The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [133]
Misty stood, attempting to ignore Morgan’s nearness and Jordan’s attentive presence. “We’ve got a few minutes.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Morgan said, “Is that so? Then why were you trying to hightail it out of here so early?”
She couldn’t very well explain with Morgan’s brother standing there, so she turned to Jordan and handed him the cat. “Hang onto her this time.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” Jordan leaned forward and kissed her cheek, grinned at Morgan one more time, then left them. Misty could hear his soft crooning voice as he spoke with the cat.
She had a feeling Jordan had kissed her just to provoke Morgan, and seeing the way Morgan clenched his jaw, it must have worked. They stared at each other for a long, silent moment. Finally, Morgan shook his head. “You’ve been avoiding me all week.”
“That’s not true! We’ve just had conflicting schedules, that’s all.”
“Your only schedule is working with me. Yet I haven’t had one single second alone with you. That’s avoidance.”
She didn’t want to admit that she’d missed him, too, or that she did, in fact, have another schedule. “It’s not my fault that you work all the time.”
“I knocked at your door at six yesterday.” His gaze softened. “I expected to find you in bed still, all warm and sleepy. But you were gone already.”
Misty wondered what he would have done if he’d found her in bed, and the thought wasn’t at all repulsive. She cleared her throat. “Maybe it was a good thing I wasn’t there.”
“There you go with those lecherous thoughts again, Malone. I was just going to offer to take you to breakfast.”
She winced at the very idea. “If you’ll recall, Morgan, mornings are a little rough for me. I like to walk down and sit by the lake. The fresh air settles my stomach some.”
He scowled over that, and his voice sounded gruff, more with concern than annoyance. “I’d forgotten. Has the morning sickness been bad?”
Oh, when Morgan was being so sweet, it was all she could do to resist him. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to anymore. Thoughts of being with him had consumed her lately. When he was around, she could barely take her eyes off him, and when he wasn’t, her thoughts centered on him.
Misty realized he was watching her, and she coughed. “Actually,” she said, deciding to give him a small truth, “it’s been better lately. Usually, as long as I don’t eat, my stomach settles down fairly quick.”
“So you’ve been skipping breakfast?”
“I was never much for big morning meals, anyway.”
His frown was back, more intense than ever. “You weren’t at dinner last night, either.” He looked her over, then shook his head. “You know how important it is for you to eat properly right now.”
“I have enough mothering from Honey. You don’t need to start, too.” And before he could protest that, she added, “Besides, I’m not starving myself. I ate in town last night.”
He went still, then he flushed and growled, “With who?”
This was exactly the subject Misty had hoped to avoid, but now it looked as if she had no choice but to tell him. Exasperated, she pushed past him and headed down the hall. Morgan followed. “If you must know,” she said over her shoulder, “I was working.”
“You got off work at three o’clock, Malone. I watched you leave.”
Yes, he had. She shivered just remembering. Morgan had been watching her with a brooding frown as she’d gathered her things. He was stuck talking with an elderly woman who claimed her neighbor mowed his grass too early in the morning to suit her. Misty had known by the look on Morgan’s face that his patience was about at an end. If she hadn’t been required to be elsewhere, she very well might have hung around just to see what he’d do. “I left the station at three o’clock. But then I went to the diner.”
“To meet someone?”
Her temper snapped. Did he always have to think the worst of her? “That’s none of your concern.”
She kept walking, but he had stopped. She didn’t mean to, but when she turned to face him and saw his expression, her heart almost melted. He looked angry and frustrated and…hurt.
She’d never thought she’d see a look like that on the inimitable