The Miles Between Us by Laurie Breton Read Free Book Online Page B

building, and waited for a Dodge Ram to pass before pulling out into traffic. “You’re quiet,” she said.
    “ Sorry.” He removed both hands from the steering wheel, stretched his fingers, and returned them to the wheel. “I’m just thinking.”
    She took a sip of decaf . “About?”
    “I have to go back to New York . I have an album to finish. Those fat-cat record executives don’t have a sense of humor. Time is money, and the meter’s ticking. Plus, I lost Kitty on the one day she was available, and now I have to try to reschedule.”
    “And it’s all m y fault.”
    “Hey. ” He shot her a glance. “What happened wasn’t your fault. Shit happens.”
    “Yes,” she said, and took another sip of coffee . “It does.”
    “I want you to come with me.”
    “To New York?” She raised an eyebrow . “What about Emma? And Paige?”
    Upon hearing her name, Emma, who’d been babbling contentedly in the back seat, went silent.
    “We’ll take the girls with us.”
    “Paige has school . She’s starting her senior year soon. She can’t miss that.”
    “School doesn’t start for a few weeks . I may be finished by then. If I’m not, she could probably stay for a while with my sister. Or Trish.”
    “I don’t know . We’re in the middle of construction. Things could go wrong. I might need to make decisions—”
    “You’ll be a phone call away . Besides, Colleen can make decisions as well as you can. She’ll live without you for a few weeks. I want you where I can keep an eye on you.”
    “ Damn it, Rob, I don’t need a babysitter.” Darkly, she added, “And you certainly don’t have to worry about me getting pregnant again if you’re not around.”
    “I don’t know, babe . What about those hot guys at the bowling alley? Those shirts? Those shoes?”
    “Although tempting, I’ll have to pass. I’m off the market. Permanently.”
    “I’m being serious here. You just gave me the worst scare of my life. I thought I was about to lose you. I just want you near me for a while, okay? I’m not ready to be hundreds of miles away from you right now. I need you sleeping beside me at night.”
    She let out a hard breath . Wasn’t that the same thing she needed? “What’ll you do if you can’t get Kitty?”
    “I don’t know . I don’t really want to go with anybody else, but I might not have a choice.” He considered her question at length. “Her tour will be finished soon. If I can’t get her to New York before we wrap the recording, maybe I can bring her to the house for a day or two. I’m already planning to do the mixing at home.”
    “I am no t having that woman in my home!”
    He swiveled his head and gave her a long, appraising look. “I thought you liked Kitty. Have I missed something?”
    “Do I have to spell it out for you?”
    “I guess you do.”
    “The two of you—” She quickly checked on Emma, who’d gone back to babbling. Casey lowered her voice. “—used to have a relationship.”
    “ I’d hardly call it a relationship. Not the way you mean. We were friends.”
    She opened her mouth to counter his argument, remembered Emma in the back seat . “With benefits.”
    His response wasn’t what s he expected. His face split in one of those zillion-megawatt grins, the one that was capable of melting even the hardest of women into a hot, bubbling mess. “You’re jealous,” he said, with obvious glee. “Hot damn, Fiore, you’re jealous of Kitty!”
    “She had ca rnal knowledge of you, Flash. Way before I did.”
    “A lot of women have had carnal knowledge of me.”
    “ Don’t remind me. And it’s not the same at all.”
    “How is it different?”
    “With a few exceptions, I didn’t know any of them personally. Or even know their names. They were just notches on your bed post. I know Kitty.”
    “ And you’ve always liked her.”
    “The woman has seen you in your birthday suit . Multiple times. Don’t you think that might make for slightly awkward dinner