Page 56 of Show Me How
Neither of them notices the women they pass, but I do. It’s impossible not to grin at Millie when she feels my eyes on her and glances up from her coffee cup. My legs stop listening to my brain and keep me rooted beside their table, ignoring the question in Daisy’s voice as she tries calling for my attention.
“Good morning, ladies,” I say, looking at where Lacey’s sitting, her expression bemused.
She greets me simply. “Hey, Shade.”
“Hi.” Millie palms her mug and crosses her legs beneath the table.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to glancing down to take a look at the skirt flowing over her thighs. It’s a loose one—still short—but with more movement than she usually has in those tight things she always wears.
“Have you been here for breakfast before? They’ve got the best french toast.”
“Not yet. Breakfast isn’t my meal of choice.”
I frown. “Don’t skip it. Try the french toast.”
“And if I don’t like french toast?” she counters, voice growing stronger in the way it always does when I get her riled up.
“The scrambled eggs are just as good.”
“I’m going to order without you, Shade,” Bryce calls from the booth on the right.
Millie drops her chin to her chest and laughs. “Good morning, Bryce!”
“Keep him at your table if you want, Millie. Just make him choose so I can eat.”
I chuckle, quirking a brow in Bryce’s direction. She has her back to me, but Daisy sees. The shooing motion she makes with her hand would have convinced me to leave them be if I hadn’t already decided the moment I spotted Millie.
“Got room for me here? As long as I’m not ruining your plans,” I say, more for their benefit than mine.
Lacey’s the first to answer. “No, of course you’re not. I was just telling Millie that Shelly was right about her needing to explore the campground a bit more if she’s going to be helping out there.”
Millie shoots daggers across the table at Lacey. I swallow a laugh and watch the interaction, waiting. A breath later, Millie’s scooting further into the booth and looking up at me, some of the fire burnt out.
“I’ve been a bit of a hermit, I suppose.”
I take the spot beside her and drop my arms to the table. Maybe I sit a bit closer than I need to, but considering what’s going on between us, I think getting a bit comfortable with one another wouldn’t be a bad thing. By the breath she sucks when our shoulders brush, I think I’m on the right track.
“I can show you around,” I offer.
Lacey snaps her fingers. “That’s a perfect idea. I was thinking that as well.”
“What a coincidence. I’m also free all day,” I add.
Millie’s hold on her cup tightens as she brings it up and takes a sip. I smirk and spread my legs beneath the table just enough to nudge her knee. She darts her eyes toward me, the blue sharp.
I’ve seen a lot of that sharp blue these last couple of days. After the brief kissing lesson in the studio, I’ve been giving her some space. I’d rather not, but when she came in the morning after and couldn’t so much as look at me without rushing off, I figured maybe she needed to figure out what she really wanted from me and the agreement we’d made.
Since then, she’s become shorter-tempered with me. I’ve gotten a laugh or two from her fiery comebacks, but honestly, I just want her to be honest with me instead. Playing games got boring years ago. I’ve outgrown them.
“Are you sure you have time for something as boring as a tour?” she asks, tone strained.
I ignore the attitude. “I’ve always got the time for you.”
“After breakfast, then.”
Instead of replying right away, I reach over and pry her fingers from her mug. She blinks in surprise when I take it from her and bring it to my mouth. The coffee is still hot, and I ignore the burn on my tongue while keeping my knee pressed to the side of hers and finishing it off.
Once it’s empty, I set it on the edge of the table and stretch my arm along the back of our booth. Millie whips her head to the side so fast her hair flies over her shoulder. I slip my hand from the leather booth and to her bicep, hanging it loosely there.
