Her Sexiest Mistake

love?

She tried to turn away and he stopped her. 'What's wrong?'

'What's wrong?' She tossed up her hands and let out a laugh that didn't fool either of them. 'Are you kidding? Nothing's wrong. I'm damn perfect.' With a rough sound she pushed him into the shower. Then she left the bathroom. She felt the urge to fix him something, something to eat or drink… something.

She loved him.

She loved him, and she was afraid even that wouldn't be enough and she'd be left with this huge gaping hole in her chest. She was going to break an ankle on his stairs, but she didn't care as she rushed down them and into the kitchen, then looked around her wildly. What could she make him? She looked at the counter, at the table.

He'd taken her there.

The counter, too, and on the floor, in that amazing storm.

'Oh, damn,' she whispered, throat thick, and sat right there on the floor, folding into herself, putting her forehead to her knees as she did the grown-up thing.

She burst into tears.

The house cracked, and she lifted her head, gasping at the two feet right in front of her. Long legs hunkered, and then Kevin's face appeared. Reaching out, he touched her wet cheek. 'What's this?'

Sniffing, she wiped her nose on her arm. 'Allergies.'

He gave her a long look. He'd pulled on fresh basketball shorts but was still wet. Lip still bleeding, his eyes were warm and concerned and filled with things that caught her breath. 'Mia.'

She closed her eyes. 'Something blew in my eye.'

'Why can't you admit it? That maybe you need to lean on someone else for comfort once in a damn while?'

She lifted her chin at that. 'The only comfort I need is the occasional orgasm.'

'I hate to break it to you, but you like it more than occasionally. As studly as I like to think I am, I can hardly keep up.'

She snorted and swiped at her nose again. 'You keep it up better than any other-' She broke that thought off, thinking that had probably been 5-1-1. Too much information.

But he went down to his knees, a motion that made him wince, then slid his fingers into her hair and not so lightly tugged her head back so he could look into her eyes. 'Better than anyone else? Is that what you were going to say?'

'No.'

'God, you are such a liar.'

The back door of the kitchen opened, and suddenly people poured in. Tess, Mike, Hope, all carrying grocery sacks.

'I need help,' Tess said, actually sounding close to tears herself as she took over the kitchen without taking a good look at Mia. 'I have to come up with one hundred pounds of dough tonight-'

'Tess,' Mia managed. 'We're in the middle of-'

'I'm sorry, Mia, but you got me into this mess and I can't screw it up now!' Tess helped herself to the kitchen cabinets, barking out directions. 'Grab bowls and start mixing! The sooner we do this, the sooner we can all get back to our regularly programmed evening.'

Hope dug right in.

Mike dug right in.

Mia stood there, watching Kevin. Damn it! She had so much to say…

'Get busy!' Tess demanded.

Mike set the bowl down and signed something.

'Slave driver,' Kevin translated for him, looking fine with the interruption, of course, because he was fine. He didn't have an epiphany to share!

Tess waggled her brows at Mike. 'That's right, baby, and keep it moving. I'll reward you later.' She planted one quick smacking kiss on his lips.

'Hey,' Kevin protested when she passed him, no kiss.

'Sorry.' Grinning, she backed up and gave him a smacking kiss just to the right of his cut lip.

Mia knew it was silly and irrational and childish, but the green monster bit her on the ass.

'Now that's what I'm talking about,' Kevin said with a smile.

Mike shoved his shoulder, leaving a white flour handprint on Kevin's bare skin.

Kevin eyed it, but Tess quickly stepped in between them, laughing. 'No wrestling in here. I mean it! You can fight over me later.'

Mike nodded. Worked for him.

Kevin began cracking eggs.

Mia tried to be just as cavalier, but casual and cavalier weren't her strong suits, and she'd never been so aware of another person in her life. Every move Kevin made she caught. Every smile, every egg he cracked with those long, talented fingers… He still had that flour handprint on him, which should have looked ridiculous but didn't. He had at least a day's growth of beard on his jaw, and she wanted to rub hers to it. She wanted to feel his mouth on hers.

She wanted him to hold her, tight, so that she could feel the steady, secure beat of his heart beneath her ear. But more than anything, she just wanted to be with him.

God, she had it bad. Bad, bad, bad.

Behind her Hope had gotten serious about the measuring, pointing out to Mike that he had enough flour.

'You're hired,' Tess said. 'Seriously.'

Hope blinked. 'Really? I can work for you?' She looked at Mia. 'Can I?'

Mia looked into her eager eyes and felt another tug. Damn it! All these strings on her heart! Somehow she smiled past the lump in her throat. 'For as long as you-'

'Stay.' Hope looked down at her flour-covered hands. 'Yeah.'

Mia's gaze caught on Kevin's.

He was looking at her with understanding and empathy, and she had to turn away rather than lose it. God. She couldn't take it, she just couldn't. She was losing everything, and everyone.

Hope touched her finger to Mia's nose and left a flour print. 'Pretty.'

Mia narrowed her eyes. 'You didn't just do that.'

Hope arched a cocky brow.

Mia dipped her fingers into the flour and took a step toward the kid, but Tess stepped in between them as she had Mike and Kevin. 'I swear it, I'm going to start cracking the whip!'

Behind Tess's back, Hope stuck her tongue out at Mia. 'Out of my way, Tess,' Mia said.

'No! Now I have to create four hundred more orders by the weekend. I don't have staff. I don't have space. You goaded me into this, Mia Appleby, and our new place isn't ready yet. I'm a half inch from a spectacular breakdown that, believe me, you don't want to see, so-'

'New place?' Kevin asked.

Tess looked at Mia. 'We invested in a building. Mia didn't tell you?'

Mia shook her head. Not yet, she hadn't.

Tess sighed. 'We're leasing part of the building to Cookie Madness. The other part-'

'Later,' Mia said and begged Tess with her eyes. 'I'll tell you all later.' It was important she tell Kevin herself, alone. Important that she do it right this time, preferably no audience. 'After I cover Hope in flour-'

'Oh, no,' Tess said. 'Kiss and makeup right now or I'll make you do dishes.'

'I don't do dishes,' Mia said.

Tess didn't look like she cared if Mia wanted to do dishes or not, and Mia sighed. 'Okay, fine. Sorry,' she said to Hope.

'And I'm sorry about how ridiculous you look with flour on your nose,' Hope said, tilting up her chin.