“Yeah,” she said.
“And she’s single,” Jen piped in, nudging her shoulder smiling. “Not even interested in long term.”
“Thank you, Jen,” Mia said. Great, even her friend had her sounding like a pleasure ride for hire.
“That’s cool,” Cam said casually. “Though I’d never guess you to be single for long.”
Mia just smiled and tried not to look at Tate again. Which was a big fat fail. Did he think she was taken? Would he have treated her differently if he knew she was…what? Interested?
Did she care?
She silently cursed her brain for the twelfth time that night to shut up. Luckily, Cam just kept talking.
“I left Sweet Hill for a while back in college. It’s not for everyone.”
That’s for sure. Mia was struggling more here than she ever had on her own in the city. She’d never been so broke, so lost, and so depended on. She loved her brother and they had always been close despite their age difference. But overnight she became a mother figure and taking care of him was her priority. She was just sorry it took her all of last year with him in Seattle to realize how unhappy he was.
She glanced at Tate whose eyes were still locked on her even though he leaned back to say something to Matt behind the counter.
Apparently, the Deputy just thought she was a reject
Whatever perception Deputy West had of her, he was wrong. But he didn’t care, and that didn’t matter. She had bigger issues to deal with.
“Well if you ever want to hang out, get reacquainted with the town,” Cam smiled, “You just let me know.”
With that, he walked back to the bar and took his place next to his brother serving drinks and laughing with patrons.
“I think you should take him up on it,” Jen said. “That is, if you can stop staring at Tate.”
“I’m not staring,” Mia instantly defended a little quicker than she meant. “I’m fuming.”
Jen raised and eye brow. “Either way, you don’t find a way to deal with…” she waved her hand in Mia’s direction, “whatever pent up aggression you’re rocking there, and you’re liable to have a nuclear meltdown of epic proportions.”
Nuclear Meltdown. That’s exactly what Mia felt on the brink of. Slowly boiling and bubbling until she didn’t trust her judgment, or her mouth.
And mouthing off to the Deputy was probably a bad idea. Especially when she thought of biting his mouth, the one that was currently aiming a grin in her direction.
“Damn this place,” she muttered, and drank down her lemon drop in one gulp.
She had just finished drink number two when the Deputy threw a couple bills down on the bar and headed toward the back exit.
“I’m going to get some air,” she said, excusing herself from the group and wove through the crowd, heading toward the exit.
For the past two hours, he sat there, staring her way. She couldn’t tell if he wanted her. Hated her. But whatever it was, she felt it. Bone deep she felt those eyes on her all night. Felt it when his big hands squeezed her hips a little when she was up against him. And now what? He just left? No way. Somehow, telepathy or otherwise, he was fucking with her. And she was going to call him on it.
“Hey,” she said throwing the back door open and rounding the outside corner. It was dark and with the back side of the bar facing an open field and acres of nothingness, it was quiet too.
“Something you need, Miss Blake?” Tate said, stopping and turning to face her.
“Yeah, there is,” she said, feeling her liquid courage sink in. She walked right up to him, gripped his belt clasp, yanked him toward her, and mashed her mouth against his.
He went rigid and still as if shocked, which was exactly what she was going for. What she wasn’t prepared for was how good he felt against her lips. She also wasn’t prepared for him to linger. But he did. And Mia’s heart skipped.
She snaked her tongue out to get a better taste. His hands encased her shoulders and gently held her back.
“What the hell are you doing?” he said.
She smiled. She may not have been sure before, but she was now. Tatum West may hate her, but he also wanted her. “I stepped up and did what you’ve been wanting to do all night.”