She’d come downstairs last night for a while after he’d left her bedroom, determined to speak with him, to tear down the barrier he’d erected by tying her up to the bed and eating her until she hardly knew where or what she was except a quivering mass of pleasure completely at the mercy of Rill’s tongue. The house had been dark and his bedroom door closed by the time she’d finally worked up the nerve to descend. It couldn’t have been clearer that while he might exchange sex with her, he wasn’t willing to do something as intimate as sleep with her.
She’d gone back upstairs, undecided whether she was more heartsore or furious. The combination of her volatile emotions had been a key ingredient for a serious dose of insomnia.
While she was making coffee, she heard the sound of gravel popping beneath tires. Her heart leapt. Rill would have no choice but to face her in the full light of day. She smoothed her hair—hopeless cause—and tightened the sash of her short robe. She couldn’t resist racing to the front door when she heard the sound of a step on the front stairs.
Her heart sank in disappointment when she peered through the shut front door window and saw Miles Fordham approaching, wearing a pair of jeans, a button-down blue shirt and a well-cut blazer.
“Hi,” she said a little bemusedly when she opened the door before he had a chance to knock on it.
He looked surprised by her sudden appearance, and then pleased. A little too pleased, Katie thought as she tightened her robe yet again as Miles inspected her.
“Well, I’ll be,” he murmured appreciatively when his eyes finally found her face again. “The man who wakes up to see the vision of you every morning would be blessed indeed.”
“He’d have to be blessed to put up with me in the morning,” Katie replied with a frown. Miles gave her a helpless look and then grinned. She relented and smiled back. He really did have a charming smile.
“Are you looking for Rill?” Katie prompted.
“No. I came looking for you.”
“Me?” she asked in surprise. She motioned with her hand and he followed her into the house. She opened up a cabinet and held up a coffee cup with a questioning look. Miles nodded.
“I thought I’d stop by and see if you were interested in a drive. It’s going to get warm again in a day or two, but today is the perfect fall day—chilly, but nice in the sunshine. The foliage is gorgeous out at the club grounds.”
“Are you trying to court me, Miles?” she speculated casually as she poured both of them a cup of coffee.
He seemed a little taken aback. “Yeah, I guess I am. It’s not a crime, is it?”
She raised her eyebrows thoughtfully and handed him his coffee. “Not a crime, no. It’s not a very wise thing to undertake, though.”
“I see. Your affections are otherwise engaged, is that it? Who is he?” He glanced around the house. “Don’t tell me it’s Pierce.”
“What if it was?” Katie asked, scowling.
Miles shrugged. “He just doesn’t seem like ideal boyfriend material, that’s all.”
Katie gave him a wry glance and let her eyes move over the sexy wave in his light brown hair and his casually elegant attire. “And you’re what good boyfriend material is made of, I suppose.”
He laughed a little disbelievingly at her cheek. “Well, even if I was, I wouldn’t say so.”
“Why not?”
“Because modesty is just one of many traits of a good boyfriend.”
She laughed.
It was on the tip of her tongue to turn him down, but then she glanced out the window onto the brilliant day. It’d be depressing to sit in this empty house and wonder where Rill was. A horrible thought struck her. What if he didn’t come back? His car was missing from the driveway. He’d disappeared off the map eighteen months ago. No reason he couldn’t do it again if she’d pushed him too hard.
“Katie?”
“Hmmm?” She focused on Miles with effort. “Oh, right. Sure, a drive would be nice. Errol doesn’t have to be in physical therapy until next week, so my day is pretty free, although I should stop by later and make sure he’s keeping that leg elevated,” she muttered to herself as an afterthought.
“Excuse me?” asked Miles, looking politely confused.
“Oh, I ran Errol Banks over in my car,” Katie replied in a preoccupied manner. “Can you give me a few minutes to get ready?”
Miles laughed. “Take your time.”
Katie knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t stop herself from sneaking into Rill’s bedroom before she got in the shower. It surprised her to see that he’d not only put clean sheets on his bed, but made it. Was that a possible sign that he’d abandoned her? She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw clothes in the closet along with a pair of tennis shoes and dark brown leather hiking boots.