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Aunt Janice clapped her hands. “Oh, I’m so happy to have all of you here. It just hasn’t been the same without you, Riley. Would you mind seeing Mitch off? I want to start dinner. We can have a quick bite before we leave for the Christmas Stroll.” Still muttering, she turned away and opened the fridge.
“I’m sure Mitch can walk to the front door all by himself,” Riley said coolly.
“Manners, Riley, dear. Manners,” Aunt Janice said, her back still to them.
Mitch’s eyes were filled with laughter. “Yes, Riley, manners.”
“Seriously,” she muttered as she marched to the front door. Opening the door, she waited for Mitch to leave.
He took her hand, though, pulling her outside with him.
“Mitch, what—” But that was as far as she got.
He swooped down. She just had time to see his eyes darken before his mouth closed around hers. His lips were urgent, hot, and on a mission. Within seconds, she was shivering, burning up. Her hands reached out, and grabbing his shirt, she pulled him closer.
Just when she was about to go up in flames, Mitch lifted his head. His breathing was ragged, his eyes mere slits. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about for four months.”
Gulping in some much-needed oxygen, Riley dropped her hands. Before she could respond to his words, though, she noticed Mitch’s rumpled shirt. “Sorry about this.” Muttering, she tried to iron out the material. With her hands.
Inhaling sharply, Mitch took her hand in his. “You touching me is not helping,” he growled. “We have to talk.”
Riley groaned softly. “About what? This is crazy. You can’t just kiss me whenever you want.”
“So what do I have to do to be able to do that?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do I have to do to be able to kiss you whenever I want?”
Her breath lodged somewhere in her throat. Gulping in some fresh air, she frantically tried to find the right words. “Mitch, seriously, you know this whole whatever it is, is ridiculous. We’re practically family…”
One big, warm hand cupped her face. “We’re not related. Please don’t try and hide behind that.”
“So, what do you want? Make out and kiss around corners?”
He grinned, his thumb caressing her face. “I won’t mind doing that, but I want much more.”
“Like what?”
“It’s very simple, Riley. What I want is you.” The look in his eyes was threatening to rekindle the slow-burning embers of desire.
She gave a step back. “The whole thing is way too complicated. I think it’s best to just stop right here. I have a son; I can’t just think about what I want and have a quick fling. My life, my job, my house are in Portland.”
Chapter Six
Mitch had hisnext argument ready, but before he could say anything, there was a movement behind them.
“So what’s going on here?” a voice asked. Damn. It was Craig, Riley’s cousin.
Mitch dropped his hand and turned around to face him. “Hi, Craig.”
Craig was frowning. “Why do you have your hands all over my cousin?”
Riley sighed. “Oh, come on, Craig. Mitch was just leaving. We’re…”
Mitch quickly looked at Riley. If she told one more person they were related, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.
Catching his eye, Riley grimaced. “Mitch was telling me about the Christmas Stroll. Are you and Annie also going?”
