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I shouldn’t spread my drama, but I need all the support I can get when it comes to my meddling mother.
Katherine: she signed me up for the auction after I told her not to. Repeatedly.
Three dots pop up, and I hold my breath as I wait for his reply. They disappear, and I sigh. He’s never liked my mother, which is saying something because Kingston Saint gets along with everyone.
The three dots pop back up. He’s choosing his words carefully, and my heart squeezes. Gosh, I miss him.
Kingston: wear the green dress.
A shiver snakes down my spine. I can hear his voice in my head. Deep and silky smooth.
Wear the green dress.
It’s like an order to my over-charged libido.
Down, girl.
Kingston: you’ll look like a million bucks and your ass will be the envy of every woman in Manhattan.
My lips curve up, and I exhale, feeling some of my tension melt away. He’s so good for my ego, but I know better than to want more from him. To be seduced by his charm. That only ends in heartbreak.
Kingston
“Come on, Wildfire.” My whisper carries on the wind across the empty bar, and universe willing, across the Atlantic.
Obviously I know Katherine won’t be able to hear me this far away. It’s not like she’s on the other end of the line, but I’ve always felt we’re connected like that.
I stare at my phone, willing her to text me back, desperate for those three bouncing dots.
My boss calls my name, and I can tell by his tone that it’s not the first time he’s tried to get my attention.
I lift my gaze. Marko stands there with a crate of glassware, obviously waiting for me to move so he can put them away. I bolt backward, muttering an apology.
“Everything is good, yes?” He makes quick work of distributing the glasses. I’m always impressed by him. Building this business from nothing because he loves people. Plus, his English is far better than my Croatian.
“Yeah,” I say, waving my phone before sitting it behind the bar. “Just... waiting for a text from a friend.”
“The friend you mentioned so often on arrival?” His lips stretch into a smile, showing off his teeth.
I know what he’s talking about, of course. Months ago, I pulled my sailboat into the marina and made myself at home in this charming town. I sidled up to Marko’s bar, confused about my relationship with Katherine. He got an earful that night. And since I enjoy working behind a bar, he’s heard about her a lot since then.
Heat sweeps over my skin. I nod. Guilty as charged.
“Katrina?”
“Katherine. Yes.”
“Ahh. Katherine.” He props a hip against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. The subtle way he pries a story out of a person is amazing to watch, even when he’s doing it to me. “You miss her.”
It’s not a question.
He knows it.
I know it.
I miss her like crazy. Her smile. The way her gorgeous hair slides across her cheek when she dips her head, trying to smother a laugh. I love making her laugh. She doesn’t do it often enough for my liking.
She has a geeky obsession with houseplants. A never-ending stack of biographies next to her bed. A massive collection of sex toys she doesn’t think I know about.
