Page 43 of Teasing a King

“I’m sorry,” I manage through my laughter. I reach for her, but she pulls back, still scowling at me.

“I’m sorry,” I say again, trying to look contrite. “Really sorry.”

I move slowly this time, leaning down to kiss her. When she doesn’t back away, I take it as a good sign. I kiss her lips lightly, then do it again. Mya finally relaxes, putting one hand on my bare chest and leaning into the kiss. Her lips part and I take advantage, deepening the kiss. I hear the spatula drop to the countertop. Mya’s hands go to my waist, and she pulls me even closer. We’re both lost in the kiss, in each other. That is, until the ringing of a phone pulls us back to the present.

Pulling away from me, Mya curses and scrambles for the spatula to flip a pancake that looks unsalvageable while simultaneously reaching for her phone on the counter. I take the spatula from her.

“You get the phone,” I say. “I’ll get breakfast.”

She smiles her thanks and reaches for the cellphone, swiping her thumb across the screen.

“Hey, Hope,” she says brightly. “What’s up?”

She wanders over to the back door and looks out at the backyard while she talks. Whatever fears I’d had about her changing her mind dissipate after that kiss. I smile as I dispose of the burnt pancake and move the pan from the burner. I can see that Mya has already cooked enough pancakes to feed a small army, as well as what looks like a pound of bacon. I don’t know how much she plans to eat, but there’s plenty of food here.

I head over to the coffee maker to find a freshly brewed pot. I smile. I know Mya made it for me. She’s been hesitant to drink coffee, even though her OB told her it was perfectly safe to have a cup each day. I pour myself a cup and add creamer to it before taking a sip. Then I go about setting the table for our breakfast. By the time the table is set, Mya has finished her call with Hope and walks over to join me.

Her cheeks are red, and she doesn’t look at me as she piles pancakes and bacon onto her plate. I watch her, wondering what she and Hope talked about that made her so suddenly seem so shy. I wait until we’re seated to bring it up.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” she says quickly. “Fine.”

I nod, unconvinced. “You just seem a little off,” I say. “After your phone call, I mean.”

She waves her fork dismissively, gaze still on her food. “Nope. I’m good.”

Her voice is still a little too high, her words coming a little too fast. “Right,” I say, drawing out the word. Now I’m starting to worry again. Had she told Hope about last night? I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. Hope is her best friend. They’re practically family. What if Hope doesn’t approve? If she told Mya not to get involved with me, odds are Mya would listen. Something in my chest squeezes uncomfortably. The idea of Mya ending things with me when we’ve barely begun sends a hint of panic through me. I want to dig deeper but I’m not ready to hear Mya tell me it’s over. So, I keep quiet and eat my pancakes.

After eating in silence for a few minutes, I risk a glance at Mya. To my surprise, she’s staring at me, eyes narrowed.

“What?” I ask. “Is something on my face?”

She shakes her head. “No,” she says. “I’m just wondering why you got so quiet.”

Taken aback, I blink at her. “Oh. Um. I didn’t mean to be.”

She nods, still looking at me as if she’s working through a difficult math problem. “You’ve been a little weird since I sat down. Is it because of Hope? The phone call?”

I open my mouth to answer, but Mya speaks before I can.

“Because I didn’t tell her,” she says. “About last night, I mean.” She sighs. “I mean, she knows. But not because I told her.”

“What?” I ask, because I have no idea what we’re talking about right now.

She rolls her eyes. “She guessed. Like, immediately. And I’m a bad liar. Especially when it comes to Hope. I just can’t do it. So, she knows. I hope you’re not upset by that.”

I can hear the nerves in her voice. She was worried I’d be mad that people know about us? Hell, I’d shout it from the rooftops if I didn’t think Mya would kick my ass. I shake my head, smiling.

“I don’t care if you told half the town about last night,” I say. “I’m not embarrassed or ashamed. I want to tell everyone who’ll listen just what a lucky bastard I am. Is that why you looked so bothered after the call? Because you thought I’d be mad?”

She shakes her head, face reddening. “No. Not really. I don’t know.”

I lean over and take her hand. “Mya, I’m happy last night happened. I’d like for it to keep happening. And I don’t care who knows about us.”

She meets my gaze, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Me too,” she says quietly.

“Good,” I say. “Now that that’s out of the way, I want to know why you looked so flustered when you got off the phone.”

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