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“Mila…”
“It’s nothing.”
I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her to face me. “I told you a whole helluva lot more than I’m used to telling anyone. Please tell me what’s on your mind.”
“There isn’t anything on my mind.”
I moved my arms to encircle her waist and looked into her eyes. “I can wait. I’m a very patient man.”
She laughed. “I doubt that’s true, and the reason I don’t want to answer you is because it was silly.”
I raised a brow but, otherwise, didn’t move.
“Okay.” She let out a deep breath. “I was wondering if you’d have to be away a lot.”
“From?”
“The ranch. The States.”
“And you?”
Her cheeks flamed, and she tried to wiggle out of my grasp.
“Look at me,” I said when she looked everywhere but. When she did, I cupped her face with my palm. “Believe me, I’ve already taken that into consideration.”
She smiled, but I knew she didn’t buy it.
I brushed her lips with mine. “You don’t think I know how crazy that sounds?”
“I live in Boston…”
My first reaction was to tell her she used to live there, but things were already moving so quickly between us that I stopped myself from taking it a step too far and telling her I never wanted her to leave. The fact that she’d taken into consideration that we might not see each other, made me happier than I could say.
We made dinner, dancing around each other in the small kitchen as though we’d done it many times before. Being with her was easier than anyone I’d spent time with before, except for Quint, who had been my best friend for years. And that was entirely different.
I was attracted to Mila, but I wasn’t nervous around her, and most of the time, she wasn’t anxious with me either. She’d mentioned that she didn’t like to be touched, and yet I never saw signs that she was bothered when I put my hands on her—and I did it every chance I got.
After we finished eating and had cleaned up, I led Mila over to the sofa that sat in front of the big stone fireplace. It was too hot to build a fire, but it was the only place where we could sit inside where I could draw her into my arms.
“Come here,” I said, nestling her closer to me. She settled in and rested her head on my chest. “I want to ask you about something.”
“Okay,” I heard her murmur.
“You don’t have to answer anything I ask if you don’t want to.”
“Go ahead.”
“You told me that you don’t like to be touched.”
She tensed and tried to sit up, but I’d kept my arm around her shoulders for a reason. I kissed the top of her head.
“I touch you a lot, yet you don’t seem bothered by it. In fact, I think you kind of like it.”
I could feel her tense muscles relax, and if I could see her reflection, I’d guess she was smiling.
“I do like it, and to be honest, initially it surprised me too. Now it just feels natural.”
Resting my head against hers, my mouth close to her ear, I drew circles on her shoulder with my fingertips. “Tell me why you don’t like it, Mila.”
