, he slid down until he lay flat on his back. The urge to reach across the foot of space separating them on the mattress and touch her overpowered him, but she shook her head, as if she could read his intentions.
“We can’t.”
“You want to.”
“Yes,” she whispered, even as she shook her head. “But I can’t.” And then she turned onto her side and put her back to him with a mumbled good-night.
He signed his response, knowing she couldn’t see it, and rolled onto his side away from her before temptation had him rolling her onto her back and covering her mouth with his. Not that he had the energy to make love to her. Damn it all. It figured that he’d get her back into bed when he couldn’t capitalize on it. On the other hand, she wouldn’t be here at all if not for his surgery.
Nate drifted off to sleep, keenly aware that bare inches separated his back from Mia’s. However, at some point during the night, they both shifted, and when he woke up she was nestled beside him, her softness warming his left side, her cheek pillowed on his chest. His arm was around her. He’d buried his nose in her sweetly fragrant hair.
From her deep, even breathing he decided she was still asleep, so he kept perfectly still and savored the moment. Outside, the sun was kissing the balcony railing. Nate closed his eyes and pretended that he still had hours and hours to enjoy having his arms around Mia.