“Okay. Yes. Yes, I thought I was safe from anything serious.”
Stunned, she stared at him. God, the truth hurt. She was hugely sorry she’d asked for that truth. “You’re a jerk.”
“Oh, fine. Now I’m a jerk.” He tossed up his hands. “I can’t keep up with you!”
“It’s not that hard!”
“Are you kidding?” He ticked off his complaints on his fingers. “You don’t want a man, you do want a man. You like being the serious queen, yet you like being the sexy chef. Look at you. Today you’re-” He waved a hand down her very snug, very chic, very sexy pantsuit. “Looking like that, and licking your lips at me, talking in my ear about not wearing any underwear-I’d like to know how a man is supposed to concentrate on anything knowing that! And you even grabbed my butt!”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“But you did!”
“I know,” she said miserably.
“I can’t take it, Dimi. I just can’t.”
She’d wanted him every bit as teased and tormented as she was, and it appeared she’d been successful.
What now?
She hadn’t a clue. But she couldn’t leave it like this. There was only one thing left to do.
Call Cami, of course. “Hold on,” she said to Mitch. “I need a second.”
“Now?”
“It’s important.” Turning her back, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed. Thankfully Cami picked up.
“Okay, I’m in a bit of a bind,” Dimi whispered, plugging her other ear with a finger. “So think quick. I’ve done what we discussed and I have him as frustrated as I am.” She glanced at Mitch over her shoulder, then whipped around because he was watching her with a growing intensity she didn’t know how to face. “Now what?” she pleaded. “Help me.”
Before Cami could answer, Mitch grabbed the phone, pulled out the battery and tossed it over his shoulder. “You’re on your own in this, baby. Look at me.” He turned her around. “Look at me and tell me what you want from me, because I’m confused as hell and need a clue.”
Dimi looked into his glimmering eyes and knew the truth. She knew what she wanted from him. She wanted him to love her.
As much as she’d come to love him.
Talk about screw-ups.
“You’re on the air in two seconds!”
Mitch was staring at her, his breathing erratic, his expression charged. Lord, he was magnificent, but he was leaving, and he didn’t want her to want him for anything other than what they’d already had.
Saved by her own show, Dimi went to her mark, intending to go on with life.
12
IT WAS very male of him, he knew this, but all Mitch could concentrate on was Dimi’s lack of underwear.
And that had been nearly two days ago.
He was dying to ask her if she’d spoken the truth about not wearing panties, or better yet, to find out for himself, but given the dark expression on her face whenever he caught a glimpse of her, he figured it was a bad idea.
In fact, everything about her was a bad idea. Coaxing her out of her seriousness. The new and wild clothes. Showing her the passion that simmered just beneath her surface.
Now everything she did made him want her all the more. Every look, every touch, every word. He’d been reduced to nothing more than one big, aching hormone.
Hell of a spot to be in for a man who’d been there, done that and figured there were no surprises left to be had.
He’d told himself all he wanted from Dimi had been sex, but really, it was far more complicated than that. He wanted in her head. He wanted to share her hopes and dreams. And dammit, he wanted another chance to have her naked in his arms, to make more wild, passionate love.
Love.
How was that for terror?
Because it was what she seemed to want, and because he had no idea what the hell he wanted, once the show had been taped he stayed as far away from Dimi as he could.
She obliged him by returning the favor.
It should have made him happy as a clam, knowing he could leave Truckee, that he’d not broken any promises or left behind unfinished business.
So why then did his business feel extremely unfinished? It shouldn’t have. He’d had his last day at Food Time today. The staff had given him a pizza party, which was where he stood now, saying goodbye to each and every one of them.
He’d hugged Gracie.
He’d shaken Ted’s hand.
He’d smiled until his jaw ached, and now Leo came up.
Mitch thrust out his hand, but Leo threw his arms around Mitch’s neck. “It was a wild ride,” Leo said tearfully. “We’ll never forget you.”
Mitch wondered if he was going to have to stand there all night patting Leo’s back but Suzie tugged him free. Then she gave him her most direct stare. “You’re really going,” she said, shaking her head, hugging him tight. “Thanks for saving my job. Thanks for saving the show. Thanks for everything. Especially for putting all the life and spunk into Dimi’s eyes.”
He closed his for a moment. “I didn’t do that. She did.”
Suzie’s smile went sad as she pulled back. “Denial is a sad thing in a man, Mitch.” Squeezing his hand, she went to the food table and grabbed another slice of pizza.
Which pretty much left Dimi. No one had gone home, which meant they had quite the audience, as per the norm. No one felt the need to give them any privacy at all. In fact, as Dimi finally acknowledged him and drifted toward him, everyone seemed to shift closer in anticipation.
She smiled at him, a very nice smile, really, but he could see right through it to all the stuff beneath, and suddenly he didn’t care who was watching. Reaching out, he took her two hands in his. “Hey,” he said softly.
“So this is it,” she murmured. “Goodbye.”
“Yeah.”
“Goodbye, Mitch.”
“I’ll miss you, Dimi.”
She nodded. “You’ll be missed here, too.”
“By you?”
Their audience seemed to hold their collective breath, but Dimi didn’t waver. She looked him right in the eyes and nodded. “Yes.” Then she leaned close, kissed him softly, right on the lips. But before he could so much as taste her, she was gone.
Like a fool, he raced to the door, but she’d vanished. Tempting as it was to chase after her, he didn’t. Mostly because he didn’t know what to say or how to say it.
“Fool.”
Startled, he looked around and found Suzie at his side, but she snorted in disgust and left, too.
Unsettled, and feeling as if he’d forgotten to do something really important, he went to the cabin the show had rented for him during his stay and packed up his stuff. It wasn’t difficult, and it all fit into one duffel bag.
A sad commentary on his life.
A knock on his door surprised him. It was late, and he’d already said goodbye to everyone. He wasn’t feeling friendly.
But when he opened the door he got an even bigger surprise.
“Just me,” Dimi said with a shaky smile.
She stood beneath the faint glow of the porch light, wearing jeans and a sweater, looking lovely and vulnerable and sexy all at the same time. So much that he just stared at her stupidly. “Hi.”
“Did you teach my hamster to beg for food?”
So much for her being here to claim her undying devotion. “Yes.”
“I’ve had her for two years, and she’s never done anything but stare at me.”
“I guess it takes the right touch to coax someone out of her seriousness.”
“Yeah.” She looked at her shoes, then into his face. “Can I come in?”
He stepped aside, and when she brushed past him, her hair catching on him, her scent filling his senses, he nearly forgot to shut the door behind her.
“I just wanted to clear some stuff up,” she said, walking into his living room, turning to face him. “You know, before you leave. First of all, I’m sorry.”