Page 16 of Kiss and Tell

“Maybe you need to be specific. Not going back where?”

“I’m not dating her again. Ever.”

“Yeah.” Joey blew out a long breath, clearly unhappy. “That’s what I thought you meant.”

Miles frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You planning on starting the friendship back up?”

Miles froze for a moment—because he knew which answer was the correct one. He just wasn’t sure it was thetrueone. Rhiannon still held a big piece of his heart, and not just the romantic chunk. He would always love the girl who was also his childhood playmate, his best friend.

Joey lifted his head, held his gaze, and Miles forced himself to remain steady, to keep his poker face firmly in place as he said, “No. I’m not.”

Whatever Joey saw must have been convincing. “Okay,” he said at last. “I believe you.”

Miles did not like that answer. It would have been a hell of a lot easier if Joey had called him a liar. Since he was pretty sure that was all he could live up to.

“But, Miles, you’re going to have to dial this grumpiness back a notch or twenty. Because you’re taking it out on my girl, and she doesn’t deserve it.”

Miles’s eyes flew heavenward. “Yourgirl, huh? You realize you’ve known her less than twenty-four hours.”

Joey’s crooked smile proved he didn’t think that mattered one damn bit. “I don’t know how to explain it, Miles. I’m thirty-seven years old, for God’s sake, and I’ve dated a lot of women. I’ve never looked at one and felt like…like Iknewher. Like she’s the person I’ve spent my whole life looking for. I know that sounds crazy?—”

“It sounds very crazy,” Miles interjected.

“I was pulling your leg when I said I was going to marry her.”

“I figured as much,” Miles murmured.

“I chalked my initial response up to lust because you have to admit, the woman is beautiful.”

“She is.” There was no point in Miles trying to deny it. Joey would know he was lying.

“But,” Joey continued, “somewhere along the line today, that joke stopped being funny. Started feeling real. I expected the instant attraction to fade. If anything, it’s grown stronger. Which is freaking me out, because we’re only scheduled to be here five days, and I know that’s not enough time to get to know her, to see if this insanity is temporary or if soul mates are a real thing.”

“Joey,” Miles said.

Joey held his hand up. “I know you’re going to tell me to chill out, but I can’t. It’s not in my nature when it comes to stuff like this. So I’m going spend every second I’m here wooing the hell out of Ms. Lucy Storm.”

Miles wasn’t sure how to respond. For one thing, Joeydidsound insane. And for another, more disturbing reason—he didn’t sound insane at all.

He’d spent the entire day with Lucy and Joey, and the truth was, while he’d never really thought his best friend had a type, Lucy was it. As far as Miles could tell, she was perfect for his single buddy.

Not that Joey was a confirmed bachelor, because he didn’t covet his solitary life or try to hold on to it. Quite the opposite. Joey, a true Moretti, had been none too patiently waiting to find what all his siblings had found.

True love.

Of course, none of them had declared they’d found their future wives within five minutes of meeting them, but at least Joey hadn’t gonetoooverboard on the flirting and scared Lucy off.

On the contrary, Lucy hadn’t been bothered by Joey’s attention at all. Instead, she appeared flattered by it, and she’d definitely been flirting back. Miles knew for a fact the attraction wasn’t one-sided.

“You like her, don’t you?” Joey asked, genuine concern in his tone, as if Miles’s disapproval would be a deal-breaker. “You didn’t mean what you said about her talking too much, right?”

Miles lifted his hand, palm forward. “I like Lucy. How could anyonenotlike her? She’s perfect.” He stupidly paused…revealing a hand he hadn’t meant to show Joey.

When Joey tilted his head, confused, Miles panicked, grasping for a save. “She’s perfect foryou, I meant to say.” He hoped he’d been quick enough.

When Joey didn’t press the point, he breathed a sigh of relief.

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