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In that moment, she didn’t feel the heavy weight on her shoulders she’d been carrying around since her mom’s death. She wasn’t terrified of failing or how people saw her. She just felt like herself.
“Tatum,” she whispered against this mouth. She didn’t know what to say. What to ask. What to beg for. She just wanted to say his name.
He pulled back just enough to look at her. He smiled, as if understanding her without saying a word. He kissed the tip of her nose.
“Mia,” his dark eyes bore down on her, and in that moment she forgot how to breathe.
~
The woman had him reeling. And when she whispered his name, just because she seemed to like the way it sounded, it made his chest tighten and his cock go even harder.
Tate was going to tell Mia that she was amazing. She was equally infuriating but amazing all the same. Bringing her gloves was a poor excuse to see her. He was going to try to see what she was up to with the drive. See what headway she had made and what he could expect. But watching her tonight at the game, how she lit up supporting her brother, there was an honesty there. It was obvious how much she cared and he really saw that Mia was fierce, in everything.
“Have dinner with me,” he said. Taking a page from her book and demanding gently instead of asking.
She frowned. “It’s after ten.”
“No, I mean a different night.”
“Oh…” She glanced away and he didn’t like the look of that. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Her eyes darted around as if searching for a reason to back up her statement. “We work together.”
Good try, but Tate saw through that quick. “You mean you boss me around.”
“Well, yeah.” She smiled. “And I wouldn’t want to change the dynamic we have going.”
“Oh, trust me sweetheart, I don’t want to change the dynamic either.” He cupped her side and brought her hips against his and whispered in her ear. “It’s just dinner. Everyone has to eat.” He gently nipped her earlobe and felt her shudder against him.
“One dinner,” she said. “Where?”
“I’ll cook,” he said quickly.
Despite him wanting Mia, going on a date in public wasn’t the best idea right now. Not because he was in anyway ashamed of her. Hell, she was way out of his league if anything, but perception mattered and Sweet Hill mattered to him.
“Like at your house?”
He smiled. “That’s typically where I cook dinner, yes.” When she didn’t smile back, he hunched over a bit, urging her eyes to meet his. “Unless you would rather not come over?”
“I want to come over,” she whispered but her eyes were kind of heavy, like she couldn’t believe she said it out loud.
“Okay. So tomorrow night then?”
She nodded. He gave her a soft kiss and she instantly melted into him. But before he got lost once again, he pulled away.
“Thanks for stopping by tonight, Tate,” she said as he walked toward the front door.
“As always, Miss Blake, it was my pleasure.”
The way her gaze skated over him then took in his eyes like she saw something there. Something magical. That look made him feel more like a man than he’d ever felt. Her small little smile left something warm in his chest because somewhere in that one expression was everything he wanted to be, everything he wanted to prove he was worthy of. It was all there in how she looked at him. With a sense of peace. Hope. The world shook beneath his feet. Or maybe it was his own knees.
He said goodbye to the boys quickly, not trusting his voice, and made his way back to his car. Even the cold winter air couldn’t chill the heat that was warming him from the inside out.
Chapter Eight
For the first time in a long time, Tate couldn’t wait for his shift to end. Normally, Saturdays were when he stayed late because his weekend plans never consisted of more than a beer with the guys. But tonight would be different.
Mia was coming over.
“Hello dear,” his mother said walking into the station.
