“What are you going to do with it?” she asked with interest.
“Live there,” He stole a small piece of turkey from her plate, if she wasn’t going to eat it he didn’t want it to go to waste.
She slapped at his fork but missed. “You don’t even like it. You couldn’t even say which one it was this last summer,” she argued, as if she hadn’t just indicated she remembered the conversation.
“I walked through it and loved it. It was exactly what I was looking for.” He didn’t say that he had almost bought it sight unseen. All because Mia wanted it.
“When do you move in?” she asked, pushing her plate away from her and towards him.
Pulling it to him he tucked into the potatoes, “In two weeks. Are you going to help me move in?”
“I’m busy that day,” she stated quickly with a grin.
“I can change it to when you’re not busy.”
“I’m busy that day, too. My days are pretty packed.”
“If I have a party, will you come?” He would do just about anything to get her there. Actually, he would do anything.
She shook her head. “Nope. I think you’re going to trap me into helping you move.”
“I might’ve been planning that.” He stabbed the last piece of uneaten turkey from her plate and ate it.
Getting up, she took their empty plates into the kitchen. “I’m on to your traps, Brooks. I won’t help you move.”
“I would help you move.” He followed her into the kitchen with the glasses. Just like the married couple that they were.
“Okay.” She turned quickly and was almost in his arms, but then she took a step back and bumped into the cabinets. “How about this? I’ll help you move, but you have to help me move to Grand Forks when I finally blow this town.”
Putting his hands on the counter on either side of her, trapping her, he said, “You have a deal. But what if you don’t move?”
“I’m moving,” she stated firmly, looking into his eyes, but she didn’t move to get out of his trap. “No way am I not moving.”
Slowly, his hand moved along the counter until they touched each other, then he dropped one to her back and then the other until they were both touching her. Slowly, because he didn’t want to spook her. He wanted his wife in his arms, sober and willing.
Just as slowly, he lowered his lips to her upturned face.
At the first touch, her hands went around his waist and pulled him to her. Instantly, the hesitation was over, and he deepened the kiss. Her response was just as instant, and she met his tongue as it plunged into her mouth. In that moment, he couldn’t remember kissing her in months, wanting to and dreaming of it, but not actually doing it.
Continuing to kiss her, he felt her hands slide under his shirt and skitter across his stomach, moving up his chest. His instantly went up her back, under her shirt, and up her smooth, warm skin, pulling her closer to him as he went. He needed her as close to him as he could get her.
Far off in the distance, a phone was ringing, but he could care less. Mia was finally in his arms. Until she pushed out of them, ending the kiss. Watching her take a step away from him, then grab her phone from the counter. She looked at the display and answered it.
From less than a foot from her, he listened to her make plans with Natalie to make a quick run to Grand Forks for some Black Friday shopping. Right now—she was leaving right now. As if they weren’t in the middle of something.
Ending the call, she said, “Natalie wants me to go Black Friday shopping.”
“Could you have said no?” he asked, touching her cheek.
“Um, no. We needed to stop anyway. We can’t just sleep together every time the mood hits us.” Not meeting his eyes, she walked away from him.
“Except we can. Legally,” he followed her through the apartment.
“We’re getting a divorce as soon as possible, Rafferty,” she reminded him as she went into her bedroom.
Stopping just outside the open door, he stated, “We could just give it a try, Mia.”
She turned and glared at him. “No, Rafferty. I’m getting out of this town. You’re willing to be trapped here, but I’m not.”