An irritated scratch and a whine at the door was a bucket of cold water over the both of them. Lucky whined again, and Liam pulled back with a groan. He brought a hand to his mouth and swept it over his lips. Mina looked up at him, blue eyes blazing. “Lucky sounds like he wants to go out.” Her voice hitched. She took a half-step away and rubbed her hands over her face.
Liam moved woodenly toward the door and opened it without thinking. The blast of cold air from outside woke him up from the fever dream of that kiss. He blinked into the gray winter light. Snow still fell in huge, fluffy flakes. The storm had been a lot bigger than he thought. In fact, Lucky scrambled out over a drift that came almost to Liam’s knees. The dog didn’t go far—only a few paces from the door—and Liam kept an eye on him as he surveyed the front yard. His black truck had snow past the wheels. He’d need his brother’s help to dig it free if he was going to haul Mina’s car out of the ditch.
Lucky frolicked tentatively at Liam’s doorstep, sniffing the snow and stopping often to check that Liam still stood there, waiting. Liam let the cold nip at his skin. He closed his eyes against it and felt the snowflakes falling on his eyelashes. He had not imagined that the kiss they’d shared had been anything short of hot. If Lucky hadn’t scratched at the door, there was no telling how far they would have gone. Especially with the pullout bed still there in the center of the room.
He took a deep breath and tried to get his raging attraction—yes, that was what it was—under control. From the looks of the snow, they were going to be here for a while. Unless…
Liam went back into the house, skirting the living room and going directly into his bedroom. His phone perched on the bedside table. No bars. “Hey, Mina?”
She appeared at the door in seconds. “Yeah?”
“Does your cell have any bars?”
Mina frowned, then turned on her heel. He heard her ruffling through her coat pockets. “No,” she called, disappointment ringing in her voice.
Liam dropped his cell at the foot of the bed. He’d heard Mina talking to Lucky, and his heart sank for her. Even if they left right now, they’d never make it to an appointment in the city today. And there was no leaving now—not with his car buried in the driveway, and her car buried in the ditch. If cell service didn’t come back soon, there was no telling how long they’d be stuck.
8
Mina swallowed hard. No bars on her cell. She’d been dreading the call to the clinic, dreading hearing Jennifer’s voice telling her exactly how much money she’d lost—but now her face felt hot and clammy. She couldn’t make the call after all. She couldn’t plead bad weather and ask them to make an exception. She’d been busy hating the thought of asking for a favor like that, but what else was she supposed to do? It was a relative ton of money, but that spark of hope down at the pit of her gut? It wouldn’t go out, no matter how hard she’d tried to accept the facts.
Now she had no choice but to accept them. She shook the phone one more time. It had no effect on the bars. She slipped it back into the pocket of her jacket.
Liam leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen. “No service for you, either?”
Mina shook her head. “Not a single solitary bar. I’m guessing your phone is the same.”
“Storm must’ve knocked out one of the towers.” He grimaced. “I’m sorry you have to miss your appointment.”
She shrugged, not wanting to show the devastation that pressed against her ribs and felt ready to burst out of her body. “I can’t control the weather. I’m sure it’ll all work out.” The lie almost choked her. She wasn’t sure it would all work out. But Mina wasn’t the type to complain too much about any one thing. There was a solution out there, and she’d find it. In fact, she’d already found it—the solution was simply to wait a few more months while she saved money. It was definitely not to fall into bed with Liam Wells.
Liam stretched his arms over his head. The hem of his shirt rode up. And there were his abs, as cut and gorgeous as they had been this morning, when he’d been wearing only his boxer shorts. Mina bit her lip. In the moment, the kiss in the living room had seemed like it lasted several years. Kissing Liam Wells had expanded time, giving her blood a chance to beat hard through her veins and carry her desire over every inch of her skin. Now, looking back, it had only been a few seconds. Not nearly enough time to taste him. Not nearly enough time to satisfy her inner teenager, who’d had fantasies of kissing Liam every day leading up to that party…and even afterward. Not nearly enough time to lift up the shirt herself and run her fingers down the ridges of his abs.
She was still staring when he lowered his arms, light dancing in his green eyes. “What do you say, Mina?” The pause gave her one heartbeat of a chance to flirt with him, to say something. “You want some breakfast?”
The hot, heavy feeling dropped away. If they were going to sit down to breakfast, there was really no hope of making it to her appointment. No hope at all. “Yeah.” The word escaped on a sigh. “Let’s have some breakfast.”
Liam moved past her into the kitchen, his hand resting ever so briefly on the
